And Hulu only has *so* many shows.
So when I'm not applying or watching TV on my computer, or playing on my (soon to be cancelled) WoW account, what is there to do?
Well, I'm a reader, so I read. It gives me ideas, and then I work on those- like freelance writing, or things to put on a website, or just general life-improvement stuff.
I'm a bit of a free spirit, I admit. And being a reader, I tend to go to books and written information when I'm trying to figure something out. So in addition to the usual pile of romance novels stacked on my bed I've also got a bag full of "escape your crap job and see the world/ start a company/ become a petty dictator"-type books.
And they're great books- don't get me wrong, they're totally amazing books. For people who already have jobs, or still have their savings, or have a boat-load of available credit to float on until they're up and running with their dream/ company/ country. Nowhere out there (at least that I've found yet) is a book for people in *really* crap jobs. No books for retail underlings, or fast food cooks, or hotel housekeepers.
They're all written for people trying to escape *real* jobs- you know, the ones your parents aren't embarrassed to admit to having a kid working. So while I'm reading Escape from Cubicle Nation
by Pamela Slim, and reading the blog and stuff that goes with it... Well, I've only been forced into a cube for about 2 weeks total, temping. The closest I've been to "Corporate America" is my father. Well, and working for Walmart.
by Pamela Slim, and reading the blog and stuff that goes with it... Well, I've only been forced into a cube for about 2 weeks total, temping. The closest I've been to "Corporate America" is my father. Well, and working for Walmart.Same with How To Succeed as a Lifestyle Entrepreneur
, which seems to have a lot of "so you already have a business and/ or income". Tim Ferriss isn't quite so focused on people with snazzy crap jobs, though that seems to be where he comes from. The problem with the version of The 4-Hour Workweek
that I read is that his "method" is pretty money heavy. He picked the perfect product, maxed out his credit cards (or not) and away he went.
, which seems to have a lot of "so you already have a business and/ or income". Tim Ferriss isn't quite so focused on people with snazzy crap jobs, though that seems to be where he comes from. The problem with the version of The 4-Hour Workweek that I read is that his "method" is pretty money heavy. He picked the perfect product, maxed out his credit cards (or not) and away he went.I'm not saying there isn't something in these books for everyone. I'm saying I have to pick and choose to figure out what's even vaguely applicable to me. Following my dreams, sure. Finding the intestinal fortitude to ask my boss for time off? Well, I don't have a boss, but even when I did, that was never a problem. Heck, I asked if I could count the money from home one day- they said no.
But these books are all about jumping. There's very little about "get a job that makes you just enough to sleep inside and eat, and build slowly", probably because it doesn't sell. All the "how to start with nothing" type-books come off as spammy, or get rich quick scams. Where's the "I got a just-for-now day job while I built my dream, and here's how you can too" book? The one that tells people who never were interested in taking a dull job with high pay just because it paid well how to live their dreams? Am I just missing it?
And more importantly, how do I keep my "must find job" motivation up when everything I'm reading shouts "quit your job, build your business now!"
I know people are doing it- building a business or other income just big enough to cover the very basics while keeping a (seriously crappy) job. They're tough to find, and most of them seem to be off in the world now, rather than at home still grinding the day job. So there is hope. I have it clogging up my iGoogle homepage, and dribbling down my bookmark list.
The ones I'm following for now-
I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I'm finding most useful for this starting from nothing deal. I've accepted that dog walking is a bit too settled. For some reason, whenever I think about spending more than a year someplace I break out in hives. starting, running, dealing with a dog walking business would take at least a year to be really worth it. And then I'm chained to it, or have to take another year to sell it to someone else or train up a manager. Pleh.
No comments:
Post a Comment