by Maria Sariego
After four years of being a lifestylepreneur, I’ve concluded that self-employment is like anything else. There are good days and bad days. There is joy and despair. There are pluses and minuses. There are some things I do miss from my corporate days, of course — namely the certainty of the steady paycheck, company subsidized health insurance, a ‘help desk’ to call when my computer acts up, and the company cafeteria on days when my cupboard is bare, But none of those wonderful things were enough to keep me from setting out in search of a better lifestyle.
The word ‘lifestyle’ conjures up different things for different people. For some, it’s about having certain stuff – a showcase kitchen, an expensive car, or the latest duds. For many who take the self-employment road these days, though, it’s about just the opposite. It’s about simplifying. It’s about intangibles. Having time to watch their children grow up, pursue a passion, or live at a slower pace. The flexibility to keep non-traditional hours. Doing work that is both personally fulfilling and socially relevant. Freedom to be themselves.
That freedom doesn’t come without a price, naturally, but for me, it’s rewards like these that make the tradeoffs worthwhile:
- Being able to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
- Knowing I don’t have to venture out on snowy, icy days unless I want to.
- Walking my dogs in the middle of the day.
- Being able to meet my parents for lunch on the spur of the moment when they’re in the area.
- Having to be resourceful and figure things out when I have a problem, knowing I don’t have a company full of departments to turn to (turns out a good challenge stretches my creativity muscles and builds character).
- Giving up pantyhose and the majority of my dry-cleaning bills.
- Being able to shop for groceries in the middle of the day, when everyone is at work, even if I have to make up for it by working in the evening.
- Not dreading Monday mornings.
- Knowing I am helping to cut down on pollution and congestion by driving my car only a portion of what I used to.
- Having a new network of kindred spirits who share my values and my passion for self-employment, both locally and online.
- Serving clients that are a joy to work with.
- Having the flexibility to evolve my business or take a different direction as my priorities and perspectives shift.
- Being able to work from virtually anywhere, especially my patio.
- Knowing I’m going to learn something new every day.
- Never having to say, ‘I’m bored’.
- Having the opportunity to find out what I’m really made of … to discover strengths and perseverance I didn’t know I had … to stretch and grow … to achieve more than I ever thought possible.
- Deciding what time I get to shower.
- Having a window.
It’s an eclectic list, I know. It reflects the things that are important to me. Things that are now at the center of my life instead of on the fringes. I could add even more, but you get the point. Being a lifestylepreneur is most of all about quality of life. Having time and the presence of mind to live well every day instead of feeling as if life is passing us by.
What’s on your list?
Maria Sariego is a self-employment coach and founder of Lifestylepreneur, a company devoted to helping people create thriving businesses that support their life’s priorities. Her clients include solopreneurs, creatives, and home-based businesses. She is also in the process of launching her second venture, Believe Street, an online retailer of unique cards, journals, jewelry and gifts for inspired living. Copyright 2005 by Maria Sariego.
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