“I regard working as part of life, I don’t know how to distinguish between the two. I know that one can, and people do. I honestly think that the best answer to that question that I can give you is that the two things aren’t separated in my mind…Work is an expression of life for me.” – Orson Welles

Pete working on 5-12-2012

Consult any life coach or self-help guide about achieving work life balance and they’ll equate it with the quest for the Holy Grail, sending you off on a journey worthy of the most devout crusader. That’s an ironic analogy, though, because even though you may seek true work life balance, you’ll never attain it.

Designing work to fit the life you want, however – what we’re calling work life integration – is within reach of most people.

We’ve been talking about work life integration for years (just a couple examples here, here, and  more thoroughly in our Work Life Integration Resource Section). We’re hoping we can get you to focus on thinking about how to make work fit life, too, instead of chasing after a concept you’ll never be able to catch.

Implicit within the ideal of work life balance is constant activity: taking something from one part of your life to fill a deficit in another. Maintaining the equilibrium you’re aiming for traps you an endless cycle. No wonder everyone gets so tired! Work life integration, on the other hand, can be achieved by evaluating and strategizing how to fit work within the lifestyle you desire. Thus, it’s a far more rewarding and realistic objective.

Katherine Rosman, writing in the Wall Street Journal’s Checks and Balances personal column some time ago, concluded, “Living a full  life sometimes means living different ones at once, fulfilling contrasting obligations that compete for our time. Away from my life, I could see just how out of balance things are. But that may not be such a terrible thing. . . Balance is almost an impossible ideal.” Interestingly, Rosman resigned from the column shortly thereafter, citing the need for more time with her family and other priorities.

Others concur. Judy Martin, blogging at Work Life Nation explains, “The quest for work life balance is the problem. It is a myth. It doesn’t exist. When chasing work life balance, you have accepted that your work is separate from your life. We give no other aspect of our life this kind of separation and power. There is no life-work balance, any more than there is life-family balance or life-breathing balance. There is only life.”

Merging work to fit in better with the life you choose to lead isn’t a new concept. Yet, Pete and I repeatedly find ourselves explaining it. Many people conclude that work life integration is something new or unusual because over the past 75 years or so, we’ve been conditioned to think of working for someone else in a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 existence as “normal.” People sign on to the belief that this kind of work style is preferential for reasons of security and professional fulfillment. Nothing could be further from the truth!

An artist's depiction of the rat race in reference to the work and life balance. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_race Made with following images: http://www.openclipart.org/detail/75385 http://www.openclipart.org/detail/74137 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The real truth is that we’re killing ourselves in modern society chasing an ideal that we’ll never meet. Life is fast-paced and stressful, from the moment we awaken through the morning commute and immeasurable demands throughout the workday. Chasing the clock continues through the afternoon rush hour, trying to get to the daycare center or the after school event in time, shovel some food into everyone, help with homework, do some housework and fall exhausted into bed only to get up and have to do it all over again. This isn’t life, it’s a treadmill.

Perhaps we’re subconsciously aware of how detrimental our daily lives are to our overall well-being. Tony Schwartz, in the Harvard Business Review, believes this is why “we deify doing.” Schwartz defines such speed as “the enemy of depth, nuance, subtlety, attention to detail, reflection, learning, and rich relationships — the enemy of much, in short, that makes life worth living. . .The faster we move, the less we feel, which may be a primary reason we move so fast. Most of us are more worried, uncertain, and insecure than we care to acknowledge, even to ourselves. Moving fast keeps those discomfiting feelings at bay.”

Integrating work with life allows for the antithesis of the speed Schwartz deplores. It’s a transformational shift that can encompass an entirely new career, the pursuit of dreams deferred, and a higher level of adventure. In our experience, work life integration has provided greater fulfillment and unparalleled happiness.

We’re in fine company. Hear Orson Welles make a marvelous encapsulation of a healthy life view that incorporated his personal genius in the following video (if you can’t see it in your reader, click here):

Changing your life the way it is now into something you’d rather it be is difficult. We’re all influenced by the expectations of others, what we perceive as intractable obligations, material possessions and prestige. Letting go of these conceptions and crafting a different way will require preparation and dedication.

Be aware that your finances might be adversely affected – it’s likely that you need to implement frugality AND diversify your revenue. Then you might realize that your current skills might be inadequate. Be realistic and make a plan based on what currently is so you can get to where you want to be. Get up to speed and gain confidence.

Connect with others who are doing what you want to do. Perhaps you’ve been neglecting the wrong people and paying attention to the ones who are only perpetuating the contributory factors you need to deal with. Maybe you need to expand your network. Whatever your reality, you must convince yourself that what you aspire to is attainable, and then be prepared to fully experience the journey.

One final example: The guy who wrote “How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise and Get Paid to Change the World” is living the work life integration dream. When you read his story, you’ll wonder what your excuse is.

Related articles

• Aim for work life integration!!! not balance…(akshayhr.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Work-Life Integration or Balance?(parentingintheloop.wordpress.com)

  ---

• Strive For Work-Life Integration, Not Balance(fastcompany.com)

  ---

Work Life Balance – Forget It: Focus on Work Life Integration is a post from: Passing Thru

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

An athlete needs good hustle. Your successful side hustle needs good hustle, too, whether it’s intended to earn extra money, achieve secondary career goals, or transition into a main gig for greater independence.

