Since January 1st, I’ve been part of a “Biggest Loser” contest with 5 friends/family members, with the winner taking an $1800 cash prize (we each put in $300 to participate).  Normally, I’d be watching the Food Network while cooking dinner, but to get my mind off hunger, not to mention forbidden items like chocolate, bread, pasta, etc., I decided to treat myself to shopping instead.  Zero calories, but tough on the wallet! 

I’ve been living on a diet of these:

Okay, I haven’t been THAT extreme to the point of denying myself anything remotely delicious, but it’s definitely not very fun.  However, I’m determined to win the $1800, so excuse a little grumpiness and delusional ramblings until January 31st when the competition ends.

The whole point of this contest is for us to have a motivating factor to jumpstart healthier diets and regular exercise, but given the amount of money at stake, I know we’re all going to partake in a little cheating (sauna, master cleanse…any other suggestions?)  the last few days of the month.

So far…I feel a little lighter and less bloated from consciously watching what I eat (mainly less carbs) and trying to exercise regularly, but the scale is still reporting very few pounds shed.  I gotta kick it up a notch since we’re almost at the halfway mark!

There’s an interesting article in the New York Times regarding the risks and benefits of turning a hobby into a full-time job.  Specifically, they interviewed a number of Etsy sellers, who to the outside world, seem to have hit the jackpot – having transitioned a side job or hobby which they loved into a full-time, profit-turning business. 

However, many sellers tempered their enthusiasm with what seemed like sheer exhaustion.  Doing what you love and being an entrepreneur seems like the perfect situation, but as with anyone who owns their own business can tell you, the amount of sweat equity one puts into it can be enormous, far more than a typical 9-5, 40 hour/week job.  Calculate into that the time spent thinking about new products, ways to improve your business, and a million other items and one can easily spend 90% of their waking hours on their business, not to mention shouldering a ton of anxious, sleepless nights and tremendous amounts of stress.

Of course, many people will tell you that the gratification that comes with being your own boss and doing something you’re passionate about far outweighs any of the downsides associated with it.  I’ve thought long and hard about taking the risk to start my own business, but realized that it’s easier said than done, and that it will take more than just a good idea to make it successful – am I willing to make my job my life?  Yes…but only for something that I truly enjoy and I’ll be willing to put 110% of my effort into.  And at the end of the day, that what it looks like some of these Etsy sellers are doing.

To read the full NY Times article, click here.