Location Independent: The View From The Edge!
The first time I heard it I felt like a door opened in my brain. What a perfect description for MY particular lifestyle (I work as a Virtual Assistant while living full-time in my RV). For several years I’ve struggled to explain my personal situation to friends and clients, yet the perfect explanation required only THREE words!!
Following that “aha moment” came the revelation that one doesn’t need to live on wheels or in some exotic land to be a “location independent professional.” I have numerous clients who successfully work from their homes, their vehicles, or whatever hotel room they currently occupy. The more I pondered those 3 words, the more apparent it became that more than environment, personal freedom is the thing which makes us “location independent.”
For example, MY location independence allows me to wake up where I want and when I want. For a Night Owl who has spent a lifetime adjusting to a Morning Person’s world --- this is indeed independence!! It allows me to work with clients I respect and enjoy ---- instead of dreading the arrival of this month’s Simon LeGree. And if I want to spend 2 weeks on a friend’s horse farm, I can do that without having to invent an excuse for my “delayed” return. What brainiac decided 2 weeks a year is sufficient to rejuvenate the human psyche?
My life is filled with an array of new opportunities. I meet new folks almost daily --- whether through physical or virtual “travel.” These encounters are full of information and inspiration. It seems to me that people who are location independent are a joyous bunch who make the world a more exciting place in which to live.
And now, finally, I have the time and energy to mentor others who are searching for ways to achieve their own location independence. Are there pitfalls? Of course. Is it easy? Seldom. Is it worthwhile? Always.
In planning for your new adventure you will undergo a metamorphosis. As you peel back emotional layers and make choices and decisions about your future, you will make a transition unlike anything you’ve done since childhood. At times you will feel vulnerable. You will leave yourself exposed in a way that can be uncomfortable. Stepping out of the establishment and into an independent lifestyle professionally is akin to walking the plank. You’d better know what you are jumping into and you’d best be able to swim.
Independence!
Translation Please?
Well, what kind of work will you do? Who will your clients be? How will you perform that work? And that’s just the beginning. Get out that pencil and paper. Start making lists. What kind of lifestyle do you want to live? Can you live with less? How much less? What can you get rid of in exchange for a new way of life? Which is more important --- what YOU want or what others may think of you? What do you want to be doing 5 years from now? Given your present circumstances, do you see that goal as possible? If you continue down the present road, will you reach that goal in 5 years? Ten years? Ever?
Over the coming days we will explore these areas in the hopes of helping you make a decision appropriate to YOUR needs. For some the goal may be finding a way to support yourself while traveling the back roads of Africa or South America; others may find that same freedom in working from a loft in a city they’ve always wanted to explore. You may already live in Paradise and simply wish for the ability to hit the beach when the surf’s up rather than donning a suit and tie and taking your morning Latte on an elevator ride to the 32nd floor.
But What About The Economy, You Say?
Many solopreneurs feel this is the best time for our businesses to grow. As independents we are able to go after business that large companies may refuse. We can make decisions more quickly and adjust our schedules and prices to accommodate those in need. Large firms and corporations are often locked into scheduling and pricing that simply is not flexible enough to take advantage of the changing economy. In the end, experience and your ability to find and fill a niche will be a determining factor in your success. A burning desire to succeed will overcome many obstacles.
So --- that said, are you content with your lifestyle? Are you happy when you wake up in the morning? Are you chasing dreams that no longer make sense to you? Are you living a life someone else chose for you? Independence is, to a large degree, a state of mind. Only YOU know what liberates YOUR inner spirit. But there is no better time than today to find out. Why waste time wondering. There’s an old Chinese Proverb that says:
The person who says it can't be done
should not interrupt the person doing it.
Think about it. Be the person doing it. Figure out what’s right for you and make plans to accomplish it. Leave the naysayers behind. Let me help you!
The Road To Location Independence . . .
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