This notecard changed how I run my business [WRAP 194]

Hey Reader, sorry this is going out on Monday. Honestly, I thought this was already scheduled and was blissfully unaware until I logged on this morning. Hope you didn't miss me too much 😉

Ok now that we're passed me being late... have you ever received good advice but ignored it for years, even though it's exactly the sort of thing you need help with to achieve your goals?

I was going through a stack of old note cards this week and found this one I wrote back in January 2021: "Make Your Own Rules."

Four years. I've had this advice sitting right in front of me for four years.

And here's the embarrassing part—I'm just now actually doing what it says.

Everything Is Made Up Anyway

It took me until year five of my business to really understand what my friend Shawn Blanc has been telling me all along:

The 40-hour work week? Made up.The idea that you have to hustle 24/7 to succeed? Made up. The belief that taking time off means you're not serious? Also made up.

So why not design your work in a way that actually fits your life?

I've got four kids and a wife I love spending time with. My goal isn't just to build a successful business, it's to create a life we're all excited about being part of.

That means saying no to weekly retainer clients that demand constant availability. It means experimenting with 8-week work cycles that include actual sabbatical weeks. It means choosing projects over recurring commitments when possible.

The Challenge Isn't Technical

The hardest part isn't figuring out the logistics of making your own rules. It's rewiring the old beliefs about how work "should" look.

Those voices that say you're being irresponsible.

That you'll lose clients.

That success requires sacrificing what matters most to you.

But here's what I've learned: you can experiment to find what works for you. The fear of messing up is usually worse than actually messing up.

Now, I'm not saying it's all sunshine and 4-hour work weeks. There will be days, weeks, maybe even entire months where you need to put in more than 40 hours. Sacrifice is part of pursuing any meaningful goal.

The key is being intentional about it. Sacrifice what you choose to sacrifice, not what everyone else thinks you should sacrifice.

Don't get stuck thinking you have to do things the way you see on the internet. Or the way you did them before you started your own thing.

Create a business that fits your life, not the other way around.

Your Permission Slip

If you're building something of your own—a business, a side project, a creative practice—remember why you started.

One of the main reasons to be your own boss is to make your own rules.

Everything else is just old programming you can choose to ignore.

What rules have you been following that don’t actually serve you?

One Video to Watch: 10 9 Weeks Left in 2025

I counted 'em up at the start of the week and there are 10 9(!) weeks left in 2025. It's a great time to focus on ONE big goal you have for the rest of the year and build momentum into 2026.

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If you're looking for a proven, easy to use system to help lock in for the rest of 2025, check out the Most Productive Week Ever planner. It's only $9 and will help plan and perform each day so you can do exactly what's needed to win.

Thanks for reading,

Matt "Four Years Later" Ragland