Last weekend I sat down to read the free ebook from Chris Guillebeau, 279 Days to Overnight Success, and it didn’t disappoint. Chris is a blogger, bestselling author, travel junkie, and all-around inspiring guy. His main passion is spreading his message of non-conformity, that “you don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to.”

See why I like this guy?

The ebook is free and doesn’t require you to fill out a long form with all of your contact information or anything. Its 79 pages are full of inspiring stories and facts about how Chris built his blog, strengthened his brand, avoided the negative “vampires” who told him he couldn’t do it, and developed a full-time income stream in the process.

If you’re a blogger or have ever wanted to be a blogger, and wouldn’t mind making more money, you might want to check it out. Even if blogging isn’t your thing, check out Chris’s site. I think you’ll find it fascinating and well worth your time.

279 Days to Overnight Success, free ebook: Details | Download

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Also, I recently read Chris’s published, full-length book The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, Change the World (affiliate link) and would highly recommend it. It’s a short and sweet read full of actionable recommendations.

I learned how to further define the terms of what I want my unconventional life to be (more emphasis on community service, family, maybe book publishing, less emphasis on where I’m living and travel), was inspired by the stories of how Chris has built his business around his life (instead of the other way around), and wrote down a dozen ideas for how to grow my blog, strengthen my networking contacts, and get more done in less time.

Also, Chris’s plan for the One-Year, Self-Directed, Alternative Graduate School Experience is worth the cost of the book alone.

Happy reading.

Since the majority of the world operates in the “Who do you work for?” mindset, there’s understandably confusion amongst my friends and family about what I do as a (crazy, THEY’RE ALL CRAZY) self-employed entrepreneur. And I guess I don’t blame them, I mean, how do I quickly explain what I do when it doesn’t ever fit into a neat, tidy category? When it changes weekly? Daily, hourly?

Answering the question confuses me, too, to be frank. Responding with, “Hmm, well, I work for myself, I’m growing my website and blog, and launching a podcast soon, oh! and I consult small businesses and individuals on marketing and branding online, and I also distribute a nutritional supplement and am writing a social media book for the members of that company, and then I have a few one-off projects like my recent partnership with a healthcare marketing consulting company to launch a social media webinar series this spring, oh geez, uhh, well I also read and review books pretty regularly, umm, and a bunch of other stuff!” doesn’t really roll off the tongue as easily as, say, “I’m an accountant.” or “I wait tables.”

Typically, the questioner’s response is something like, “Oh, umm, so, you can work on any of those projects you want? Whenever you want? So you must sleep in everyday!” To which I naturally respond, “Ha, yes, I TOTALLY sleep in, right after I spend three hours a day networking online to build my brand, connecting with my audience, two hours reading something new, and ten hours developing content and relationships and making phone calls and appointments. And then don’t forget the research. Or the coaching calls! OR THE LAUNDRY.”

At this point the questioner is confused or annoyed or confused OR CONFUSED and either walks away not believing me or dares to ask the next question in the series, “How do you, umm, make money doing any of that?”

I’ll spare you the rest of it, as you know how it goes. I try to explain, don’t do a very good job, the poor questioner leaves and, when asked the next day by another curious soul, still says “Uhh, I don’t know, she does online stuff or something.”

*sigh*

After a few months of this, it hit me pretty hard when I read Tim Ferriss mention in the recent edition of his book* that one of the (many) reasons he wrote a book in the first place was to finally be able to answer the frustrating “What do you do?” question with his dream response – I’m a writer.

Ahh, how wonderful that would be!

One of my dream responses would be similar – to be able to say I’m a published author – but I think I’d also love to say that I’m a volunteer.

After all, I’d so much rather answer the question with what I love to do, rather than what makes me money and supports my lifestyle. You see?

“What do you do, Annie?”
“Well, I’m an author, and I volunteer full-time.”

Ahhhh. It sounds nice, yeah?

So, what would your dream answer be? Share ‘em in the comments. Let’s go after it, ok?

P.S. In the mean time, let’s just say that we do this!

