Today’s blog challenge is about defining “Location Independence.”
Prior to April 2010, that term was something I dreamed of daily while toiling away in the confines of my stockade–{cough)–I mean cubicle.
Ahhh…the corporate life…where even before the sun is fully up, millions of people leave their homes and sit in a small 8×8 cage for 8-12 hours, only getting up for biological needs. I think that’s how you make veal, right?
For three+plus years now I’ve been working fully for myself. No regular paycheck or perceived security of benefits can make up for how I now am able to enjoy BOTH my work and my life. I’ll grant you that it takes a certain mindset and risk to work independently, but the reward is always sweeter when risk is involved.
I still have appointments and workshops that need to happen–so there’s less location independence there–but I get to choose coffee, tea, lunch, cinnamon rolls, pedicure chairs, and other non-traditional locales to have a 1:1 meetings.
Most of my day is spent on the computer taking care of the non-fun parts of business–emails, marketing, promotions, content creation. As long as I have my laptop and wi-fi, the sky’s the limit on where I can do my work. And when you have to bang out the non-fun stuff it’s ALWAYS better when it can be done in a fun place.
After three years, this summer my family was able to enjoy a three-week vacation in Florida. We packed up our laptops and found a place with free wi-fi and “worked” while the kids played on the beach. I’ll take my work on a beach over mooing in a cubicle any day of the week.
Nowadays, location independence is more about hiding in my closet to work on my computer. If my 2 year old munchkin is awake, he wants to help mommy do her work. Right now he can only close doors, not open them. So for a little while this option is working great.
But that’s a not a complaint.
My son is the #1 reason I sought to have personal and business freedom. He’s the WHY of my choosing to be at home versus in cubicle-land. He keeps me grounded. He tells me when I’ve spent too much time on the computer and not enough time paying attention to him.
This blog was written as he naps next to me. He has about another 45 minutes left so I think I’m going to wrap up and go sleepy-sleep with him.