When Pete and I decided to embark on our Plan “B” career goals, we set up several side hustles. Our previous work experience hadn’t really prepared us for what we needed to do to earn extra money. But we did plan for lots of dedicated activity: good hustle which we intended would eventually transition our work into a location-independent lifestyle. While Pete continued work as Director of Marketing for a wildlife non-profit and I worked in my gift basket business, we added considerable good hustle with freelance consulting work, online stores, blogging, and a travel-based business opportunity. These were ambitious plans, and we knew the only way our team of two would succeed with these new career goals was with focus and determination.

Launching a side hustle is easier than sustaining one.  Working on what is essentially a second job with few initial rewards and no guarantees are not the sort of career goals many of us have been conditioned to make. Yet, good hustle encompasses this reverse conditioning which conventional wisdom warns against. There’s very little payoff when you begin any sort of entrepreneurial endeavor, and there’s always the chance there won’t be any later. Many well-meaning naysayers will continually bring up this risk. Good hustle in your side hustle requires you ignore them.

Hustle (TV series) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s how you put good hustle into your side hustle:

Objective #1: Visualize. Your side hustle can be a tool that helps you accomplish location independence, more passive or residual income, or even early retirement. Go into it with a positive outlook and be open to opportunities and possibilities.

Objective #2: “Keep your eyes on the prize.” Just as an athlete will practice and drill on a daily basis, you’ll need to keep daily priorities in alignment. Make sure you’re spending time appropriately. Consider a daily quota for yourself so you can measure your output. Good hustle depends upon commitment, as well as extreme focus.

Objective #3: Prioritize and strategize. You do this by evaluating your current circumstances vs. where you want to be. For example, if you want to quit your job, how long will it take to achieve the necessary level of side hustle income for you to afford it? Can you realign your expenses in order to accomplish it sooner? Keeping a strategic focus will levitate your side hustle from just a way to earn extra money into a long-range vehicle that supports your overall goals.

Sustaining your side hustle is imperative if you’re ever going to achieve an Escape from Cubicle Nation. Pamela Slim, who wrote this call-to-arms, knows that “more substantial businesses can and do emerge from side hustles.” Those that consistently earn extra money are the ones must achieve sufficient momentum to make the break. But many people are unprepared for the time and effort this takes.

We took several years to transition our side hustles into complete work-life integration. We began this blog, for example, in 2008. Not long after, we started our group of online stores. When they began to earn extra money, we got excited, and this motivated us to keep working. Our other activities have taken longer to come to fruition.

Even with the best intentions, converting a side hustle into a reliable earning machine can be a daunting proposition. We’ve seen many people talk about getting started only to make a very short-term effort. They kick the tires and take a test drive, but they don’t take the car home much less drive it for a several months or a few years.

Even a short period of time with disappointing results can seem like a reason  to quit. But this rarely a get rich quick proposition. Be in it for the long haul. Dedicating a specific amount of your time each day or week to your side hustle, resisting the temptations of distraction or procrastination, keeping a positive attitude, and evaluating and adjusting your cumulative results will lead you where you want to be.

Related articles

• Making Money Online: Be the Tortoise Not the Hare (PassingThru)
• How to Make Money Doing Side Hustles (ehow Money)
• Looking to Launch a Side Hustle? Here’s What You’re Really In For (Brazen Careerist)
• Reader Story: Turning a Side Hustle into Self Employment (Forbes)
• From @ScottKirsner: “Side hustles: Equity trader Lee Schneider on his mobile retail start-up, bGreen” (bgreenlifestyle.com)
• Why You Should Launch a Side Gig Now (money.usnews.com)

Career Goals: Side Hustle Your Way Into Independence is a post from: Passing Thru

Image by DeathByBokeh via Flickr

The economy – it’s on everyone’s mind. Even though there are bright spots, and even boom conditions – North Dakota, anyone? – for the most part, economic challenge is the reality. In the U.S., the Los Angeles Times reports the outlook is grim even for those who are employed:

Employers announced 115,730 planned job cuts last month, more than double August’s total of 51,114, according to the report from consultants Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. The figure was the highest since April 2009 when 132,590 layoffs were announced.

The conditions that affect these statistics are like the stagnant air that gets trapped in the L.A. County basin from time to time. With the mountain ranges blocking the way, westerly winds that would normally dissipate pollutants are ineffective, and the suffocating mass of smog descends and lingers, choking and compromising the health of anyone who breathes. When will it end and what can be done?

John P. Hussman, whose investment funds are positioned for “long term returns while managing risk,” explains why the economy is stifled, and will be further compromised by increasing lack of demand:

. . .all of us are presently benefiting from the continued demand for default-free securities (specifically, U.S. base money and Treasury debt – which I do continue to view as default-free). It is only that demand that has allowed inflation to remain low despite the massive expansion of government liabilities far exceeding GDP growth, and of misallocated credit that has produced losses rather than surplus output. The overhang of mortgage obligations and sovereign debt, matched neither by current value nor future output, is an extraordinary threat. First, it contributes to keeping resources idle, because it forces consumers and whole nations to remain on a path of austerity and debt reduction rather than spending. At the same time, it prevents businesses from hiring, because they know that demand is not forthcoming. Finally, to the extent that we pursue policies that use public subsidies and money creation to make that debt whole instead of restructuring it, we can expect inflationary pressure in the back half of this decade, because the amount of credit created is not commensurate with the amount of productive capacity that has resulted from it.

