So what the heck is “lifestyle design”? You’ll probably only know the answer to this question if you’ve read The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss.
The book’s 10 years old now, but it’s still so popular because it was one of the first books to give people a PLAN to EXECUTE how to live the life they’ve always wanted.
And I know that sounds like a cliche, but the main point Ferriss makes is, you don’t have to have a million dollars in the bank to live the life you want. The most valuable things in life are time and fulfillment, right? Two things that it’s hard to get when you’re locked in to a 9-5 M-F (or more).
That’s where “lifestyle design” comes in. It’s about brainstorming how your fate could be different from the “work 1/3 of your life or more” societal norm!
Retiring when you’re too old to enjoy it? No good. But is there an alternative, a loophole, when you’ve got bills to pay and kids to take care for?
I’ve been encouraging people for years to take the leap, and try opportunities like Beachbody instead! I’ve been a coach for 11 years, and a speaker, writer, online personality and trainer…but it’s absolutely a career than anyone can have with the right help, and with die-hard INTENSE dedication.
As Tim said, when we say we “want a million dollars,” of course most of us just mean freedom and flexibility. The freedom to take more family vacations and lay on a beach and relax. The freedom to follow our dreams and make a difference in the lives of others. Not living to work!
And I know that’s way, way harder than it sounds…but so is working 90+ hour work weeks the way Mick was, before I started with Beachbody!!
The thing is…at least the way I experienced it…doing something I loved (being a fitness instructor) gave me renewed energy and vitality, both inside me, and also the incredible energy of the people around me…I finally knew what I was supposed to do in life.
As happy as I was as a group exercise instructor and personal trainer without Beachbody…I basically had to sell my soul, getting up at 4:30 a.m. and staying at the gym until 10 p.m., and trying to raise a family.
But now, I have not only the freedom to work from home, but I’m also location independent, able to work from anywhere! I know that’s not realistic for everyone either, but it absolutely beats taking a 1 week vacation every year and being anxious about going back to work the whole time, just as Tim says!
Of course, I acknowledge that it’s just as important to “test the waters” before just up and quitting your primary job. Opportunities like Beachbody are certainly something you can test out, as long as you’re still able to put the work and time into shaping yourself physically and mentally, learning about nutrition and leadership!
So I recommend reading 4-Hour Workweek and seriously, seriously considering what Tim has to say. And if you want more guidance from me to flesh out your potential goals, or you’d like to join Team MADE, filling out an application is the next step for you!
But this is lifestyle design, after all…so it’s all up to you! You could do affiliate marketing, transcription work, web design and development, freelance writing, remote case management or legal work, product reselling and flipping ventures, art commissions, work-from-home IT, online tutoring, any kind of e-commerce or consulting…you don’t have to make 6 figures a year if there’s something you’re valuing more:
The lifestyle of working from anywhere, not working your life away, and not feeling so trapped!