Live Your Work
Posted on Dec 19, 2012 | 28 comments
And now, the conversation goes like this . . .
People: So what do you do for work?
Me: Well . . . I don't have job right now.
People: Oh! I'm sorry.
Me: No, don't be sorry. I left my job a few months back.
People: Why did you leave?
Me: Well . . . My wife and I are taking our family to travel around the world.
People: Like . . . the WORLD world. Wow! Like, for a year or something?
Me: No, a lot longer than that. Hopefully for many years.
People: . . . how? You're brave. How does one . . . How do you do that?
Me: We just saved for years and said if the time came when we could do it, we would. And here we are.
People: And you stay in hotels and stuff?
Me: Yeah, but it depends. In the States we camp, in Asia we rent houses. Whatever makes sense and keeps things cheap.
People: And when the money runs out you'll just come back?
Me: Not sure yet.
People: Well, what happens when the money runs out?
Me: I don't think it will.
People: Well how are you going to make money?
Me: Well . . .
I don't know how we're going to make money while we travel, but really, it doesn't concern me.
Oh, I get why everybody feels they need to know how to make money while they travel. And I get why people may think it's a bit crazy or irresponsible to leave your job without any legitimate prospects of income in the future. That makes sense. That's what most of us were taught. That's what I was taught. But now that we are finally here, and the decision to "just do it" has been made, I find myself thinking much differently.
Why It Is So Easy For People To Make Money On The Internet
Making money is incredibly easy. I know this idea might get some people worked up, but it really is.
To make money you only have to create something of value that you can sell to someone else. This could be a product, a service, or even an idea. And once you have developed your creation, you just need to find people who think it's useful. It's easy.
We have the greatest communication tools in the history of the world at our disposal. We simply need to get online, show people what we have to offer, and set a price.
Ever heard of Bebo.com?
Odds are you haven't, and yet 30 million people use Bebo.com as a social networking platform. Now if you can get .0002% of Bebo's tiny group of users to buy into your product, you'll be just fine.
It's not hard people. Hard is trying to make a living selling the eggs from 10 chickens to a town of 20 people. You're trying to sell 1,000 eggs to billions. The internet is on your side.
Why It Is So Hard For People To Make Money On The Internet
If you are anything like me, you've probably spent hundreds of days and nights pondering over the potential of your ideas.
Wouldn't it be nice if I could . . .
This is such a great idea, I wonder if I could . . .
Everyone says I am really good at this, I should . . .
I'm sure there have been many nights where you've gone to bed and it felt like the whole world was gonna change the following day. You had the idea. You knew what you were gonna do. You were happy. And then you went and woke up.
A week later your idea was history. After multiple conversations with your spouse, friends, colleagues, and self, you decide that it really wasn't very feasible to jump into this grand plan of yours right now. There was no guarantee it would work. It was risky, and you just weren't ready to take risks. And oh yeah - you weren't even sure it would make any money.
You know why people struggle to make money on the internet?
It's because they're too busy worry about making money on the internet.
The only people who should be worrying about making money online are the people who are selling products, services, and ideas that teach people how to make money online. You should be worried about completing and improving your products, and I should be worried about getting posts out more than once a week, and writing books, and learning more about travel.
Think about how good your stuff would be if you took all the time you spent worrying about making money and applied it towards working on what you love and believe in.
In the online world, most of us are treating business as if we are playing the lottery. Instead of actually getting to work on something we are passionate about, we are tweeting around all day in the hopes that the nickel slots might someday pay off and get us back to even.
Those who write good books get published. And those who worry about their books making money never even write them.
Living Your Work
For my family, travel was never the primary goal.
Sure, we love travel, but we could have traveled without going through the process of selling all our stuff, paying off our debt, creating this blog, quitting our jobs, pulling our kids out of school, and now - PACKING!
We wanted to spend more time with our family, help others, and pursue careers that might allow us to work for ourselves. In order to do that, we felt we had to travel. It was what we enjoyed, it afforded us time together, it was good for the kids, and it could be done on the cheap. And so here we are.