When the forecast calls for job cuts and conditions prevent other businesses from hiring, employees are doubly vulnerable, and the unemployed have ever-dwindling recourse. This overwhelming status exacerbates daily stress and keeps people awake at night with worry.

Image by martymadrid via Flickr

What does this mean to you? No matter what your circumstances, you need a Plan B. Now more than ever, resourcefulness is the name of the game. If these indicators are correct, it will be increasingly more difficult to depend upon previously dependable employment, and if you are looking for a job it’s going to be even harder to get one.

When the going gets tough, the tough start a business.

Starting a business is one of the best things you can do to leverage uncertainty, even if you’re currently employed. This statement may seem counterintuitive, but it’s true. There’s risk involved, to be sure, but if you can get to the point where a side business is routinely providing you with supplementary income, you’re less vulnerable should a layoff come. If you’re currently unemployed, you know how hard it is to find another job. Why wouldn’t you be hustling up some income with a business venture of some sort?

Sean Ogle, writing on How to Live the High Life in Bali (I know!), raises two points. 1) Everything is More Attainable Than You Think and 2) Being Resourceful Will Go a Long Way:

Why don’t most people get to live out their wildest dreams? Quite simply put: they don’t try. It either seems to be too much work, or they don’t believe it’s possible, so they don’t try at all. Since most people won’t try, there’s that much opportunity for the person who does.

Some people think being a business owner is something they can’t do. Hussman says they already are without realizing it: “. . .even people who earn income from a paycheck are entrepreneurs in the sense that they are in the business of selling labor services.”

Image via Wikipedia

Others, who justify keeping their job because it’s a “reasonable commute,” don’t realize how much it costs to keep it:

…this misconception about what is a reasonable commute is probably the biggest thing that is keeping most people in the US and Canada poor.

38 miles/day x IRS estimate of $0.51/mile = $19/day

40 minutes of mixed to high traffic during rush hour sync’ed workday hours = 80 minutes per day = one extra work day each work week to commute

A couple with an equivalent commute would incur costs of approximately $125,000 over ten years, plus spend about 1.3 working years worth of time.

What’s your hourly rate? The least expensive rate I charge for certain services is $50. If a working year at my pay rate is 52 weeks (remember, I am not an hourly employee, I am billing for services/time which I actually work as opposed to have to be at an office) averaging 15 hours per week, a very conservative estimate of the value of my time spent commuting in the above scenario would be around $50,000. (52 weeks x 15 hrs/wk x $50 x 1.3)

Image by buzrael via Flickr

Over a ten year period, the same professional couple in the above scenario, each using my conservative estimate of time value, would have incurred just under a quarter million dollars expense – a fairly decent house or condo in many real estate markets. Think about that the next time you’re sitting in traffic!

Further, if you care about the environment and your community, consider this:

72% of Los Angeles County commuters drove alone for an average of 28.8 minutes one way. Of those, 82% used a car, truck or van.

So this slightly higher than average usage would equate to a greater financial deficit over the same ten year period, although the actual mileage driven would be less due to higher levels of traffic/slower speeds. The overall impact on the economy should be considered, as the loss of productivity equates to diminished tax revenues from source sectors. Commuting not only cuts into your personal time and ability to accumulate wealth, but precludes you from consumer behavior.

Today, Pete and I commute approximately 20 feet (well, 50 if you count going downstairs to brew or refill coffee in the kitchen) to our home office, or if we’re traveling, our office fits into a rolling piece of luggage. More and more people are figuring out that work is going to be something you do, rather than someplace you go. Freedom is a bigger game than power, say Mavericks at Work. If you’re putting a Plan B in place, you’re probably going to work it from home as a side hustle, too. Imagine saying goodbye to the expense and hassle of going to work!

Image via Wikipedia

Given the fact that traditional retirement isn’t in the cards for today’s workers – the Bureau of Labor Statistics has found the number of Americans working over the age of 65 has risen about 58% over the last decade – as we age, work that complements our physical capabilities is going to be necessary. We are amazed at the number of people we still encounter for whom the thought of using a computer is terrifying because they’re unfamiliar with it. Get a grip! If you know how to get online, you can learn to make money. And if you don’t know, you’ve got to understand there is more at stake than not keeping up with friends and family on Facebook.

All of a sudden, putting some time and effort into a Plan B doesn’t seem so risky.

We’ve been working steadily for over four years on our own version of Plan B.  It hasn’t been easy. Four years is what it took me to earn a college degree back in the day. A Plan B can be a similar commitment. At certain points, we’ve each worked the equivalent of two jobs getting things to where we are today. We decided that multiple income streams were less dangerous than having all our eggs in one basket, and we set up a structure to enable these variable sources of revenue. Four years in, it’s working.

