Dad would drive home from his midnight shift and wake my brother and me up to go waterskiing by saying, “Boys, the water’s like glass. Let’s go.” Bleary-eyed, we’d pull on our swim trunks and a T-shirt, slip into our sandals, and meet Dad in the driveway, hitching up the boat.

For those who don’t know, to legally waterski, you need at least three people: a driver, a spotter, and a skier. Which meant Dad got to ski too. Yes, he loved it. Being the guy who worked hard overnight and came home and went water skiing. Work hard, play hard.

And that was the advice that worked for him. But in his words, I’m lazy. Not untrue. There are many things I will not lift a finger to do. His golden expression that worked for me was “If you want that, you better figure out how to make a lot of money.” Because growing up, I dreamed of having sports cars, and, and, and. What we refer to as objects of self-identification. Things that send signals to the rest of the world about what you like and desire.

For instance, I was sitting in class at the Wizard Academy, and Roy said, “Gary, what time is it?” I looked down at the TAG Heuer F1 red-faced chronograph on my wrist and answered. He had seen the watch on my wrist earlier and was asking the time just to make the point about self-identification, because there is a big clock he can see from the front of the room when you’re teaching. I had wanted that watch for years and bought it after I sold my company as a reward to myself; at least that’s the story I tell myself. My logical justification for an emotional purchase.

It wasn’t until many years after leaving home and striking out on my own that I heard someone say, “Work smarter, not harder.” Now, I had found my mantra. There are many things I can do; the real question is what things should I do, and what things should someone else do.

Michael Gerber and his book The E-Myth made it easier to figure out. I should work on the business, not in the business; that was working smarter, not harder. As a business owner, you have infinite control over what you do. Are you going to get sucked into working in the business, or are you going to work smarter and work on your business?

Your goal should be to do the things that help your business grow and thrive so you can achieve the life you’ve been dreaming about.

Dad had very clear goals for himself and his life, which I figured out as I grew up. Mine were different as an entrepreneur. But nothing beats heading out when the water is like glass.

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