many couldn’t possibly understand what I’m about the explain unless you were/are an online entrepreneur with a day job or financially free to a certain extent. you may be there or a few steps back but can see yourself there.
i deal with an interesting frustration, dancing back and forth between having the toys i want, a great blessed life i’m spoiled to try an enhance and wanting the time, freedom, and quality of life thats more readily available when you don’t trade time for money, or do so less often compared to creating value that scales and brings in income. Yes, I’m talking about creating a business or having a stream of income that is easily managed, maintained, launched, not grinded out daily. i’m at this sudo success point and it’s confusing and hard to break through and continue to create.
the struggle is that I have security, I have a growing disposable income, I earned 150% of my day job monthly salary multiple months last year online, but still struggle with personal goals, joys and dreams. i don’t have or make enough time to give like i want to, missions, friends, ect. i don’t play with my toys, my game systems (which i truly enjoy playing) sit idle, i haven’t traveled as much as i’d like this year (2 countries), i haven’t been near social enough with my offline friends, i continue to simply maintain a level of fitness and not get into a place to complete triathlons which i would like to do. these are the passions and dreamlining part. life’s good, no it’s great, but i can’t say i’m living out my dreams. few can, but that won’t stop me from trying.
i break out, or melt down and steal away time for myself, but this is an ebb and flow. it’s not the norm. it’s not the goal lifestyle of this experiment.
it’s like, and i scoff at myself while typing this…i’m dealing with a rich person syndrome of some sort.
i have everything i want but i also toil myself in circles to pile up things i have no time to enjoy. i’m not much of a materialist, i avoid piling crap, so this means i have a few fancy tech toys and savings. i try to remind myself i’m working hard now, so i can build something sustaining and enjoy it later. the frustration is no less destructive to the mind though. i come home and still have desperate thoughts of, what it all for…why are you trying so hard? don’t lose perspective here rob.
so it’s obvious right…quit the job, stop doing anything beyond my bare income requirements that is considered trading time for money, hourly work, or not part of what i’d consider my dream living eh? i’d be able to pursue my online business endeavors 10 fold, i’d make a lot less money, creating a more urgent need to build business, along with less time consuming stress so i could pursue my passions. obvious right?
wrong. or…more accurately, blurry.
when you’re in a life position where your job doesn’t suck, you’re even doing things you enjoy and in my case can consistently use to my advantage, and on the side are creating a few hundred dollars in residual income and another couple grand in contracted work. perks you didn’t have before show up, and you can pay for things in cash. it feels good, it feels like you’re ahead of the game, moving in the right direction. and it’s great, it seriously is. a growing bank account, rising website clout, security, consistency. BUT … it’s also mind numbing, and slow progress, and safe. it’s hard to manage at times, it stifles creativity and space of mind.
the biggest downside and very obviously non-congruent element with lifestyle design is the quality of life isn’t always great. it’s normal for most people i guess, work all day, work at night, try to unhinge your brain so you can do it again tomorrow. to steal away what time you can on the weekend, but that goes into the face of the life i’m creating in this project. it’s confusing, i’m earning more, have more, yet…life’s quality isn’t consistently better.
boo hoo right, i feel ridiculous voicing this, whining about how hard it is earning extra income when most can’t do that, yet…it’s part of a bigger picture for that life freedom, a life paradigm shift, and one i want so i can enjoy a higher level of freedom, but also help people on a grander scale. to continually improve.
so what to do…count my blessings, keep perspective and keep focus on building a business is what. don’t lose vision, another breakthrough will come. despite the busyness of building an online business while maintaining a day job, i don’t hate it, and i like juggling a lot of tasks.
the fact is, i am blessed, even overwhelmed or feeling part of the rat race. my needs are met. i have extra. it’s okay to want more, and to seek moving beyond that. it’s also ok not to.
i will continue to push beyond the normal work life.
so..it comes circle again…can you build a successful business (or life situation) that will free you from the 9-5 life frustration and the “have expensive stuff you can’t enjoy” …”not enough time” lifestyle while working in that type of lifestyle?
i think so, that’s the whole point of this website and project. front loaded work that pays off later and is what differentiates smart money from dumb money.
i will continue to track my struggles, and successes here. i have the same resolve as that “other crowd” although challenged that i’m not “all in it”….
if you find yourself in similar position, make this resolve as well, you are not alone. it might take longer, we’ll certainly have different struggles than the guys, and likely less free time…but the accomplishment will be no less fulfilling. enjoy the small victories, and don’t lose heart.