Did we make mistakes along the way? Sure. Did some of the stuff we tried fail to pan out? You betcha. But, other activities have gained traction, and we’re paying the bills. We’ve simplified our lifestyle and reduced our daily overhead, allowing us to do and pay for the things we want, rather than the things we have to maintain. We still work hard whether we’re at home or when we’re traveling, but it seems more like fun. And because it seems like fun, some think we don’t work hard at all!

Image by h.koppdelaney via Flickr

People say to us all the time: “Wow, we wish we could live the way you do.” What they don’t realize is that they can. They can let go of needing to keep up with the Joneses, downsize their lifestyle, work long hours in front of a computer screen, design a business that supports their objectives and work on it with discipline and consistency. There’s nothing magical about it, although perhaps loving your life may seem like a magical thing when you feel stuck in circumstances that you think are out of your control.

There are two ways humans respond to stress: fight or flight. Nowadays, the flight from economic stress is more metaphorical; we retreat inward. We get depressed, turn into couch potatoes, feel defeated, drink more alcohol, get cynical, passive and negative. The fighters against economic uncertainty are the ones who take action, creating their own change out of the circumstances, responding with optimism, enthusiasm and resourcefulness.

We know what we’re doing about all these things. We’re working our Plan B and it’s working for us. What are you doing?

Related articles

• HUSSMAN: The Recession Is Still Coming, And The Europe Mess Has Barely Gotten Started (businessinsider.com)
• The True Cost of Commuting [Commute] (lifehacker.com)
• What Is Your Take Home Hourly Wage? (wealthartisan.com)
• RELIANCE (passingthru.com)
• FINDING VALUE IN UNCERTAINTY (passingthru.com)

You Need a Plan B is a post from: Passing Thru

Photo by Betsy Wuebker

The most common reaction when Pete and I communicated our decision to go location independent was, “Wow, how did [or what made you] decide to do that?” followed by “I wish I/we could do that!” To which the answer of course is, “Well, you can, you know, you basically just have to decide to (really) do it.” I realized how we got to the decision was pretty textbook when I began to encounter and study circumstances that lead people to choice. Once I started thinking and collecting ideas about the process of decision-making, they started coming out of the woodwork – when you notice the hammer everything looks like a nail perhaps? Anyway, now that these thoughts and ideas are somewhat organized, I’m going to present them to you.

I’m also going to talk about the consequences of indecision – because what I’ve observed and learned recently has been sort of a breakthrough in my own thinking about why we do what we do, when we do. As well, it’s beneficial to do all of this in a way that’s healthy, positive and most importantly, progresses us along the pathway. And into the mix I want to raise the ideas about the effects of being stuck in uncertainty, too. Here goes!

Back in the Stone Age while being trained as a territory rep for a Fortune 100 company, I studied The Seven Steps of the Sale.  Implicit in this philosophy is the notion that just prior to a yay or nay decision, a prospective buyer experiences a form of temporary insanity, which can lead to buyer’s remorse if the decision is later seen as the wrong one. We’ve subsequently learned more about making decisions:

• they are made first on an emotional basis, and then they are justified with more quantifiable facts;
• the emotional basis for evaluating the decision is minimization or elimination of perceived risk;
• the decision to defer a decision is a choice, even if ever so sub-consciously made, passively employing a de facto outcome.

The need for change precedes every decision, regardless of whether we address the real need or mask it with another. Good salespeople, who are presenting a solution that the buyer can then choose, spend the majority of their time uncovering and addressing needs and projecting potential scenarios. “If our company could. . . then would you . . ?” Each of our paths will inevitably contain crossroads, branch off in a different directions, or even come to a complete halt while we cast about for a way to continue. When these milestones are approached, we begin to assess our needs to ensure we’re on the right track, and whether we should make adjustments in the form of decisions.

Photo by Pete Wuebker

Our willingness to make change often depends upon whether we have chosen the circumstances leading to it, or if they’ve been implemented with less or even none of our consent. So, the very act of deciding to make a change will assist, like getting back up on a horse that’s thrown you, in making future decisions easier: you’ve chosen the circumstances preceding them, so you’re on board (pun intended) for the voyage.

When Pete and I married, our circumstances (like most people’s) were mixed in origin. Some were the result of decisions we had made individually, as well as those we had decided upon together. Additionally, we were dealing with circumstances over which we had exercised varying degrees of control, including none.

At what I now recognize as the beginning of the decision process that led us to location independence, we spent time in an emotional place where we fought certain things over which we had little or no control. In hindsight, accepting inevitabilities earlier would have resulted in faster solutions to troubling situations. When faced with a problem, pro-active folks try and effect change in a causative manner. If it’s important for you to be pro-active, you can inadvertently get yourself stuck in trying to change circumstances when changing the way you react to them will make faster progress against the problem.

Things we perceived as “unfair,” or more accurately out of our control, were maddening. The downturn in the real estate market made my house linger for over a year before we sold it at a financial loss. This event triggered a domino effect: we had none of the funds we had anticipated would pay for renovations to Pete’s house, which in turn precluded us from purchasing a place of our own together. The year we planned to spend in that home turned into almost five, no matter how hard we tried to compensate for the change in factors affecting our circumstances. It felt like we were being kept in that point of temporary insanity I had learned about long ago, even though we had made significant decisions with substantial impacts on other fronts.

