My dress rehearsal month is over. I always try to come up with a high, middle and low scenario. Our sales came in at 3.6% below my middle scenario.

Not too bad, you might think. 3.6% doesn't sound like much. But break it down a bit more and it becomes 8.2% of gross profits, and break it down further and it becomes 22.3% of net profits (profits after all bills are paid and I've got my minimum wage salary.)

But, hey. At least there is a net profit to be had, which hasn't been true much over most of my career. (When DID my little store become a career?)

But the real point to be made is....sales don't matter. They aren't how I'm gauging success or failure. I can't do much about sales -- they are erratic and unknowable. But what I spend....,that I can do something about.

I made a couple of adjustments to my budget this month; a little tighter accounting of my actual reorders, and a little higher estimate on my overhead, and that seems to have done the trick. For the first time since I started this process back in March, my spending came in where it was supposed to.

So now the real plan goes into effect.

I'm going to try not to worry; I've done what I can. I'm going to be a Buddha Behind the Counter.