*Amazon affiliate link

I’ve recently caught-up with all of the back episodes of The Ren Men Show, and that, coupled with my having just read the updated and expanded edition of Tim Ferriss‘s 4-Hour Workweek, has really got me thinking a lot more about lifestyle design.

I started my journey towards time and financial freedom when I was 18, but until recently I never really considered calling it lifestyle design. But that’s what it is, right? I mean, when you develop businesses that, once established, provide residual, passive income, you then have the time and financial freedom to do as you please. Once you have that freedom, you can design your life in whatever ways you choose.

Two questions have been bothering me the most: one, why aren’t I focusing on designing and achieving my ideal lifestyle directly, instead of focusing on achieving the dream-like and generic “time freedom?” and two, what am I doing to ensure that all of my business ventures are set-up from the beginning to provide passive income?

Big questions.

Additionally, how does lifestyle design mesh with the work-your-tail-off mantra of online media celebrities like Gary Vaynerchuk? Maybe this is what Brian Clark and Chris Brogan and Darren Rowse really had in mind when they said, you know what, we’re no more part of one tribe than the other. We sit somewhere in the middle, so consider us part of the Third Tribe.

Hmm.

I’ve thought so much about this the past couple days that I’m pretty sure it will result in not only a meticulous review of all of our ventures, but a discussion about the overarching goals and intentions of our business. Why – truly, really why – are we doing all of this? Where is it leading us? Where do we WANT it to lead us? What do we need to change in order to ensure we are, in fact, moving in that direction?

And when it’s all said and done, what does our ideal lifestyle look like? I know many of the individual pieces of that picture, but could definitely work on clarifying what the painting looks like in its entirety. Exciting – and scary – stuff.

Updates to come! In the mean time, what say you? Thoughts on lifestyle design?

Note: Originally written Saturday, March 20th.

I was burning holes in my esophagus, tasting hot sauces in my husband’s honor at a cute little shop that sold nothing but the spicy stuff. And that’s when it hit me – this is exactly what I’ve always wanted.

Ok ok, not the hot sauces specifically, as frankly it was a rather uncomfortable experience, but simply the ability to taste hot sauces…if I chose to…because I could…in the middle of a Friday afternoon…in a city of my choosing.

I’m currently sitting in my room in a tall hotel on Canal Street in New Orleans, just steps from the famed French Quarter. Yesterday, bright and early, I dragged my laptop down to the Starbucks in the lobby and sat there for 8 hours working. By mid-afternoon I had accomplished quite a bit, so I closed up shop and took off on foot to wander the Quarter.

I’m here in nawwwlens because a girlfriend wanted to attend a conference this weekend related to her business and thought it’d be more fun if I came along. With her paying my way, it was a quick and easy decision. I can work from anywhere, after all, so why not!

But the point of all of this is that it was, in fact, a quick and easy decision. I work for myself now. I can work from anywhere, at anytime. It’s all up to me and me only. I finally – finally, FINALLY – after years of effort, have 100% time freedom.

And there are moments – like when I’m walking the smelly, loud, beautiful New Orleans French Quarter on a cool afternoon – when I wonder, how did this happen?

And, more importantly, how can I get others – read: YOU – to the point where we can share in this together?

It occurred to me a couple days ago that I hadn’t reviewed my life list in several months. I *love* these realizations. It’s a known fact that simply writing down your goals and dreams is a massive step towards actually making them come true. Don’t ask me how, but writing them down clicks something in your brain. You can consciously “forget” about the item, yet your brain never does. Long story short, reviewing the list after a period of time often leads to wonderful surprises of accomplishment that, at the time, you didn’t even realize were happening.

Aren’t our minds weird?

Anyway, I love when I “remember” that I haven’t reviewed my list in a while, because every time that happens it’s usually a notification from that crazy, hidden part of my brain that, “Hey! You’ve accomplished something! GO SEE WHAT IT WAS.”

Upon reviewing my list, I realized that I just accomplished an enormous item:

My last day at The Corp was January 22, 2010. I’m 28, turning 29 this coming April. Which means I accomplished that item from the list exactly as I had said I wanted to – before I turned 29.

Awesome.