Photo by Betsy Wuebker

Reaching a decision means you are exercising as much control as you feel possible over an unknown outcome. To do this process, you are aware of your level of fear of the unknown. You may choose a compensating behavior in the process that allows you to confront or suppress your fear sufficiently to forge ahead. You may decide to deny your fear altogether; your decisions and outcomes will modify as well. Writing at Life’s Little Inspirations, Wendi Kelly encapsulatesthis notion: “This is about all of us, and about the times we hide from our fears because of what we think we are supposed to feel and act and do, instead of looking at our real emotions, feeling them and then dealing with them once and for all.”

For most people, fear is based in the amount of risk we perceive. This perception is unique to each individual, though it can fall under general categorization. Christine Gilbert, in an excellent post entitled Talking About Fear, relates, “When people tell me they want to travel, but they are afraid for whatever reason, I know exactly what they mean. Life is complicated. What we want and what we are willing to give ourselves are not always the same things. We live under the weight of our history, of what other’s tell us we are, of our conflicting desires.” 

The thrill-seekers among us aside, people seek to minimize risk when making a decision. Things get complicated, though, depending upon where our comfort levels are. The Harvard Business Review blog explains by way of what it calls “prevention focus” vs. “promotion focus”: The problem, in a nutshell, is simply this: when making decisions, lately many of us have been focused much more on what we have to lose than on what we might gain. If we perceive that we have a lot to lose, we’ll be persuaded by those things that appeal to our sense of security or how this decision will avoid our making a mistake. Conversely, if we feel the risk is bigger if we don’t do something, we’ll more easily decide to go ahead with the decision.

Photo by Robin Discher

That’s where Pete and I reached a turning point and accelerated our own decision process. We both agreed that there was greater risk in a life not lived, or things left undone. We had seen both of his parents reach the end of their days with things remaining on their list that they were sorry they had deferred. Their “someday” had turned into right now and passed. We knew we faced a limited amount of time based on our own age, and that we needed to get crackin’. We definitely had promotion focus in that we wanted to prevent regret.

Fortunately, Pete’s risk tolerance and mine are at fairly similar levels. We’re adventurous in a conventional way. This made it easy to evaluate and eliminate potential outcomes. Each of us could say to the other whether something felt okay or was a little much without a lot of movement or concession on the other’s part. In one of the most significant decisions that led to location independence, our perceived risks deviated. Pete wanted to go completely nomad in an RV of some sort, arguing that it would be a less expensive lifestyle than home ownership. I wasn’t quite ready for that kind of adventure; I doubted my capabilities should I be required to drive the thing and I didn’t want to give up the security I perceived in keeping a home base to which we could retreat if things didn’t work out. We decided to try location independence along with downsizing to a townhouse with lower overhead, eliminating much of the risk we each perceived.

Photo by Betsy Wuebker

I’ve observed people get so overwhelmed by uncertainty that they use inertia as a defense. Wikipedia tells us this strategy is accessed when we can’t break out of the thought patterns we have used in the past when faced with new circumstances. I think there is a huge fear of being wrong that comes into play at this point, too. Some people can’t cope with the prospect of being wrong – either because of their own ego, or from external repercussions.

Constantly being reminded that you’re wrong or fearing that you’ll choose the wrong thing can put low self-esteem on steroids, creating a learned, yet complete helplessness. This is why rooms remain unpainted and hairstyles from decades ago don’t change. Narcissists and other toxic people actually feed this phenomenon in co-dependents, steering them to where it feels more emotionally safe to keep things unchanged rather than risk a perceived disaster to which their inferior capabilities might lead.

Along with this fear of being wrong might be a repetitive compulsion to revisit decisions that have already been made – you just weren’t sure enough to begin with, or there’s a possibility you still could be wrong even though you haven’t been so far, and there’s time to save yourself. This results in nothing ever being certain, or, if the Seven Steps are to be believed, a more than temporary form of insanity. Indecisive people believe it’s safest to cede most or all control to external circumstances. They don’t want to be responsible for outcomes and keeping things up in the air ensures no one can blame them for a less than desirable outcome. The one thing indecisive people can’t seem to understand is this tendency also puts them in a state of constant self-sabotage against making progress.

Ted Cadsby tells us Why Being Certain Means Being Wrong by saying, “Complex decision-making requires we defer the feeling of being right, by tolerating the tension of not knowing.” In other words, we need to get comfortable with the possibility that we might be wrong. What’s the worst that could happen if we actually are wrong? What would we do if that catastrophe actually happened? Indecisiveness can actually be dispensed with when someone feels like they’ve nothing to lose. Boldness can seem less fool-hardy when the potential for loss is reduced or eliminated. We can throw caution to the wind and go for broke, or at least achieve a breakthrough from our self-imposed limbo.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter allows for the impact of values and purpose when we want to think beyond uncertainty: “Emphasizing who we are and what we stand for reminds people of the long-term, of the march of history beyond today’s uncertainty.It provides grounding. It helps focus on the times ahead, not just today’s troubles. It helps people remain connected to one another. Clouds eventually give way to clarity. What separates the best from the rest is whether leaders communicate, improve, engage, invest in relationships, and remain true to principles. This can make the difference in getting stuck or emerging triumphant.” Looking back over periods in my life where I couldn’t reach a decision, I realized I had failed to completely examine my value structure along with what else was amiss. Once I did identify my values, the choice was simple, even if executing it proved difficult. I knew where my decision was rooted.

