Being a solopreneur takes a lot of work. Maybe one day I’ll add a team of people to my business setup, but until then it’s just me … and I love it! One thing I do to balance out my work is to put “life” time into my routine. My work is very important to me, but I would not be able to teach, create, and run my business if was burned out.

One of the many reasons I moved back to Portland a few years ago was to be in a dog-friendly environment. Just this month, I started a new ritual of taking the dogs to my favorite dog park once a week. I already give the dogs regular walks around the neighborhood, but when I take them to this park they have such a wonderful time (and they’re zonked out for about 24 hours afterward!). It also gives me the chance to breathe in some fresh air, clear my head, get a little bit of exercise, and watch the pups splash in the mud puddles.

These moments are what life is all about. I always make sure to pull myself away from my desk after a productive day of working and do something else—something enjoyable—before the sun starts to set. I also tend to push aside work on the weekends and give myself some time off. It’s all about finding balance; I need to work just hard enough to make enough money to pay the bills and get to do the things I enjoy, like traveling or supporting my knitting habit.

I wouldn’t be lying if I didn’t admit how tempting it can be to want to chain myself to my desk and work all day. After all, the more I work the more I could potentially earn, but what’s the point of having lots of money if I don’t enjoy my life?

I’m very thankful that the path I have chosen so far has proven to be successful for me. I get to serve my audience and have a profitable business; was it not profitable then I would not be able to serve my audience. So far 2016 is off to a great start. I had a successful product launch last week, and I have big plans for the future, including some epic scuba diving trips where I’ll try my hand at underwater photography. I hope you’ll tag along and see where life takes me!

Being a solopreneur takes a lot of work. Maybe one day I’ll add a team of people to my business setup, but until then it’s just me … and I love it! One thing I do to balance out my work is to put “life” time into my routine. My work is very important to me, but I would not be able to teach, create, and run my business if was burned out.

One of the many reasons I moved back to Portland a few years ago was to be in a dog-friendly environment. Just this month, I started a new ritual of taking the dogs to my favorite dog park once a week. I already give the dogs regular walks around the neighborhood, but when I take them to this park they have such a wonderful time (and they’re zonked out for about 24 hours afterward!). It also gives me the chance to breathe in some fresh air, clear my head, get a little bit of exercise, and watch the pups splash in the mud puddles.

These moments are what life is all about. I always make sure to pull myself away from my desk after a productive day of working and do something else—something enjoyable—before the sun starts to set. I also tend to push aside work on the weekends and give myself some time off. It’s all about finding balance; I need to work just hard enough to make enough money to pay the bills and get to do the things I enjoy, like traveling or supporting my knitting habit.

I wouldn’t be lying if I didn’t admit how tempting it can be to want to chain myself to my desk and work all day. After all, the more I work the more I could potentially earn, but what’s the point of having lots of money if I don’t enjoy my life?

I’m very thankful that the path I have chosen so far has proven to be successful for me. I get to serve my audience and have a profitable business; was it not profitable then I would not be able to serve my audience. So far 2016 is off to a great start. I had a successful product launch last week, and I have big plans for the future, including some epic scuba diving trips where I’ll try my hand at underwater photography. I hope you’ll tag along and see where life takes me!

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Nicole is a photographer, published author, and educator specializing in Lightroom, Photoshop, and photography. She is best known for her books on food photography but is widely versed in various photographic genres, including landscape, nature, stock, travel, and experimental imagery.

One Comment

  1. Sally March 29, 2016 at 11:48 am - Reply

    So relate to this. It’s all about balance. My daily dog walk is a joy.

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