3 Decisions I Wish I’d Made Sooner in My Slow-Living Business

I’m not someone who believes in regret. Sure, I could have done plenty of things differently, but every choice—mistakes included—has taught me something valuable. That said, there are definitely a few decisions I wish I’d made sooner, especially in my journey as a slow-living entrepreneur.

Building a business that prioritizes balance, well-being, and purpose wasn’t always how I operated. Like many entrepreneurs, I spent too much time stuck in hustle culture, overthinking every move, and trying to do it all myself.

But here’s the thing: I’ve learned to reframe those missteps as opportunities for growth, change, and learning. After all, failure—when followed by trying again in a new way—is how we build resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

(And believe me, with nearly three decades of entrepreneurial experience, I’ve had plenty of chances to learn from my failures! 😂)

Today, I’m sharing three decisions I wish I’d made sooner—lessons that transformed how I work and live. I hope they’ll help you skip some of the missteps I made and build a business that feels aligned and fulfilling from the start.

Let’s dive in!

1. Simply Start

The number one decision I wish I would have made sooner in my slow-living business is to simply start. Have you heard of the phrase “progress over perfection”? Well, I spent way too long on way too many ideas that I wanted to be “perfect” rather than just beginning. 

Sometimes, we can get into our heads that our business or our offers must be “just so” before diving in and getting started. Maybe our fears or self-doubts begin creeping in and keeping us from moving forward, or maybe we get stuck trying to find that perfect niche.

Regardless of the reasons, I know I wasted way too much time in my business by thinking, over-thinking, planning, and over-planning… basically spinning my wheels… without actually getting anywhere. So, the first decision I wish I would have made sooner was simply to begin.

If you’re struggling with this, I suggest coming up with a single baby step you can do today to get started. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it doesn’t have to be the one thing you commit to doing for the rest of your life. (Yes, you can always change it later. That’s why you’re the boss!) But, choosing a single action that can help propel you toward your dream of a slow-living business is important. Simply start.

2. Invest In Myself

The second decision I wish I’d made sooner in my slow-living business is to invest in myself. Let me be clear: I don’t mean just monetary investment (although that can be useful, too, depending on your business model). I’m talking about putting in the work to believing in yourself.

I define investing in myself by holding true to the following beliefs:

• I am capable and worthy, and I have everything I need to succeed.

• My business is worth investing in—in both time and money.

• My goals are worth working toward.

If you don’t invest in yourself by believing in yourself, what you’re working toward, and how you will build your business, everything else will fall apart. 

Investing in yourself includes getting the appropriate training, education, technology, and equipment to make sure you’re prepared for what’s ahead, but it’s also about setting aside the time, energy, effort, and money you need to be successful. It means taking your entrepreneurial journey seriously (not just as some side hustle). And it means acknowledging that what you want is a goal worth pursuing.

This will help you both in the sense of building a successful business and also protecting your own mindset. Because if you are able to hold true to the above beliefs, then no amount of other people’s thoughts, opinions, questions, or comments (and believe me, there will be plenty of those!) will shake your progress toward building the business of your dreams.

Instead, when I was starting out, I focused solely on spending money on tools, technologies, equipment, etc., and got lost on the #1 investment that mattered the most: me. Yes, things like the technology you’ll use to set up your business are important, but it’s just as important to set aside regular time to work on your business, define and work toward your goals, and invest in your mindset so you can be successful in the long-term.

3. Ask for Help

The third decision that I wish I’d made sooner in my slow-living business is asking for help. 

I’ve gotta be honest: this one is still a work in progress. As an introvert and long-term solopreneur, I can still struggle with reaching out and asking others for help. But wow, it can make a huge difference in how quickly you grow your business.

I’ve stopped and started dozens of businesses over the past few decades, and the ones that have been the most successful are those where I reached out to others for help, inspiration, and collaboration.

Never be afraid to connect with others who have been there or are on a similar journey. Entrepreneurship is tough work, and it’s even tougher when you’re doing it 100% alone. Connecting with a few others who have been there can be immensely powerful in terms of your own learning experience and mental health.

This is maybe even truer when you’re a slow-living business owner, because we’re not out there hustling and working 24/7. If you’re a traditional entrepreneur, it might be easy to follow the advice from gurus who are all, “DO ALL THE THINGS!” but we slow-living entrepreneurs have other things going on (like our lives, families, hobbies, and letting our minds and bodies relax from overstimulation, stress, and overwhelm). We certainly don’t have the time (nor the interest) for that “Go, go, go!” hustle culture mentality.

But, slow-living entrepreneurship can be isolating and confusing if all we see are side hustlers who work 24/7. We can start to question our own worth and whether we’re working hard enough or doing the “right things” for our businesses. All businesses have periods of ebb and flow, but it can be particularly difficult to know when to pivot, what to change, and how to grow our businesses if we don’t have mentors, collaborators, or other slow-living business partners to give us feedback, acknowledgment, and support.

I wish I had asked for support and help earlier in my businesses. Now that I have it, I am continually driven toward providing programs, resources, support, and a community for other slow-living entrepreneurs looking for the same.

What About You?

Now that you’ve heard the three decisions I wish I’d made sooner with my slow-living business, I’d love to hear from you. What do you wish you’d done differently or decided to do earlier? What stage are you in in your business? And what lessons have you learned that you’d like to share with others? 

I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below.