In the near future I want to work less than 20 hours per week, from anywhere in the world, make really good money, and take off at least 3 months a year. I told this to a friend of mine the other day and I think he was offended. But what’s wrong with this ideal?
I personally know people who work 2 hours per day and make over $500,000 per year. Others work a few more hours and make more or less money but they all have one thing in common. They don’t subscribe to the standard “worker” paradigm. Regardless of the amount of money you make (or want to make) here are a few suggestions to get you started:
1. Don’t worry so much about the dollar amount you want to make. Focus on creating a nice spread (difference) between your costs and your income. eg. You live a great lifestyle at $60,000 per year. This pays your housing and keeps you in food, clothes, and some good times. In this case, shoot for creating $80,000 per year in income but don’t do what most people do; spend that $20,000 buffer on stuff. Surprisingly this is a significant challenge for most of us.
2. Position yourself for freedom. It’s a no-starter if you’re in a work situation that allows absolutely no flexibility. I used to think you needed to own your own business to create this kind of freedom (that’s what I do) but I’m seeing with increasing frequency friends and family who are allowed to telecommute to the companies they work for. In the case of telecommuting you may be able to not only spend far less hours per week completing your job function but also work from anywhere in the world.
If you’re an entrepreneur you definitely need to be very intentional in regards to the way you build your business(es). Focus on creating systems and products/services that don’t require you to trade your hours for dollars. I highly recommend Tim Ferris’ 4 Hour Work Week
3. Equip yourself with the proper tools. With the proper tools at your disposal you can run an international conglomeration from anywhere with internet access and no one’s the wiser! We, of course, talk all about these tools here at Vacant Desk but here are a few critical ones for your inspection:
- Earth Class Mail – Get your paper mail scanned and sent to your email. The last chain to the desk defeated. Bwah-ha-ha!
- Virtual PBX Service – This is a phone system(800 # or otherwise) that forwards to anywhere you want to take calls. We use both Get your own Ring Central and GrandCentral.com. Super slick! If you’re a super duper advanced tech monster you can set up your own Asterix box and rule the tele-superhighway.
- Personal Computing Device – I use a Powerbook. Some people prefer more portable options like the Nokia 770 or something similar.
The reality is that there is a deeply entrenched philosophy in the consciousness of the American worker: “Put in your hours, be a good employee, save your money, and retire one day in the distant future.” Challenging this can actually be offensive to those that embrace that mindset whether they recognize they think this way or not.
It’s amazing what’s possible when you’re positioned properly in your own mind. Success in almost anything is very dependent on your expectations. Is it acceptable to you that you will work 20 hours or less per week and make a great living? Well then, you’re halfway there already. You now have a competitive leg up on all those drones out there who don’t have the proper mindset.
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