Photo by Pete Wuebker

For Pete and me, values and purpose were the deciding factors that remained clear through the overlay of our individual circumstances. They drove us through the decision process and changed our pathway: we wanted to see as much of the world as we could in the time we had left; we wanted to incorporate our work – which would be necessary in the face of not being able to retire – into a routine that allowed us to be where we wanted to be when we wanted to be. By choosing to be self-employed with diverse revenue sources, we felt we would reduce the risk of vulnerability and maintain our need for autonomy and freedom.

This is a lot to think about in terms of the decisions you might be facing right now. What we can tell you for certain is that we believe making any well-intentioned decision is better than making none. My dad used to say, “If you’re gonna make a mistake, make a big one,” and oh, how I have followed his direction. The reason that advice is still so good today? I’m not as afraid of the unknown as I might be. I can look the consequences of indecision and uncertainty in the face and keep moving.

Thoughts?

Related articles

• Moving Through the Quagmire of Indecision (projectmanagementessentials.wordpress.com)
• Wishy-Washy? Help in Making Good Decisions (psychcentral.com)
• Indecisiveness – How Much Can Annoy (skeristhisandthat.wordpress.com)
• I Just Can’t get Enough! – Why are we too slow with our decision making? (timkla.wordpress.com)
• Decision Making Skills are Essential for a Good Income (moneyning.com)
• Effortless Decision-Making (zenhabits.net)
• What We Learned in Our First Month of Location Independence (passingthru.com)

The Consequences of Perpetual Indecision and Uncertainty is a post from: Passing Thru

Image Credit: growinghappiness.com

We’re one month into location independence! We realize this means we’re just whippersnappers when compared with the likes of the Woodwards of Location Independent, or Almost Fearless, Nomadic Matt, and Uncornered Market, who have been doing this for years. But we’re happy to be where we are and excited for what lies ahead.

We’ve learned quite a bit about this kind of journey over the last four weeks. Over that time period, we’ve spent exactly 2½ days at home. Many location independents don’t keep a home base whatsoever, preferring to do a series of extended stays in different places. We decided to keep our place in Minnesota for a variety of reasons, most having to do with family. Not being sure how we’d take to this lifestyle, we thought we would do a series of road trips throughout the summer and see how things went.

Happily, things are working out just great! We’re no spring chickens and so we’re traveling in our comfortable car and staying at hotels and motels. These haven’t been particularly fancy, but they’ve been comfortable, which is what we need at our age. Also, being foodies, we’ve sought to be adventurous rather than predictable most of the time. We’ve eaten some terrific meals and met some wonderful folks who are doing great things with food in places where you might least expect!

We did think of several things that might be helpful for extended road trippers and/or aspiring location independents to consider so we thought we’d share them in this post. Here goes!

1. Even though you might explain what your work-life integration circumstances are,people may still not be able to wrap their heads around the concept of location independence. Most of those who can’t seem to think we’ve retired, or that we inherited a lot of money so that Pete could quit his job, that we’re on vacation, etc. Sometimes it clicks after an extended conversation, but it can be tedious having to go over the same ground again and again. After several weeks of this, when someone asks now we just say we have internet businesses and we can work from anywhere.

2. Transporting the office. A mobile office requires some thought. You won’t really know what your work preferences are when frequently changing locations until you actually do it for a while. So there’s a learning curve. We’ve decided that rather than pack individual briefcases with our laptops and other files and supplies, we’re going to invest in a rolling unit that will hold everything. Less schlepping makes for happier husband. This type of unit can be as inexpensive as $50 or more than $400, depending upon what you choose. We haven’t selected anything specific and will more than likely muddle through on this trip, but will let you know what we decide on.

3. Technical items and gadgetry. We’re both Apple users now – iPhone, iPod, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The cool thing about Apple is the power and charger cords work interchangeably, so there’s no need to duplicate. We haven’t both needed to use the chargers at the same time. The same thing goes for our NookColor e-readers. One charging cord. Simplicity. And this would be my responsibility, where there is an unchanging place for them, so they won’t get left behind.

4. Paper organization systems. I received beautiful and functional solutions from friends who are in the travel business with us for organizing within my briefcase. I use a vinyl-impregnated zipper envelope for my passport and boarding pass when I’m flying. I have a fabric zipper envelope that I keep charging cords and extra batteries in. Separate little cases inside one larger case is an organization system that works for me.

Photo by Pete Wuebker

The item I’m turning to most frequently is a moleskine-like heavy cardboard mini-file for paper receipts that closes with an elastic band. Inside is another elastic loop for a pen, a writing pad and accordion pockets, perfect for tickets, swatches, or other small keepsakes. It’s really a nifty design.

Photo by Pete Wuebker

I’m filing all receipts in this, even though our Quickbooks Online sweeps our business account on a daily basis and automatically categorizes our expenses and payments within our business accounting system. (I KNOW!) The fact that my friend chose a travel-related design for this item and gifted it to our entire group shows that she knows this system works beautifully.

