September 13, 2024

When is enough enough?

Let’s start with a question:

How much is enough?

In 1986, when I was living in a Quonset hut on a horse farm in upstate New York, stacking bales of hay and painting creosote on railroad ties for $200 a week, I would’ve answered this question wrong.

In 1993, when I was a dirt-poor musician playing guitar on the street in Harvard Square and living in a van by the IHOP on the Mass Pike in Boston, I would’ve answered this question wrong.

In 2002, when I was sleeping in my rehearsal space at night and building Filemaker databases as a disgruntled corporate drone during the day, I would’ve answered this question wrong.

In 2007, when I was living in my second house and still paying the mortgage on my first, which I had to sell at a huge loss because the housing market was crashing, I would’ve answered this question wrong.

In 2010, when I had my first kid and was riding high on the mobile consulting wave kicked off by the broad adoption of the iPhone, I would have answered this question wrong.

In 2016, when I pivoted my business from mobile consulting for household name brand corporations to business coaching for solo consultants, I would have answered this question wrong.

I could keep going, but here’s the point...

Things change.

And you probably don’t want your standard of living to go down as time goes on.

Unchecked, this means that your “enough” number will always be receding into the distance UNLESS you decide on how much “enough” is.

Is $250K/year enough?

Is $500K/year enough?

Is $1M/year enough?

Is $10M/year enough?

Is $100M/year enough?

Is $1B/year enough?

For some people, even a billion dollars a year isn’t enough.

Is that you?

I doubt it.

But how much IS enough?

Seriously, I’m asking...

How much money per year is enough for you?

Got your answer?

Okay, great!

But...

Will it still be true in five years?

Yours,

—J

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