What I Learned From Removing All Structure From My Small Business for 2 Weeks.

Every year, I pack up my laptop, mini skirts of all colours, and my cat, Nala and head to California for the winter. This year was a little different: we spent a week in New York City before our first week in San Diego, after which I promptly extended our San Diego trip for another 5 weeks 😃🌴☀️. (Yes, when you work remotely, it's that simple—you just decide.)

The defining feature of this particular snow-birding trip, thus far, has been an ongoing experiment—removing structure entirely from my business to see what happens. As you'll see, the 'see what happens' part is absolutely critical because when we throw ourselves into uncomfortable situations without being clear on why, we end up counting down the hours 'til we can get 'back to normal' and recover, vowing never to be so 'stupid' again. But when there's a clear why, we can not only endure but also emerge in a better headspace than we were in before. I'll get into this concept more later.

First, I'll explain the hypothesis of my experiment, why I chose to do it, what it looked like, and my main discoveries. Then, I'll talk more broadly about why this sort of exercise is extremely valuable for any small business owner who wants more freedom in their life. Sound good?

My hypothesis:

What if the world doesn't end when I stop working so much, where I literally never have to do anything I don't want to do, when I don't want to do it?

Not only that: what if absolutely nothing bad happens because the fear of 'not doing enough' or 'not being enough' only exists in my head?

Not only that: what if I actually thrive when 'allowed' to live my life and operate my business exactly the way I want to, 100% of the time, and I friggin' love it?

Why I chose to do this experiment:

I've been actively pursuing a freedom-focused lifestyle as an entrepreneur for 6+ years now. I've worked remotely since 2018, but I've struggled with workaholism and felt like a slave to my business for the first few years. It was initially very difficult to say 'no' and set boundaries with clients, and asking for help didn't come naturally, to say the least.

While I had come a long way in creating a better work-life balance and advocating for myself, relaxing still wasn't coming easily to me. I still felt very guilty when I wasn't being productive, and my nervous system was not happy when I wasn't busy all the time. The anxiety got bad, and I had a couple of panic attacks earlier this year. I also had a recent hospital admittance, where stress had messed with my hormones, giving me crippling menstrual pain that resulted in me calling an ambulance just two blocks from my house.

I knew something drastic had to happen in order to train my nervous system that it is, in fact, safe to slow down and enjoy my life. I knew I could physically do it, but it didn't feel safe to let it happen. I wanted to seek out hard, irrefutable evidence that I could live an awesome freedom-focused lifestyle on my own terms with zero negative implications. And I was open to seeing unexpected positive results in the experiment, if those were to emerge.

What it looked like:

I carved out 2-week call-free zone in my calendar so that the experiment was as fair as possible. In fact, there was nothing in my schedule whatsoever, except a conference that mostly entailed eating bagels and watching other people eat bagels.

I made a promise to myself that I would not do any work until I felt like it, each day. I was allowed do everything under the sun except work until I felt like working. And I defined 'feeling like it' as wanting to work purely because it would be enjoyable in that moment. No other rationale would suffice.

On days when I didn't feel like working, I didn't. On days when I did feel like working, there was no minimum or maximum amount of time I could work, and there was no 'to do' list or anything dictating what the work had to be. It was all me. My intuition. My body. My brain. My feelings. My preferences. My desires. My inspiration. My passions.

A typical day looked like this:

• Waking up at around 11am (often with several other wakings between 5 and 8am by my jet-lagged cat who's used to an automatic feeder and knows I'm the next best thing).
• Going back to sleep until 12pm or later, if I didn't feel well or was still tired. When I was on my period, there was a lot more rest, with some make-shift hot water bottles thrown into the mix.
• Making a fresh salad, or buttery crumpets, or whatever I felt like eating in the moment.
• Bringing Nala to the beach for an hour or two. Mostly, I'd lay on a towel watching my boyfriend take her on a little walk down to the water, showing her it's safe to explore. I'd also close my eyes and reflect on life, eat a snack I'd brought, or listen to an interesting video.
• Going for a swim at the outdoor pool that's a 2-min walk from my AirBnb. I'd swim for 15 minutes and then chill in the hot tub for almost an hour, watching the incredible sunset. Or taking a mini outing with my boyfriend, such as hiking through Balboa Park, getting a coffee from the Spanish village, and taking photos in the rose and cactus garden.
• Showering, doing my makeup, and picking out an outfit that made me feel awesome. Sometimes, I'd also go to an outdoor mall to buy a new outfit, e.g., in the Black Friday sales.
• Driving to a dance school where I'd shake my booty on camera and make some new friends. In my second class, I got invited to a Xmas PJs party, where we went out dancing in our PJs. In my third class, I got invited to a soirée at someone's house: a cocktail party and potluck.
• Meeting up with a couple of old friends to share a giant mound of Mexican, loaded fries. (When I say it's a mound, I am not exaggerating—we always have leftovers.) Or watching a few episodes of Gossip Girl with Nala on my lap, inspired by my recent New York trip.
• Editing and posting my latest dance video, and liking and commenting on everyone else's.
• Working for anywhere between one and four hours, until I no longer felt like it. Sometimes, I was reviewing student Assignment submissions, planning Pop-Up Events, or celebrating wins in The Prospologers Community. Sometimes, I was building new web pages, briefing my illustrator on a new idea, or conceptualizing for some models I'm creating. It was fun AF.
• Going to bed whenever I was tired, without having to worry about getting up for meeting.

