Are Your 40-Hour ‘Sprints’ Building You a 40-Hour Coaching Business Prison?

I’m willing to work up to 40 hours a week on my business over the next 90 days.

I know, you might be sitting there cheering an ironic 'whoopdie-doo' because that probably doesn't sound like a lot for most coaches, but for me it’s more than double my normal working week.

So yeah, what I'm saying is that I’m willing to work TWICE as much as I normally do... But ONLY if the business requires 20 hours a week or LESS when the sprint is done.

That’s the agreement I’ve made with myself.

Because there’s nothing wrong with a fixed period of focused effort where you're willing to go all-out or all-in or whatever.

And because sometimes you’ve got to put your head down, build what needs to be built and do a bit more for a while.

But the problem is that many of the ‘growth strategies’ sold to coaches as the 'surefire path to success' don’t create a TEMPORARY increase in workload.

(Although I suspect the handcuffs would be sold as a ‘scalable ecosystem’)

That's how the sprint quietly becomes a marathon… except nobody tells you where the finish line is and you’re expected to film content while sweating profusely and running your arse off.

That's how you end up with MORE social platforms to feed.

MORE funnels to monitor.

MORE calls to deliver.

MORE people to manage.

MORE moving parts that fall apart the moment you take your foot off the accelerator.

(Not to mention getting up earlier to journal, meditate, walk 10,000 steps before your day even begins and then spending ANOTHER hour journalling and reviewing at the end of the day too)

And I guess at some point, you’re allowed to eat... but don't take too long and preferably eat WHILE you work to maximise efficiency.

Sounds familiar, right?

And sure, the strategy MIGHT work to actually grow your revenue.

But if it also builds a business that needs 40, 50 or 60 hours from you every week just to keep it working, then what exactly have you created?

Growth?

Or another job with your name on it?

In reality you’ve probably jjust escaped regular employment and become Employee of the Month in a company where the boss is also you.

(And where he’s a bit of a dick about annual leave AND time off when you're ill)

See, I don’t think intensity is the problem for most coaches.

I think direction is.

A sprint makes sense when it takes you somewhere you actually want to STAY but it makes absolutely none when it ends up creating a prison-like working life that you’ll spend most of your time figuring out how to escape from it.

Especially when the prison has your logo on the wall, your face on every social platform and a calendar link where the visiting hours should be.

Because a 40-hour sprint should buy back your time.

It shouldn’t build a 40-hour prison.