Andrew Hansen – My Own Answer…
“Quite often nowadays, in conversations with other online biz owners, I’ll have moments where I have to stop and say “Isn’t this life we live ridiculous?”
Last month I was chatting to a friend while we attended a wedding in Dallas.
He lives in California; I live in London. We’re in Dallas and he’s telling me about his recent trip to New Zealand, and I’m talking about my upcoming trip to Cuba.
Suddenly he says “You know we’re in the 1% right? Not of income… not that 1%. But of people who get to live this kind of life?” And I figured he was probably right.
It has little to do with money and everything to do with time.
For me, the most underrated part of working for yourself and making money with an online business is simply this:
Every day that I wake up is completely my own. I get to start it by asking the question “What’s the most important thing I can do today to improve my life and my wife’s?”
Most days that’s “Sit at the computer and work buddy!“, but it’s not every day, and that’s not forced on me.
Other days it’s her and I spending some time together. Other days it’s “get out and talk to the bank about X“, or “go spend some time with people who are important to you“.
But that question starts my life every day. No routine, no autopilot, no one else in charge.
And the freedom, the levity – heck, even the beauty – that comes from being able to live that way is the greatest gift online business has given me.”
Michael – Physical Product Creator
“I love not having people tell me what to do, where to be, what to think, when to sleep, when to wake up, how to act, how to communicate, how to synergize and how to be an obedient slave.
Basically, with all of the follies and challenges that come with working online; things like less social interaction and learning how difficult it can be to manage your own time, I still appreciate that for 80% of my life (which is the time most people spend working for someone else) I’m not subject to the control of someone else’s ego.
My own can be dangerous enough. :)”
Andreas Kambanis – App Developer – andreaskambanis.com
“Freedom comes in many forms. For me, it’s not having to book holiday time in advance with my boss. Should I happen to get a sudden urge to visit a friend in New Zealand, I could hop on a plane tomorrow. Or if my family needs me, I can be there for them at the drop of a hat.
Richard Legg – Digital Product Creator
“For me the biggest benefit is just the freedom – I get to wake up, spend time with my kids, take them to school, and be there when they get home.
My wife and I can go grab a coffee/lunch date whenever we like, and it just means I get to do the things that mean the most to me. I enjoy working and building my business, but I fit my work around my family and my life, on my terms, not the other way around.”
Dane B – Product Creator
“I can’t escape the fact that freedom is the biggest benefit to working online. Not just freedom to do as you want with your time, but freedom from social pressures like having the fancy car, big house and impressive title because you’re not trying to keep up with coworkers, bosses or friends.
I’ve become free to consider what I really want and what makes me happy, and in my opinion that’s one of the greatest freedoms there is.”
Shadi Manna – Web Developer – progressusmarketing.com
“The best part about working online for yourself is knowing that all the hard work and effort is being invested back into your company and into your personal education. You wake up excited to implement a plan you built for yourself and knowing that you will most likely learn something new each day.
Some days will be brutal and full of endless communication back and forth, but other days you can put in half a days work and take comfort in knowing that you have accomplished your major goals for the week. This type of flexibility, learning and excitement is seldom found in a typical 9 to 5 job.”
In Summing Up (Andrew Again…)
This is it. This is what we really work for. This is what YOU work for.
It’s not a sales letter fairy tale. It has hard parts, and silly parts, and frustrating parts like anything else.
But it’s a rare and precious kind of a life that far too few people will ever get to experience.
If you’re reading this email YOU’RE one of the lucky ones too.
Even if you haven’t had your big success yet, you’re still in that tiny percentage of people for whom this life is possible. You’re aware of it… you might even know how to achieve it already and you just haven’t pulled the trigger.
There are usually no cars and no mansions, but the freedom and the joy and the independence you’ve read about here… they ARE waiting for you.
It’s only a matter of time.
If you’ve been working online for a long time, do my readers a favor and share what’s YOUR favorite thing about it in the comments below (as long as it’s nothing to do with boats and mansions!).
I’d love to hear from you!
