cubicleless

I am now realizing the great benefits to rising earlier.  Ben Franklin was right. I am wealthier as I have more time to get paying jobs done. Getting work for me is not the problem. Finding the time to get it all done is the hard part.

Today I got up at 6:20am. This is the first time in quite some time that I have gotten up before 7am.

Now that I have 2 – 2 1/2 hours extra per day, I’m able to knock out projects in the morning prior to any major distractions.

Does rising early sound like something you would want to do?

Maybe you are not currently self-employed. Maybe you have a new skill that you want to learn, but you can’t seem to find the time to do it.

I have GREAT news for you!

Getting up earlier is the PERFECT time to do this.

Have you ever thought about setting up your own website or blog similar to this? What if I told you that you can earn money from a blog if you were to devote 2 hours per day to it? Would you be interested?

In the coming weeks I will begin a series of posts that describe in detail how to put together websites and blogs that will earn you money. The exciting part is these websites never shut off. They are always on and always able to earn you money.

Don’t miss it.

Get connected to my rss feed so you will be the first to read my posts that help me earn extra money each month.

Have you ever considered self employment? Have you ever thought about the disadvantages of working for the man and the advantages of working for yourself or vice versa?

Have you ever thought about the amount of time you give your employer in relation to what you get back for compensation? Are there times that you feel like a slave?

I admit, having a steady paycheck is very reassuring, especially with 4 kids. What happens when that steady paycheck goes away? Sometimes the money is just not there to pay you. There’s nothing more horrifying than relying on a paycheck and being told that it’s not there for the month. That really makes you reevaluate what you are doing.

In this economy there aren’t too many jobs that are safe. You never know when the pink slip is coming.

Do you have a backup plan?

Have you ever considered doing something on your own to earn an income and sustain life? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in charge and be responsible for your own paycheck?

I’m here to tell you that it’s scary and at the same time exciting! Whether your are forced into trying to earn money for yourself or you decide to do it, the time could never be better.

What does it take to be self employed?

That question is the point of this entire blog and can’t be answered in one post. In short you obviously need a method or way of making money.

Personally, I design websites and logos in addition to earning passive income from affiliate marketing. Passive income is essentially money that you earn while you are sleeping, eating, playing with kids, eating dinner, etc. The money I earn passively is steadily increasing. My goal is for my passive income to exceed my active income.

To go into business for yourself you also need accounting experience, a high level of self-discipline, a business plan, a marketing plan, a support network, an understanding spouse/mate, coffee, sleep, good health, etc.

Self employment is not easy. What is though? Regardless of what you are doing, you should give it your all.

Stay tuned and I’ll tell you about what works for me and what does not.

I was exhausted going to bed last night! I went to sleep at 9:45pm and got up at 6:05am. Getting up was a bit easier this morning. I fell asleep very quickly, even with my wife reading with the light on.

The Power of Sleep

There is definitely much power in sleep. I am alert in the morning after a good night of sleep and much more productive. Personally, I’m a complete zombie during the day if I do not get much quality sleep. Yesterday was pretty rough for me, but I knew I had to stay the course to get the habit to stick.

The Challenge of Habit

There’s always a challenge when breaking old habits and building new ones. When you mix things up and try to better yourself, you will win in the end. I’ve realized through exercising and going to the gym on a regular basis that if I do the same workout routines over and over eventually my body gets used to it and my gains or improvements slowly subside.  With sleep, I have to steadily challenge myself and try knew methods to get better quality of sleep and to ultimately rise early.

My goal is to feel more productive and to have more time to be more productive.

Time is money. Time while well rested is more money.

Ok, so I didn’t exactly knock them down because I had this well thought out plan.

I was, in fact, kind of laid off.

The economy got to the firm I was working for and there simply wasn’t enough money to pay everyone. I had to make a choice to continue working in hopes of a big job to come through to pay me for the month or jump ship and try to figure things out on my own.

My first reaction was to start looking for jobs. I looked and looked trying to land a job with a steady paycheck. Unfortunately, my skillset was a couple of years out-of-date to work in an actual agency.

The good news is I was freelancing on the side when I was let go. I called all of my contacts and it turned out they were overjoyed I had escaped the cubicle. They had tons of business to give me!

Business is slowly and steadily picking up and I’ve never been happier about my decision. I am now, c u b i c l e l e s s.

This is my journey of self-employment. I plan to write about my pains, strains and joys along the way in hopes of helping others out there that have knocked down the walls like me.

Isn’t it funny how we think we feel when we sleep in? In our mind we think we have done a great thing because we rested a little longer.

“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” – Ben Franklin

For me personally, there’s such truth in that statement. I’m exponentially more productive when I rise early. There’s something almost magical about waking up before the world wakes up. I have 4 kids who still think I’m cool and still want my attention. If I can get up a few hours before they do, they are one less distraction to starting the day and knocking a few things off my to-do list.

When I decide to start rising earlier I am most effective if I do it in stages.

I’ve failed when I decided to be extra ambitious and try getting up at 4:30am every day. I fail the first day and it’s all over. If I have spent the summer getting up at 8:30 or 9:00, I will step my way to my goal in 1/2 hour increments. I’ll start with 7:30 and work my way down. The body is an amazing machine, but has to adapt to change in increments. Otherwise, you’ll feel groggy and unproductive.

Try it. Get up earlier to accomplish tasks that eat away at the beginning of your day. Checking things off your list builds productive momentum.

I’ve worked in a cubicle for much of my employed life.  I enjoyed my time in my own little box and I learned a few things that have carried over into my life outside of the cube.

Communication is Key

Regardless of the role you play when you work for someone else, it is critical to make sure you communicate effectively with everyone you come in contact with. The same holds true in self-employment. If a project is being held up and you can’t meet a deadline make sure everyone that is involved knows.

More often than not, if you simply let someone know the status of a project vs. saying nothing and hoping the project goes away, you’ll be better off.

Get the Job Done

What pays bills? Finished jobs that can be billed. I learned that I had to get my job or the company does not get money. It’s that simple.  When you work for yourself, you aren’t guaranteed a paycheck. Do whatever it takes to get the job done and get an invoice out!

Make Your Boss Happy

Working in a cube is a lot less stressful when you have a happy boss. If you can do a great job and keep your boss happy, you will probably get more work. When self-employed, if you can keep your clients happy, they will refer you more business and retain you to do more work for them.

Fill Up Your Toolbox

To stay on top of your game, it’s essential to stay educated in the field that you work in. Whether you work in a cube or work for yourself, keep your toolbox filled up with new tools and the latest way of doing things.

• I workout whenever I want.
• I work whenever I want.
• I can take my son to football practice.
• I can take my kids to school.
• I can pick up my kids from school.
• Unlimited earning potential.
• Every day is casual day.
• I can grow a beard.
• I set my own hours.
• I can watch my three four year old grow and learn.
• I never miss another school play.
• I can eat lunch with the kids at school.
• I can do things my way.
• I can implement systems to earn money while I sleep.
• I can take naps.
• I can see my wife for lunch every day.
• I can take loooooooong breaks.
• I can take time out to learn.
• I can mow the grass on my lunch break.