5. Rolling duffle. Okay, so everyone uses a rolling duffle at some point or another. I even bought a metal contraption with wheels to bungee my Vera Bradley large duffle and weekender into a rollable unit. I didn’t bring the metal trolley on this trip, but I’m using both bags. These are a major schlep. Sorry, Vera, but it’s true! Pete has a rolling duffle for himself. I’ve got another roll-up for cosmetics and toiletries. To de-schlep-ify the situation in the future, we may decide to share a very large roller duffle. This will keep baggage check fees to one (as we’ll do our own carry-ons). We’ll just have to make sure we’ve kept the weight below the minimums. On an auto trip, the advantage is all in the schlep reduction.

On this trip we’ve brought several smaller bags. One large bag and a couple medium bags would be a better deal – easier to load, unload and keep track of.

6. Cloud-based file storage and applications. Even though we’re bringing our own computers with us, there are still ways in which a cloud-based application can be a big assist. We’ve had to print a couple of items, rather than save them to PDF. Using a hotel Business Center computer and printer is much easier than copying something to a memory stick and then importing on equipment you’re not familiar with. I’ve been using Dropbox for about a year and really like it. When I needed to print a confirmation, all I needed to do was hit the hotel Business Center, log into my gmail account from their computer/printer workstation, access the file from Dropbox and print away.

Slowly we’ve realized that a confirming email on the iPhone is enough for most check-ins. If you can give them your confirmation number, they should have you in their system. No need to print! I’ve already mentioned how great Quickbooks Online is. It just keeps working, automatically downloading our business account transactions and allocating them. With minimal effort, I can balance our books over several months when we return.

We have looked at portable printer/scanner units, but have deferred their purchase in favor of seeing whether we really needed to print stuff. The longer we go on this trip, the easier it is to just save the item to PDF.

7. Voice activated apps. I really liked my Android GPS/driving directions because they were voice activated. I’ve not yet figured out which iPhone app has the same functionality. The one I downloaded requires that you key the info in. I will be looking for one that I can just speak the destination into.

I downloaded a Beta plug-in for use in Google Chrome called VoicePress that enables you to dictate your blog posts. Unfortunately, it isn’t ready for prime time with my system, although others are reporting success. I did use it and it did a great job with few edits. But then, it disabled my ability to upload photos into individual posts. So, we’ll keep you posted on the developer’s progress in ironing out the kinks.

My friend, Judy, is the Queen of Dragon Naturally Speaking, as her company uses its platform for custom-developed medical record software solutions. A while back, Pete installed Dragon on his computer and really likes it. I’m awkward at dictating, but I am going to install it on my system as a way to dictate the nucleus of a post into a text editor. Then I can just cut and paste the post, and edit from there.

The iPhone has a voice-recognition memo system that I have yet to try, but I’m thinking it would be helpful during conversation in the car as ideas come up.

8. Non-slip dashboard pad for phones, glasses and other items. We have a sample-size one that is working great. It would be nice to have a larger one. If you’re using these, take care not to overheat your phone when the sun beats through the windshield on it.

9. Learn how to plan and resolve on the fly. Using PassingThru Travel‘s reservation system has been a snap. We did need assistance in re-booking a stay to a hotel that was pet-friendly in the Custer State Park area, however. The online chat feature was a godsend, with a very competent agent on the other end canceling our first commitment with no penalty, and rerouting us to a property that would accept pets in Hot Springs, SD. Serendipity: Hot Springs is a lovely little town, much more charming than our original choice.

Preferred customers also have free concierge service when they book through PassingThru Travel. If things hadn’t worked out in computer chat with our temporary dilemma, I would have called the concierge and had them get things done for us. With every trip that you book as a preferred customer with PassingThru Travel, you get 30 minutes of concierge service from the beginning to the end of your trip. Having this personal service just a phone call away makes for a very pampered, secure feeling in unfamiliar circumstances.

We’ve also observed a few things about organizing travel information and traveling with pets that we’ll cover in subsequent posts, so stay tuned! If you’ve got a trick or tip, please share it in the comments! As always, thanks for being along on the journey!

What We Learned in Our First Month of Location Independence is a post from: Passing Thru

For this post, I was seeking a synonym for “income.”  Pete and I wanted to tell the story of how we are playing offense with economic conditions.  “Proceeds” was on the list the thesaurus spit out.  I realized that “proceeds,” while a noun, looks like the plural of “proceed.”  So, the not so subtle inference is we accumulate revenue by doing, right?  How cool – a pun-like tie-in!

Here and here, in what turned out to be somewhat of a series on the economy, I mentioned that those who have been hurt the most in this crisis are those who aren’t self-reliant, as well as those whose income sources aren’t diversified.  Pensioners, employees, single income households, all take serious hits with declining markets, lay-offs, and adjustments.  While Pete and I are fortunate in that we don’t have a lot to lose, we empathize with those who are still in shock from the combination of precipitous drops in the investments and housing sectors.  We all want to feel less at the mercy of conditions we cannot control.

