Escape the 9 to 5… But Don’t Go Broke
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Career Tip:
Escape the 9-5 But Don’t Go Broke. When I was working in a traditional office setting I had this misperception that the only way to escape the 9-5 lifestyle was to quit my job and start my own business. I thought I either had to survive the rest of my life within the confines of the office walls or jump off the ledge completely. There was no middle ground to me. Luckily, I didn’t jump.
Instead, I found a job and a company that allowed me to work remotely and flexibly. Within a year, I’ve managed to break out of the “9-5” while keeping a job and my financial security. This lifestyle change has breathed new life into my days and allowed me to work from anywhere. I’ve since moved to New York City. Here’s an article that will help you find Remote Work Websites, but overall I recommend looking for companies that are young, progressive, growing and global. (8 Minute Read)
Life Hack:
Flip Your Weekends Upside Down. Let me guess, the last thing you want to think about this weekend is work. You’ve slaved all week at your job and this weekend you want to chill and watch Netflix or drink with your buddies.The last thing on your mind is mapping out your career. You can save that for Monday, right? Wrong! The 5 day work week is built to tire you out and prevent you from having the time (or energy) to look for a job elsewhere. Your employers want you to stay and rely on the fact that you’ll be so tired from working that you won’t be able to find a better job.
You need to flip your weekend upside down so that you take control back of your life and career trajectory. Here’s what you do: stay in Friday night (no matter how much it pains you) and then wake up Saturday morning feeling fresh. And then get to work. But don’t use an ounce of energy on your current company, instead spend a few hours working on YOU. Here’s a few ideas of things you can do this Saturday: resume updating, job hunting,LinkedIn networking, Life Mapping.
Article to Read:
Why Getting Everything You Want Can Make Your Life Worse by Zat Rana. We are always on a mission to strive for more, thinking that finding more will give us stability and happiness. But what happens when we actually get what we want? What happens when we achieve that big goal? Our lives actually become unstable because we lose our sense of purpose. Check out this article for Zat’s interesting take on this phenomenon and how to combat it. (5 Minute Read)
Podcast to Check Out:
The 4 Hour Work Week Revisited by The Tim Ferriss Show. This iconic book has been helping people reshape their lives for the past decade and in this episode of The Tim Ferriss Show Tim reexamines his work. He addresses common questions and objections and how he would adjust certain chapters. If you’ve read the book then this is a must listen, and if you haven’t read The 4 Hour Work Week then you need to bump it to the top of your reading list. Tim will give you the tips, process and inspiration to escape your 9-5 job to find a better life. (90 Minute Listen)
Quote of the Week:
“You do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness.” – Muhammad