Blog

Soon after graduating from Art Center, I imagined how I wanted to work; I’m at home gardening, working on my house or making something in my shop and the phone rings. It’s a client calling with a job offer. After listening to the pitch, I accept or decline. For the most part my career has played itself out this way. The success of this dream is the main reason I’ve kept my sanity through all the insanity that envelopes you when you work for yourself. It’s the between times that I want to write about here, prize of developing and engaging in ritual tasks that brings me my daily dose of the 3R’s: relief, relaxation and recharging.

I work out of an office on my property and when I feel the need, I work in one of my  gardens, on a home maintenance project or visit with friends and neighbors. Often I’ll volunteer to take my son to school just so I can hang a bit with other parents. Lately it’s been biking and working out that  keep me centered. I engage in these ritual tasks often, they reinforce my belief that I’m successful. And it’s this success that allows me to live my life the way I’ve imagined. I get more quality work accomplished in less time precisely because I spend quality time engaging in my rituals.

When I’m stuck for a topic to blog about or for any task I have to complete in the course of running my multiple-income stream business, I often go out into the yard and either rest in the hammock outside my office, garden, weed, tinker with one of the many home improvement projects I have going, bike ride, work out or visit with my neighbor who has put together an amazing garden.

I make myself connect to the world in ways that don’t involve email, phones or computers. All of these ideas help me maintain a level emotional state, something important to strive for when in the world of self-employment.

What are you waiting for? Stop reading and start doing!