What’s interesting about this item, specifically, is that I absolutely couldn’t have “fired” all bosses besides myself it those bosses hadn’t been so amazing. Seriously. My former employer offered me so many opportunities to grow as a person, as an employee, and indirectly, as an entrepreneur. They were flexible, trusting, and encouraging. Both the company as a whole and the individuals I was able to call team members and managers.

They know who they are, and I sincerely hope someday that they land on this post. When they do, I’d love to say thanks. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Story time…

This is my badge from, let’s call it, The Corp. The photo it displays was taken July 21st, 2003, during the first hour of my first day in the corporate world. I don’t really even recognize this person anymore. The face from six and a half years ago is one of a naive, eager college graduate, excitedly wearing her only business suit. The suit that she had on that day at 5am because she was so excited that sleeping in wasn’t an option.

The girl in the photo didn’t know she would, in fact, start businesses she was only then dreaming about. She didn’t know that in a month from then a certain boy would see her from across the room, nine months later ask her to dinner, and four years later ask her what she was doing for the rest of his life. She didn’t know the best friends, the business friends, the mentors, and the inspirations she would someday meet, nor how to even tell the difference.

That girl hated Kansas City.
That girl thought her paychecks were HUGE.
That girl thought 22 sounded old.

She didn’t know when, if ever, the entrepreneurial bug would really take hold. She didn’t know then that she’d soon be getting into trouble for awesome things like arriving too late in the morning, taking too long of a lunch break, working from home without telling anyone, and taking too much vacation. Umm, I’m pretty sure that girl should have taken the hint sooner.

The day I took this picture I also signed an employment agreement, the agreement I had long since forgotten was stored away in the depths of HR somewhere until it was surprisingly sent back to me last week, six and a half years later, with the request that I print and sign the elusive last page. It was a page I initialed that first day with the letters ALP and dated 07-21-03 in an excited scrawl, while probably not giving a second thought to when I would ever – or IF I would ever – see it again. The Termination Statement.

Yikes.

Six and a half years I’ve carried this security badge around in my purse. I never, ever removed it. It has traveled all over the country, all over the world, with me. It’s been stepped on, thrown across the room, ripped, muddied, cleaned off, dropped down stairwells, used as a weapon, used to show off, and screamed at for not “catching” the security reader as I ran by it too fast in attempts to catch the meeting for which I was surely late. It said one name for many years, then switched to another. It’s been used across town for corporate discounts, made fun of for the crazy orange exposure of the photo, giggled at for the hairstyle of its featured face, and accepted as a part of life.

It was The Badge. It didn’t need any other description. And it was always there, tinkering on the brink of the always-needed-yet-never-noticed line.

And today I will turn it in, along with all of my other…stuff, most of which I have long since emotionally accepted as mine yet have been sharply reminded these past weeks that they never have been, and never will be. I will hand all of it over. I will hand it over and then walk out the door – THE door – and politely, excitedly, and emotionally close it behind me.

I’ve done it. WE have done it.

And with that, I’m off to find new, exciting doors to open…who’s with me?

So. I have a bone to pick with, just…people.

Ahem.

Attention! People of the World! Why oh why, may I ask, do you keep throwing excuses out into the universe for why you can not and will not find success? For why you can’t achieve your goals? Why do you do this? Why do you feel inclined to inform me, or anyone else, of these excuses?

I. DO. NOT. CARE. I DON’T CARE!

I mean, I do care. Of course. I care in some way, shape, or form for everyone I get to know. But in a I’m-just-fine-to-spend-my-precious-time-with-someone-else-who-actually-believes-in-themselves way, I don’t care to hear or be around anyone who constantly feels the need to share excuses with others as to why they aren’t the huge success they wished they were. Because you know what? I’m smart enough to realize that you aren’t using those excuses to convince others. You’re just using them to convince yourself. And I don’t need to be around to help you do that.

So the next time I hear someone reason away their dreams, their goals, their biggest aspirations in life, I will politely turn and walk away, wishing them the best, and wondering with fascination and concern if they will ever realize that, the key to their elusive success? It’s as simple as switching their focus from the reasons why they can’t find it to the reasons why they can.

YOU CAN.

If you decide to.