Renting office space is avoidance behavior. What? Yeah, if you’re running around renting space, touring co-working spaces, and checking out Regus locations, then you’re not doing what you should be doing.

New solos are the worst about this. They love office space. It’s fun to look at office space, and some new (or almost new) solos can spend weeks looking at space after space.

Space shopping is wonderful. It’s in the zone of going into a nice clothing boutique and being offered a glass of wine (at least that’s what I imagine it’s like since I buy my clothes online and don’t really know).

Real estate people like to kiss your ass and make you feel good. They’re also attractive, charming, and fun to talk to. I’m still “connected” on LinkedIn with this amazingly beautiful blonde woman who leased me space at a Regus in Charlotte. Sometimes I just visit her profile when I’m lonesome. She’s awesome.

I love spending time with real estate people. It seems like they really like me, respect me, and are willing to tell me how great I am. What’s not to like?

Do You Need More Space to Grow?

A new solo asked me about leasing a second space in a co-working facility (in addition to his existing space). He has an elaborate plan for how this additional space will help him with his Google rankings and his local listings. He’s all jazzed about how the new space will lead to more business and then he’ll need even more office space, and he’s spinning out of control right in front of me.

Should he lease a second space? He’s begging for me to agree with him. It’s cheap, it’s cool, he’ll meet people, and it’ll help his search engine rankings. Please, please won’t I let him rent the space?

Nope. Bad idea. Don’t do it.

You can find a girlfriend closer to home. That’s what my dad explained when I was dating a girl on the other side of Miami (an hour drive—in his car with his gas).

And you can find clients closer to home.

Office space renting is a distraction. It’s a shiny object. It’s a sign that you’re avoiding the hard stuff and gravitating to the easy stuff. It’s easy to rent space. It’s hard to write long articles for your website. It’s hard to call lawyers about lunch when you risk rejection. It’s hard to follow up with prospective clients who came in last week. Don’t get distracted.

It’s not just you. It’s everyone. You’re not alone in your desire to feel like you’re making progress. But renting space is not progress.

Before I started on the nomad thing and hit the road, I spent hours browsing luggage, travel clothes, shoes, cameras, backup batteries, etc. That’s not progress. People who are living on the road realize how dumb all that stuff is. People who are making money running law firms realize that it’s not about the office space.

But I loved looking at luggage. Okay, fine, luggage shopping is a hobby. I can live with that. Is space renting a hobby for you?

Doubtful.

What Progress Looks Like

Do the hard stuff. Keep doing the hard stuff. That’s where you’ll make the real progress as measured by the balance in your bank account.

Seriously, don’t even think about space anymore. Let it go. Stay focused on the hard stuff. Sticking to the hard stuff is what separates the winners from the losers.

Call a lawyer and book lunch. Then write another 10,000-word article for your website. Then turn those articles into your first book. Then hold a book launch event for local lawyers in your home. Then take some of that newly made money and spend it on pay-per-click ads to generate more money. You see what I mean? That’s where your brain needs to live. Your brain definitely doesn’t need to be spending time thinking about office space.

Get what you can get from your current space before you think about spreading out. You can get a girlfriend closer to home.