Escaping the Cubicle

It's time to stop waiting and planning, and start taking action.

I've spent most of the past year reading about and studying ways of becoming "financially independent", and trying to find out what my ideal job might be. I still have no idea, but I can't let that hold me back any longer.
Hopefully, by taking action today and starting this blog, opportunities will come up, and great things will start to happen... That's the plan, anyway!

Let's start at the beginning... 

My main motivation is to be able to spend more time with Brilliant Guy and Brilliant Boy, to laugh and dance with them as often as I can, and to be a good role model for Brilliant Boy as he grows up.

Right now, I spend around a third of my time in an office - which is open plan, so I'm not strictly stuck in a cubicle - doing a job which is uninspiring and uncreative, but pays the bills. I guess a lot of people will be in a similar position, and it would be nice to be able to help others to escape it too.

Another third of my life is spent sleeping - I LOVE to sleep!

And the third third? To be honest, I probably waste more time than I'd like to admit on facebook, twitter, etc., playing games and generally not interacting with the real world. That's a shame, when I've got a beautiful, Brilliant, one year old son who's developing at the rate of knots! (but that's a whole other topic I could write for hours about!)

So, technically, I need to improve two thirds of my life, and I need to do it fast - there's my motivation!

Where to start though?

What is financial independence, and how do I go about getting it? Well, after spending many, many hours researching this topic, I'd say there are probably about as many answers to that question as there are people on the planet! Helpful, eh?

In terms of my own definition of financial freedom, I'd say it would include not having to pay a mortgage any more, and not having to worry about paying the bills each month. I'm not personally interested in owning a mansion or a super-car, or six thoroughbred racehorses (well, maybe that'd be fun!). As long as I can take care of my family and friends, and have the satisfaction of saving the human race some day, that'll be enough for me... did I mention I have a slight God complex?!

Back to reality, temporarily... I'm sure there are many ways of earning six figure salaries, if you're prepared to work at it. Short of winning the lottery, I think the quickest way of getting out of the job-trap is to start your own business.

To me, that's always sounded terrifyingly complicated and impossible, but Brilliant Guy did it 5 years ago, and he's never looked back. It actually seems surprisingly easy to set up a new business using the internet, and there are lots of resources out there to help. I'll add a blog post about that in the near future.

The type of business would depend on your own unique set of skills and interests. 

For example, I've recently been taking a course with AWAI on copywriting, as I've always been interested in writing as a career. The vast majority of writers barely make minimum wage though, sadly, and I doubt I'm destined to make it as the next J.K.Rowling. (But you never know!)

With copywriting, however, the market is vast and ever expanding, as more and more businesses need websites and letters to help sell their products and to reach customers and other businesses. Judging by some of the awful junk we get through our letter box every day, it seems like there's a real need for quality writers out there. And that's where I'll come in - hopefully!

This blog is my way of kick-starting my writing career. Ever since I was told by a primary school teacher that I was a "Brilliant Writer", I've known that I'd eventually become a writer. The tricky thing will be learning how to use those writing skills to motivate people and persuade them to part with their hard-earned money!