In . . . 24 days we are gone. Big adventures will begin. And this blog will become something new.
People have asked us,
Why travel on such a tight budget?
Why skip famous destinations over a few bucks?
Why visit the US first when there are so many cheap places to visit in the world?
Well, we are now a business. We are the product. And we are trying to build something strong for down the road. We want to be reliable experts in the field, not just a family who took a long vacation. We have to give it our all. We have to live it.
I don't worry about money, because I believe in the product. I believe in what we are doing. It's good, and we are persistent enough to stick with the plan and turn it into something of value.
We go to bed thinking about this stuff all the time. We think about how we will create lessons for the kids and share them with you so you can use them. We think of how we'll stick to a budget by exploring the path less traveled, and how we can help others to do it too. We think of how many people haven't been as lucky as we have, and how we want to travel around our countries to get the inside scoop and help as much as we can. And when we wake up, we think about all of this again.
We think about everything when it comes to becoming better travelers, parents, educators, and people. But the one thing we don't think about is making money. And it's not because we don't want it. And it's certainly not because we don't need it. It's simply because money is not our work. It's not our product. Money is not us. We are parents, travelers, escapists, explorers, writers. And the more we focus on doing what we believe in, the more money we will make. Good and honest products find a way.
Find a passion and create out of that passion. Forget about the "what ifs". Forget about the money. If you give it your all, the money will come. Money comes easy when the product is good. Go out and find your product, become your product, and your product will find the money for you.
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I love this:
"Those who write good books get published. And those who worry about their books making money never even write them."
It's all about taking action. Worrying about it or guessing never achieves anything. Sure you want to be smart, but just do it.
Great post!
Sean recently posted..Entrepreneurial Lessons from a Kid in Mexico
Right, worrying never achieves anything! If you have to find out, then you have to go.
Hope all is well with you guys! Good to hear from you.
Great post! My husband took a voluntary lay off package from a high paying corporate job that he hated last July. He has now been home for five months and we have had the opportunity to do some minor traveling, clean out some of our house and spend time with our three children. We have started working toward our passions during this time off and hope to get to a place where we can both work from anywhere doing things we love in the next several years. He will be headed to a new job next month, but the wheels are in motion. Now that we have had the taste of freedom from the grind, we are determined to find a permanent way out.
Rose Townsend recently posted..Our Non Commercial Christmas Traditions
That is really great, Rose! See, if your you focus in the right direction, you will find a way. Good news!
Great post! I wonder, too, how many ideas you will be able to generate once you are actually on the road. The creativity that will likely unleash because you are out there, and completely away from your previous "life."
You've saved, you've thought, now you can do. You can do lots of things - like having a diversified portfolio, you'll also likely want diversified streams of income. Certainly doesn't have to be just ONE thing.
Cannot wait to follow your travels!
Tiffany Fite recently posted..7-Day Spending Fast – not fast spending, A Spending Fast!
7 day spending fast?? I'm gonna have to check that out!
I am finding that streams of income really just develop on their own. If you put something out there online, people will find you. They will give YOU the ideas. It just happens!
Multiple income streams???? That is the consensus, and I agree to an extent. But I am wary of mediocrity. I would rather have 1 really good product, than 6 average ones. Maybe that is just me. Nothing wrong with diversifying, but if it compromises your efforts on the stuff you really want to do . . .
Your cup can only hold so much. All those ideas, efforts, and all that time, will be wasted on the overflow if we don't use it wisely. I am trying to focus on doing the things I think are most important, and leaving the rest. Spending 4 hours on 1 project instead of 6. Quality over quantity.
I may be very wrong. We will see . . .
