👯‍♀️ Why you might like to become two people

Many entrepreneurs wish they could duplicate themselves, wouldn’t work be so much easier if there were two of you?

What many don’t think about is how much better life could be if they split themselves in half. Let me explain:

Many entrepreneurs get "lost" in their business. Their entire life becomes consumed by their business, and they lose their identity. They are no longer their name, they are their business. This often leads to business problems, relationship problems, and burnout.

I am a big believer that, as entrepreneurs, work and life are intertwined. There isn't necessarily a clear split - entrepreneurship is a way of being. You spot problems and you want to solve them. It is somewhat akin to being religious, it is a faith and feeling, and while it can be learned to a certain extent it affects your entire world perception.

Something counterintuitive that can help you not only become a better entrepreneur but also a better partner, friend, community member, and person in general is to treat yourself like two different people.

For example, for me there is work John, and there is life John.

Introducing a routine to "wake up" or "put to sleep" one or the other John helps me to more clearly separate work and life, but more importantly it helps me retain my humanity and sense of self. Life John can sometimes think about Work John - both Johns still exist and sometimes one does bleed into the other - but having a clear boundary helps me to show up as the best version of myself in the correct situation.

Having a separate “life John” allows me to actually go out and enjoy my life, to retain hobbies, and to build relationships, all without feeling guilty. I can say to myself “this is life John’s time to shine". It helps me to switch off from work, as work issues are a “work John” problem not a “life John” problem.

This concept of having two distinct contexts, to split yourself positively, signficantly helped my client Ghayth who then saw his happiness skyrocket and his business run much more smoothly.

Splitting can be painful at first as there is often a realisation that “life you” might not really exist anymore and you may need to rebuild them from scratch.

Are you “work you” or “life you” right now? When should each person come to exist?

Perhaps there is an opportunity to create space for “life you” to enjoy the spotlight for some time over the holidays this year. You and your loved ones are sure to appreciate it.

Here is a clip from a real session with me where Ghayth talks about how much of a difference treating himself as two different people has made for him and his business.

💡 Quote I'm pondering

"Make two people proud: Your 8-year-old self and your 80-year-old self” - David Perell

Your 8-year old self likely had wild dreams and exciting ambitions for the future. Your 80-year old self is likely concerned with any regrets or missed opportunities of the past.

Our present self’s job is to balance the needs, wants, and desires of those two versions of us in the context of our current present life.

It isn’t an easy job, but by being conscious of the three of “us” we can make it all a little easier and do that job a little better.

I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-december-18

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