What I’m talking about isn’t semantics.  I didn’t call it a career or a profession.  I called it a business.  I’m talking about the difference between an employer’s mindset and an employee’s mindset.  I believe that the most successful people in our field treat their practice as a business.    Thinking as a business owner instead of as an employee allows them to ultimately maximize their revenue.   This does not necessarily mean that they have to work more hours.

I absolutely treat my job as a business.  I’m just more concerned with maximizing my personal life rather than “maximizing my revenue.”  Work is just something I do so can do the things I really enjoy.  I’ve simply been around too long and have seen too many lives & families destroyed becuase of the desire to maximize revenue/take your business to the bext level/insert tired cliche here.

If you are treating the job as a business, you have an employer's mindset and will do (are doing) very well.  

It's not just an unlimited maximizing of one's revenue.  That simply creates someone who works all of the time.  It's about maximizing one's revenue in the framework of their life.   For you, it sounds like no 12 hour days.  For me, it means doing whatever is necessary and working as long as is necessary.  However, my calendar starts with personal family time.   This means that if someone wants to see me Friday night at 6:00, it won't happen.  My calendar is booked with family.

I think that we are on the same page with this.

Man, I love this job! It’s a cross between fishing and a strategy video game. I love being able to effortlessly take the less prepared/fortunate opponents money. Your imagination has no boundary with infinite ways to win. Once you have an edge with a discipline, well, I have an absolute blast. Several of my better clients are truly partners. We all look at the same info that my software finds and find the best setups. More often than not when my clients are with me at the office we laugh until our ribs hurt as we take money from, lets say, the less informed :).