EXACTLY!!! We took off without the benefit of this mindset in place and came to it through lots of trials on the road... but we came to it... and 5 years in we're still going!! You will figure it out, your blog, your life, DOES become the product, and that's a weird and interesting thing to watch happen... but you just keep living your life, chasing your passions, doing the next thing, watching for cool opportunities to pup up... and money comes... it does. Work presents itself. There's no one way to do this thing... you've just got to DO IT!!! I'm counting the days with you, my friend!
Jenn Miller recently posted..A Home For The Holidays: Miri, Malaysia
What I didn't realize, and what so many others don't realize, is that the money does just come to you. You have to do the work. You have to strive. But if you put good stuff out there, people will come and offer you the money - especially on the internet. You get discovered for you work, not for pushing your work. Of course there is a mix, but work and product first - always!
You would not believe how deliriously excited I am that you have just 24 days to go!!! I can't wait for you guys to get on the road. It's going to be amazing!!
Tracey - Life Changing Year recently posted..Funniest Website On The Planet. Kiss All Work Goodbye For The Rest Of The Day!
I excited that you're excited! I can't wait either. It's been exhausting, as you well know, but we can see the end now. Very excited! And excited to work as well!
What a great post Justin. That is really it--people are either too scared or too worried about the what-ifs that they don't actually ACT on their DREAMS. It's such an epidemic in our modern society…which is really sad.
Thanks for the great reminder and best of luck and blessings in the new year.
I can't believe you guys are doing it in 24 days -- so soon! I'm excited for you all
- Maria Alexandra
nomadic translator recently posted..A charity behind the Travel Blogging Calendar 2013: Mitrata’s Children Home
Thanks! You got to go for it, right?? How could you not? And it's true. I believe that one good product is better than 20 average products. Now, it may take 20 times for you to find your good product, bjt staying on YOUR path is essential.
Yeeeeaaaaaaaaaa!!!! 24 days! We will definitely be following your adventures and what you have to share about them, which is always helpful and inspirational. The consistent comments by your readers about taking ACTION are so true. Our eyes have been opened over the past three years to the life-changing effects of doing just that - taking deliberate action. We are four months from our own departure date for a year of travel with our three children. Last week we informed family and close friends, and we have a business plan that we are putting in motion for covering the cost of travel while on the road. If we can do it, most people can. Thanks again, Justin, for your fantastic contributions!
So where are we meeting up??? 4 months? We will both be on the road, and meet up is a must!
Absolutely! I will look forward to figuring out a rendezvous when our departure date is near. Hope your final preparations go well...23 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh geez - 23 days sounds scary!
Goosebumps...24 days...I get excited when I have 24 days to go before going on vacation - you guys are going indefinitely - can't imagine how good that must feel! Free at last!
Good luck Justin!
Looking forward to seeing where you end up, what you learn, and how this blog evolves.
Nate
Nate recently posted..Berlin Street Art – Graffiti Has Destroyed A Once Great German City
Me too!
Thanks, Nate!
I know it's been a long time coming.... suerte, amigo!
A very, very long time.
Gracias!
I randomly stumbled upon your blog but after reading this I know it wasn't "random". It was something I needed to hear. Thank you for the encouragement! Good luck on your journey. We've been traveling the states for over a year and love it...most of the time.
Jenn - Newschool Nomads recently posted..Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Keep going, Jenn! You're a step ahead of us, so I am sure it is much more real. That said, the game is the same for all of us. Put in the work, be creative, be brave, and give people something they can use. You'll get there. Keep in touch!
Hi! We have just been referred to this page by a friend and would like to share that we are leaving on a 12 month trip to backpack around the world with our 11 year old daughter this summer. We look forward to reading through your site.
Great! Thanks for stopping by. Hope we can get some good info up here for you. Good luck on the trip, it sounds great!
Hey Guys, you have no idea how much I hope this works out for you! Be careful your cash flow doesnt get too low though, otherwise you may end up doing what I did and wind up worrying too much so you cant actually enjoy your travelling!
Agreed! We're keeping a tight eye on things. Thanks for the support. I'll be checking out your sight for some pointers!