My main discoveries:

• Checking emails once per day (or night) is more than enough. Only doing this when I feel like I have the energy to do so has been a deal-breaker. Nothing is ever so urgent that it can't wait 24 hours. And keeping my inbox closed feels so freeing.
• I have been more productive in my one to four hours of work than I ever would have been if I had tried to do them earlier on, or in longer stretches of time, especially if I wasn't well-rested or in a good state of mind. Even when I skip a day entirely, I'm still more productive overall.
• When I actually have space in my schedule to do whatever I want, I get invited to more events (even by strangers) because people can sense my welcoming, chill energy, and it feels great! Simply showing up consistently has made a huge difference to my social life and overall wellbeing. I'm no longer checking a box; I'm fully present and enjoying every minute of it.
• I've progressed the projects/causes I cared most about more than I would if I was working 8+ hours a day and available to everyone, all the time. I've made more sales, gotten more content engagement, generated more high-quality leads, and had a LOT more fun in the process. Even things I was getting zero traction on for months have just been flowing easily.
• I'm 10x better at my job (business coaching) when I've met all of my own needs before meeting my students'. I've always gotten consistently great feedback, but this has been next level feedback—more heartfelt than ever, and I feel so great about seeing them transform before my eyes. When I get into the flow, it's like a mega insightful, capable version of me emerges because I look back and I'm so friggin' impressed even with myself 😅.
• I've been able to solve complex problems easily, as if it's no big deal. Whereas before, I would debate and ruminate on these types of things for weeks or even months before moving forward. I have a consistent sense of calmness and groundedness, like a voice that's saying 'no need to worry—you've clearly got this.' And that's it—I've got it. The anxiety is just gone.
• I can more easily, and instantly, tell if an idea I have is a great one or something to let go right away. I let my priorities shift naturally, and actually assume they are going to change from one hour to the next. I don't worry about how I'll use my time because I know I'll use it wisely.
• I've been less micromanagey with my Team. I trust that they know what they're supposed to do and will do it. I also trust that I will communicate if their output isn't helpful and, if necessary, replace them with someone who is more helpful—nothing personal; just business.
• I've enjoyed having more quality time with my partner. We've been able to talk about more meaningful things and have more fun together, and he's even shown more of an interest in my business, wanting to get involved and work on things with me as well as independently.
• I've connected with friends in more meaningful ways, too. I have the time and patience to listen to what they're going through, support them, and share my wisdom. Instead of messages feeling like an inconvenience at times, they're an exciting thing to read or listen to when I next feel like being social. Just as with my students, I show up as a more valuable and empathetic version of myself when I have my needs met, and I'm sure they appreciate it.
• I haven't been as afraid to try things I've never done before, or to do things spontaneously. When there are no 'rules' other than to do exactly what I want to do, there's no need to feel scared, guilty, or like I'm doing the 'wrong' things. Everything is fair game, and I love it!
• Nothing bad happened.
• Nothing bad happened.
• I repeat: nothing bad happened.

In short, this two-week experiment of removing all structure from my business ended up being more than just a fun reset—it was a powerful reminder of what freedom truly feels like.

As a fellow freedom-focused entrepreneur, I challenge you to step back, trust your intuition, and conduct your own type of experiment that proves you can operate your business from a place of joy, balance, and authenticity. If you don't see evidence that an alternative way of life is not only possible but better, nothing will change. And if you aren't brave enough to do an extreme experiment like this, hire a coach who can hold you accountable and guide you.

You'll never feel safe to slow down until you see hardcore evidence that it is. Seek out that evidence so you can experience the ultimate freedom.

This experiment allowed me to recalibrate, gain clarity on my priorities, and prove to myself that it's safe to slow down and live 100% authentically. If your ultimate goal is to have more freedom, too, there's no better way to start than by giving yourself permission to embrace it, even for just two weeks. I know I'll be continuing mine indefinitely, so watch this space! 🤩

If you're an aspiring freelance medical writer and want to launch a freedom-focused business with my support, apply for The 'Thriving & Free' Medical Writer Program™.

If you're in a different industry and would like a custom coaching package, either to start a new business or strengthen an existing one, email me at freedom-lifestyle@sophieash.ca.