Holidays Hit Different as an Entrepreneur

You know what I’ve quickly realized about holidays as an entrepreneur? They’re just another day. While I’m off from my 9-5, I’m using the time to get caught up—and hopefully ahead—with my business. No complaints here, but it’s definitely a new experience for me.

Most of my adult life has been spent working in corporate America, where your time is scheduled out for you, sometimes a year in advance. Transitioning into entrepreneurship on the side has been an adjustment. Suddenly, I’m the one who has to create and stick to a schedule, and let me tell you—it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Think about it: at a traditional job, your hours, breaks, and tasks are all mapped out for you. But when it’s your business, there’s no pre-made roadmap. It’s easy to end up winging it, but I’ve learned that approach doesn’t work for me.

Instead, I’ve taken some lessons from my 9-5 and applied them to my business. My job has set hours for me, so I’ve created set hours for my business. They have systems in place for completing tasks, so I’m building my own systems to streamline my workflow. There’s no shame in borrowing a proven formula and tweaking it to work for you.

Today, I even drove Uber for a few hours. Holiday rates are no joke—they pay double! I’m working toward buying a laser printer for shipping labels, so putting in a little extra grind was a no-brainer.

These next 30 days, I’m stepping on the gas. I’m focused on speeding things up in areas that need a push and building momentum that’ll carry me forward. Holidays may feel different as an entrepreneur, but they’re just another opportunity to move closer to the vision.