Housework is a Waste of Time When You're Starting a Business

How did Jo Rowling, as she was known then, write a book and take care of a baby while living as a single mom "on the dole?"  You can find her answer at 16:30 in the program above. 

"I didn't do housework for four years, I'm not Superwoman.  Living in squalor, that was the answer." - J.K. Rowling


I just finished doing dishes.  But I don't live alone.  I live with my mom right now.  She really likes to cook.  In fact, she often spends hours a day in the kitchen.  Which is fine.  Except that I'm trying to spend as much time as I can on activities necessary to build my little business.  In her mind, I'm just playing around on the computer or "coloring," as she often refers to the artwork I do (and sell).  But since she spends so much time cooking, the kitchen usually looks like the Tasmanian Devil just passed through.  I have to spend a good ten or fifteen minutes moving stuff around just so I can get to actually washing the dishes.  As a lifelong bachelor, I like to dirty as little as possible in the kitchen so I don't waste much time cleaning up.  My mom has a very different take on things.  So I wind up really frustrated when I'm doing dishes, because I'd rather be spending that time building my business. 

I also don't like to vacuum, dust, tidy things up, and all those other things that a person can literally spend hours a day doing.  I have better things to do.  If you aren't a maid, or you don't own a bed and breakfast, then you're not getting paid to clean house.  I love the quote by J.K. Rowling above, because here's a person who's a success by any measure, who shared that attitude while working on her passion. 

Let me be clear.  I'm not saying you have to live in a hoarder house or a cabin in the woods, or never clean at all.  I'm just saying that you can save a lot of time by cleaning house as little as possible.  Yes, I'm a slob, and quite happy with that.  I realize I can live in a dirtier environment than many people.  But if you're are creating your own side gig or small business, cut house work to the necessary minimum to give yourself more time to work on pressing work.  This is one of many ways to create more time in the day for your business/passion/creative project.