A few weeks ago, my husband was asked to help his niece move up to Scotland.
She lives near us, in Kent. Which is about as far from Scotland as you can get!
And like most things, it seemed like a good idea at the time…
A road trip for him and his sister. A chance to help a young couple just starting out, to relocate for their new careers in the amazing city that is Edinburgh.
They knew where they were headed, loaded up the rented van with a lifetime of belongings and set out with a bag of boiled sweets on the (very long) road north.
Even with family mucking in, packing the van took most of Friday. And then at 4am on Saturday, they set off…drove and drove…and after a quick stop for breakfast, drove some more.
Saturday afternoon was spent unloading the van (hard work with just the four of them!). And after an uneventful stay at a Premier Inn and an early breakfast, they set off on the return leg – down the very long road back to Kent.
Sunday evening saw him crash out on the sofa. Aching and muttering about too much lifting and that he’s not 25 any more…
Monday, we sat down to see what the trip had cost, so we could let them know what they owed us.
And like something in a MasterCard advert:
- Van hire: £280 (they waived the excess mileage, thankfully!)
- Diesel: £232.04
- Hotel: £65.98
- Total = £578.02
Definitely much less than paying professional removers to take them to Scotland.
But what was the actual COST of the trip?
We lost 3 days together as a family. Plus the hangover of him being so tired and achy on the Monday.
Which – bearing in mind how little time we get to spend together during the week – is a BIG deal.
I jokingly said I should bill him out at minimum wage. Driving time + loading time + unloading time = 28 hours @ £8.72 = £244.16…
But seriously, the cheap option usually involves YOU giving up YOUR time.
That’s how it works.
And whether in life or business, you can choose to pay for someone to do something (or help you do something)…
Or you can do it yourself.
And yes, doing it yourself is free.
But what about the time it takes? What else could you do with that time? That makes you happier or wealthier?
If you weren’t doing admin… you could be bringing in more sales.
If you weren’t cleaning your bathroom… you could have lunch with a friend; bake a cake; read a book or take the kids somewhere they love.
If you weren’t stuck in that comfortable, well paid career – you could be…
What could you be doing instead? How would that FEEL?
Investing in yourself can be a way to get the results you want much faster, than trying to go it alone.
I recently did a poll of some super successful business owners and asked them how long it took between deciding they wanted to leave their corporate job and actually making the jump.
The most common answers? Between 1 and 2 YEARS.
Think about the cost of staying stuck where you are now for another 2 years.
What will you miss out on?
Holidays with friends? Watching your child’s school play? Doing something that truly fulfils you? Enjoying life to the fullest?
What would it be worth to create a plan, so you knew how to take that big exit in just 40 days?
If you’re fed up of the endless secondments and sideways moves at work…
Or you’ve spent your time working (or being furloughed) at home and you’re thinking “I can’t face doing THAT job for the next 25 years of my life”…
Or you’d love to take the leap – but you’re worried you couldn’t manage on less money and don’t want to sacrifice the things you love and the sunshine holidays…
We should chat about my 1:1 program!
In just 5 weeks together, we’ll sort it.
You’ll know if making the big leap is financially viable – and you’ll have a clear plan, with your exact next steps.
I only offer limited spaces on my 1:1 programme so that you can get the personalised input you need – and I book up quickly!
And I KNOW that investing in yourself doesn’t always feel like a priority (even when you’re on a great salary – so many of us women put everyone and everything else before ourselves!).
But I want to ask you – what’s it really worth, to finally escape that frustrating, restrictive corporate environment and do what you really WANT to be doing?
You’re going to spend around 90,000 hours at work. That’s about 1/3 of your life.
How would you feel if you saw this again in 12 months’ time? Would you WISH you’d taken action?
It’s 100% NOT right for everyone.
But if I can help you to finally make the jump out of the corporate world – knowing you have all your ducks in a row, to feel financially secure and in control…
Here’s the link again, to find out more about working together 1:1.
Over the last decade, I’ve supported hundreds of women with their personal, family and business finances.
And I’d love to do the same for you!
Until next time,
Claire