When we got married two years ago, we knew we would have to work long after the traditional age of retirement.  We didn’t think Social Security estimates were reliable, and we knew the benefit amounts would be insufficient to support us.  It seems like no one is able to tell whether the program is going to be solvent, or whether the age when benefits can be drawn is going to be modified.  There are any number of additional reductive modifications that might be made at any time.  It made sense to look around and see what options are out there to supplement our income.  Then, we thought, it might be possible to turn one or more of those into a vehicle that would support our dreams of travel and freedom.  We also wanted to see whether there was anything that we enjoyed doing that would allow us to work together.

Divorce wreaks havoc on most financial situations, and our experiences had been no exception.  Self-employed and single, I had refinanced my house on a no-doc loan, unwittingly putting myself in the running for poster child of predatory lending.  Just before our wedding, we put my house up for sale at the moment the real estate market died, and it languished.  Right after we listed, my mortgage rate re-set and the payments escalated to double, and then triple, what they had been.  The monthly mortgage obligation on our two homes vastly exceeded our gross income for a year, depleting our savings and any hope of traditional retirement.  We wound up selling the house for less than what was owed in a “short sale.”  Since then, we’ve been playing catch-up with our finances, attempting to move on from these serious hits.  It’s not an understatement to characterize things as pretty tough.

During that time, I took a second temporary job grading elementary school examinations at night.  The work paid fairly well, but 18 hour workdays away from home aren’t fun in your 50′s.  Pete moonlighted from his day job, too, picking up a series of free-lance photography gigs after work and on weekends.  One of those jobs found him within blocks of the famous bridge collapse in Minneapolis, and he took some dramatic photos of first responders and the devastation from inside the yellow tape.  He also set up his photography websites, (Nature and Travel Photography and Wild Places), resurrecting and updating decades of images in order to build a portfolio.

Still, we knew all this wasn’t enough.  We wanted to eventually be free to travel and work at our own ventures.  We didn’t want to be dependent upon single-source income, especially in recessionary times.  We decided to begin this blog to document our journeys – posting about ourselves, our travels, our plans and experiences.  And we looked around to see what else there might be.  We knew we’d be embarking together, but what we didn’t know was how frequently we’d encounter others who had reached similar conclusions and had begun working on like-minded goals.

Fortunately, I have a communications gig with a monthly retainer.  I am able to work from anywhere that has phone line and an internet connection.  I am still tethered to our franchise’s physical operation, but the business is cyclical.  Pete has been with the same company for over ten years, and his vacation schedule is generous.  We are both lucky to have flexibility.

Looking around, we spotted more opportunities.  Pete had a trunk full of comic books from the 70′s that I dismissed as clutter.  I was shocked when, after he put them on E-bay, they brought in the equivalent of two mortgage payments.  They are selling like hotcakes!  So, he has decided to seek out additional inventory and re-sell it.  With my blessing!

Pete also has started two online stores – one at Zazzle and one at CafePress.  At first they were just tongue-in-cheek to poke political fun.  They’ve been so successful that we have decided to continue with them after the election to showcase his photography and other ideas.  He is adding more stores with specific merchandise, and is driving traffic with ad words placements, learning as he goes.

We have been evaluating ways to coordinate our goals with this blog, but we don’t want to demean it with irrelevant advertising.  So, we are researching and treading very carefully.  Cheapening our voice is the last thing we want to do.  We decided to affiliate with Chris Guillebeaus’s Unconventional Guide to Discount Airfare. The Guide fits in with our travel ideals and we knew the information had great value.

So, while we are happy with the progress we’ve made in the few short months we’ve been at these projects, we’ve realized there is a lot farther to go.  Some of the things we are looking at are

• setting up additional websites on a formulaic basis for optimization,
• writing e-books that would share Pete’s expertise in direct mail and agency marketing and mine in small business, b2b sales and marketing,
• establishing more consulting services via referrals,

and others.  The good part about being older is you have “vast” resources of experience from which to draw!

We totally get that we are entering this landscape with a lot to learn.  We’ll plan on sharing what we’ve discovered here in these pages from time to time.  We believe that our vision of the future is quite similar to that of others.  Lots of boomers are getting close to retirement age, and younger people want to control their own destiny.

Re-thinking what work/life integration entails and how to finance their plans are subjects in which almost everyone is interested. For those of you who are exploring in a similar way, you’re not alone!  There are literally thousands of good resources available online.  Unfortunately, there appear to be an equal number of scams.  Perhaps an intermittent series could unfold as we become more proficient in rooting out the promising from the truly awful, and all that in between.

Whatever happens, it is clear that the future looks unlike our parents’ retirement.  No longer will most be able to plan or continue with leisure as their primary activity.  Recent losses have caused all of us to re-think and re-adjust.  This doesn’t have to be a bad thing.  In adverse times, the silver lining has always been the sense of community and sharing of time, talents, resources and communication.  We view the so-called economic crisis as an opportunity!

Taking meaningful charge of our future will probably have more impact on our life together than any other decision. Your feedback and ideas, no matter where you are in your journey, would be valued additions to everyone’s travel along this path.  With that in mind, we enthusiastically welcome your thoughts and invite you to share your plans in the comments.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Zazzle Beefs Up Management Team With Former Fox Exec
• Imagekind Acquired By CafePress For $15-20 Million
• Source: T-shirt site CafePress buys art marketplace Imagekind
• What Are The Latest Trends in Consumer Generated Media

PROCEEDS is a post from: Passing Thru