My career has been a long and winding road.
A freaking 40-year roller coaster ride.
Massive success.
Massive failure.
The dot com crash forced me to reinvent myself after a very successful 20-year tech career.
The 2008 crash wiped out my web agency business.
In 2013, I was laid off after quadrupling the revenue of a software company.
Looking back on my businesses, I had a lot of flexibility.
I was able to drive my kids to school and drive on field trips.
I helped network our schools in the early '90s, right after Al Gore invented it.
I served on tech committees and as a board member of our school's foundation.
I coached my kids' sports teams with my wife Ellen, and my sister Connie.
Today, I travel when I want (at least 8 weeks a year).
I "call in sick" and go skiing at a moment's notice.
I take a day off to be with the grandkids.
Sounds like I'm in control of my schedule...
...but I realize I work about 80% of the time and play 20% of the time.
You see, I always take my laptop with me when I travel.
Every morning I check my messages.
I squeeze in a few minutes of work here and there.
My mind is always on my business.
I'm "on" 80% of the time and have trouble turning my mind "off".
When I went to Europe in April, I didn't bring a computer and was able to unplug for almost three weeks.
It took a week or so to stop checking my phone every few minutes, but I was able to slow down for the first time in over 20 years.
To my surprise, my business was still running when I returned home.
Now, it's time for another shift.
I recently turned 66 and retirement is not in my future.
Helping people gives me great pleasure, so I don't want to stop.
I've been working on something new that will let me flip my 80/20.
This new project will let me "work" 20% of the time and enjoy life 80% of the time.
The best part is I will be able to help more people than I could when I did one-on-one work with clients.
I'll be able to work less and make more (you've heard that BS before) doing what I love on a larger scale.
My mentor, Brian Kurtz, calls his "retirement" saying "no" to everything he doesn't want to do and focusing on what he loves, which is also helping people by sharing his knowledge.
It's time for me to finally learn how to say "no" and spend 80% of my time making the most of my next act.
Stay tuned...
Ted
