The Butler Project

Last Thursday I quit my job. It was way past time for me to leave. My boss (and good friend) was at my office, we had a few words (for which we both apologized the next day) and I left. Months and months ago I lost all faith in the company’s product and ownership. Made life pretty miserable considering I had to continue not only keep selling the product but try to train and motivate the sales reps working for me that they should sell it too.

I have not enjoyed the last six months, but it’s over now and it’s the best feeling (professionally) I’ve had in a long time. Probably ever. I stayed out of a sense of duty to the company (one of its owners in particular who’s a good friend), and the people I managed. In the end they may have been better off if I’d quit sooner. I guess I’ll have to live with that question.

As I left, one of my employees made an interesting statement to me: “I hope you can realize that there’s more to life than a dollar.” Interesting. Apparently I had given this guy the impression that all I care about is money. He probably got that impression because I had done numerous trainings on how much better life is when you don’t have to worry about paying your bills next month, and how the ability to enjoy some travel and quality time with your family (afforded by money) is pretty nice.

The reality is I could not care less about money itself. I enjoy money, mostly I enjoy making it. It’s a game, and a really fun one. But beyond that, money itself is meaningless. I only value money in how it allows me to spend my time how I want.

It has never made sense to me to spend one-half (or more) of my waking hours away from these two:

One of my favorite quotes about money and wealth is this one:

“One of the best ways to stop worrying about money forever is to just make a bunch of it, and then move on.”

Money is too trivial to spend so much time on it in the long term. For the next few years I’ll spend 50-60 hours per week making money. When I’m finished I will have bought back the rest of my life, and I’ll be able to spend my time on the things that really matter.

The other day a friend of ours posted excerpts from a commencement address given at Standford by Steve Jobs. I’ve thought about it every day since I read it. Here’s one particularly powerful quote:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. - From a commencement address at Stanford University given by Steve Jobs.

It bothers me that people won’t take risks when their intuition tells them they should. What is the worst that could happen? I’m not saying be reckless. Although I’m willing to risk bankruptcy to have the life I want, I’d rather avoid it. Make a plan, and be willing to do the work required to both live your passion and pay your bills. Yes, they’re both possible.

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