From Hair Fires to Heart Fires: Finding Freedom and Fulfillment as Your Own Boss

Being your own boss is often portrayed as the epitome of freedom. It conjures images of flexible schedules, pursuing passions, and living life on your terms. However, the reality for many entrepreneurs is a constant juggling act where freedom is balanced by personal responsibility and accountability. Without clear boundaries and structure, the dream of freedom can quickly turn into a nightmare of overwhelm and exhaustion.

The Hair Fire Dilemma

If you resonate with any of the following statements, your entrepreneurial journey might be feeling more like a hair-on-fire sprint than a fulfilling pursuit of passion:

• Constant Exhaustion: Waking up tired despite adequate rest.
• Lack of Progress: Feeling stuck and unproductive.
• Stress Signals: Noticing signs of stress in yourself or others.
• Overcommitment: Saying yes to everything, neglecting personal priorities.
• Desire for Change: Seeking ways to douse the flames of overwhelm.

Embracing Boundaries for Freedom

Contrary to popular belief, boundaries aren't shackles; they're the scaffolding that supports your freedom. With well-defined boundaries, you create space to nurture your passions and fuel your heart's desires. Imagine waking up energized, losing track of time doing what you love, and radiating positivity and purpose.

Top 5 Strategies for Transforming Hair Fires into Heart Fires

1. Set Clear Goals: Define what success means for you and your business. Align financial goals with personal fulfillment and freedom.

Assuming income is a big part of that answer, what kind of income will stoke your heart fires? How much do you need to earn this month? Write out your income goal and list what that income will do contribute to creating joy and the feeling of freedom in your life. Use pictures with words and post it for daily visibility.

2. Create Time Blocks: Reserve dedicated time for activities that ignite your passion and drive revenue. Don't forget to leave room for margin—essential for preventing burnout.

Without saved space, every minute of your days and weeks are susceptible to becoming wood for hair fire living. Every person who asks you to do xyz for them, their organization, their needs, etc…. gets a yes because the space wasn’t saved for building your heart fire. When we save space (block time) for doing the things that will produce income, and honor it, hair fires get put out because they don’t have a fuel source.

SUCCESS TIP: Make sure the time you allot to stoking your heart fire aligns with your income goals. Ask yourself if the income you desire can be earned in the time you've dedicated to your business activities.

3. Execute with Intent: Have a plan for each time block. Focus on income-generating activities that align with your goals.

Just holding blocks of time for your business without intentional actions scheduled into them will end up adding to your hair fires, not your heart fire results. When you show up for your blocked time, what will you do with it? 

• Make calls? What kind of calls? (customer care - conversation follow up -inviting conversations - other?
• Messaging conversations? What kind? (starting private conversations with people who commented on posts – following up on private conversations to move to inviting conversations – other?
• Starting conversations? How? (reaching out to people on a list from an event – scheduling a series of conversation starting posts on social media – other?)

SUCCESS TIP: Make sure to give focused time to actions that deliver results. A month of just connecting with people but never dedicating time to guide them to an invitation to take action = no results. 

4. Defend Your Time: Politely decline requests that don't align with your priorities. Practice assertiveness in protecting your schedule.

When someone assumes that running your own business equates to not having a set work schedule and expects you to be available for tasks and requests – how will you respond? Prepare a few authentic replies to handle such situations confidently.

• I’d love to help but I’m working at that time. Is there another way I can help?
• That’s during my working hours, so that will have to be a no for me.
• Other?

5. Prioritize Your Commitments: Treat your business commitments with the same respect as external appointments. Honor your time blocks as non-negotiable.

When opportunities arise during times you've dedicated to your business, how will you prioritize? Make a personal commitment to treat your business with the same professionalism you would a traditional job.

• Move the work appointment to another time.
• Say no, just as you would if you had a Dr. appointment that would be impossible to reschedule.
• Other?

Final Thoughts: Building Heart Fires

Ultimately, the choice between hair fires and heart fires lies in how you manage your time and commitments. Will you let the flames of overwhelm consume you, or will you cultivate the sparks of passion into a roaring fire of fulfillment? The decision is yours, and the journey to heart fire living begins with setting boundaries that nurture your freedom.

Are you ready to extinguish the hair fires and ignite your heart fires? It's time to reclaim your entrepreneurial journey and create a life of purpose, passion, and freedom.

Heart Fire Living

• You wake up most mornings excited to start a new day.
• Sometimes you lose track of time doing what you love.
• People notice how upbeat and energized you are.
• You’re clear about your life priorities and this empowers you to say yes to what’s important and no to everything else (without guilt!)
• You are looking for ways to fuel the fire.

Living with your heart on fire doesn't mean you're less busy. You may be just as busy or even busier, but the time you invest delivers results that fuel the fires that bring you joy.