Treat it like a business
When reviewing my takeaways from 2024, I couldn’t ignore that gnawing feeling of “not doing enough.”
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t proud of myself for several things I accomplished last year. I did have some major wins.
But we live in a world of “do more, be more, achieve more, and don’t settle for less until you’re there.”
And it can be difficult to ignore this constant pursuit of more.
Is this gnawing feeling simply a product of society’s standards? Or is it a personal realization that I have more to give? More to create?
When reflecting, I made the realization that I wasn’t fully committed to what I was doing.
I told myself I was building a business, but in reality, I wasn’t treating it like one.
During the past couple years, I’ve erred on the side of flexibility and freedom – while ignoring some of the hard work necessary for progress.
My goal is to create with inspiration and impact while making an income from what I create.
In order to achieve this goal, I know that I can being doing more.
Here’s how I plan to do that.
Stages of Stoke (Work Hard, with Caution)
I never want to come across as someone who believes that 12+ hours days, 7 days a week is normal. Spoiler alert: It’s not.
There have always been periods of my life that I truly enjoy working long days with long hours. This is a sign of stoke – relentlessly working on something that lights your fire. And I’ll always embrace these periods of life with joy, because I never want to lose that passion for creating.
The end of 2024 was one of these stages of stoke – working to create and complete my first online course The Genius Journal.
A few 12+ hour days of pure focus allowed me to bring the project across the finish line. If it weren’t for this commitment, it wouldn’t have happened.
This stage of stoke was a reminder of what I’m capable of achieving. Capable of doing. Capable of creating.
Within each of us is that gnawing feeling of doing more. And I’m learning that this feeling isn’t always a bad thing. It’s just a matter of learning to ignore it when necessary – and embrace it when necessary.
If we always ignore this feeling, we settle for less than we’re called to do.
But if we always act according to this feeling, we find ourselves burnt out and spread too thin.
Balance is the key.
If I fail to work hard on the things that mean the most to me, I feel less than fulfilled. And 2024 ended with that feeling of needing to create more. That only means one thing: 2025 will be a year of commitment to creating. It’s time to heed the call of more.
The past couple years have been a time of rest, recovery, and healing. Realistically, I wouldn’t be able to move forward had it not been for this season of slowness.
It’s necessary to help yourself before you’re able to help others. And 2023/2024 were these years for me.
But now that I (finally) feel capable of creating again, I’m feeling that spark within me. And it’s time for that spark to be fanned into a flame.
Being More Intentional with “Work”
On more of an actionable note, here are a few ways I’m taking my business more seriously in 2025.
If you’re a freelancer, business owner, or artist of any kind – I hope this helps you pursue your craft more intentionally this year.
1) “Go to work”
Last week my wife and I finished up swapping around the rooms in our apartment. Instead of sharing an office with her, I now have a room to myself for an office and studio.
Yes, I’m freakin’ hyped.
Having this dedicated workspace has already been a game changer. Each morning, I can physically “go to work,” and shut the door behind me.
It sounds simple, but having that cue of going to a physical space activates a switch in my mind. When I’m in the studio, it’s time to work. And it feels good to have that boundary set.
Whether you have a designated office or enjoy going to a coffee shop to get your work done – I’d encourage you to have a change in your physical space to activate “work mode.”
2) Track your hours
At my previous job at a creative agency, I got used to tracking my hours every single day for years. While this felt like a grind most days, I’m learning that it’s an important way to keep myself accountable.
If I could punch the clock 8 hours a day working for someone else, why can’t I commit to that amount of time when working for myself?
Just because I work for myself a few days a week doesn’t mean that all of my time is “free time.” When I “go to work” in my office, I track each hour that I work on a timesheet in Notion.
Here’s what it looks like:
This allows me to see how much I worked on any given day, and keeps myself accountable to fill time working on things that matter to me.
3) Network with others
Working in an office sucks. But when working from home, you start to miss collaboration.
Yeah, your coworkers are… interesting. But at least they keep you entertained!
I’ve been realizing how much I’ve neglected the social and collaborative aspect of work. And this is a major focus I have for 2025:
Collaborating with others.
Here are a few ways I plan to do this:
- Attend local meetups, workshops, or classes
- Meet up with a local friend or peer who shares similar interests
- Use social media for its intended purpose: socializing with other creators
- Begin having conversations with people I look up to (and share them via a podcast…? 🤔)
Building a business of any kind can be lonely. But I want to be more intentional about working with others in 2025.
Team work makes the dream work, right?
Most of all – it’s important to remind myself that building a business is an absolute privilege.
I get to do what I love every day. And I have the choice to seek whatever excites me. What a blessing.
Stoked to pursue more in 2025.
And I hope this encouraged you to do the same.
Peace & blessings,
Eric Pfohl