please stop yourself from going back to normal
Now that the world begins to open back up following a 3-month lockdown thanks to COVID-19, I need to ask you to do something … please don’t go back to normal!
Normal is calling you. Normal is comfortable. Normal is only “normal” because it’s what you were used to. Normal is just a story you’ve told yourself. Normal is familiar.
If you truly want to step into the shoes of the Freedom Seeker I know you already are, you’ll need to leave normal in the dust! It’s time to create your NEW NORMAL.
You’ve already done the hardest part!
The hardest part of creating a lifestyle you don’t need a vacation from is to transition from an office job into working from home.
For many people, the last 3 months forced companies to allow their employees to start working from home. It was either that or close up shop! Companies who refused to believe it was possible for “their employees” or their “unique job demands” to be done from home woke up to a new reality. They were left scrambling to catch up to the rest of us who long ago realized that we were in the 21st Century and for whom working from home was already normal.
The reality is that ANY job that can be done while sitting behind a computer doesn’t need to be done in an office setting.
Skipping Steps
If you haven’t yet read The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss, make that the next thing you do … after you read the rest of this post. Just kidding! Buy the book now and come back here to create your new normal. This book is THAT important to your Freedom Journey.
The 4 Hour Work Week gives you 5 steps to transition from working 100% in a cubicle to 100% at home:
- Learn the difference between Being Efficient and Being Effective
- Put yourself on an Information Diet
- Become Invaluable
- Create for work from home trial periods
- Go all-in!
By working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve already started completing some of these steps without even knowing you were doing it! How awesome is that!?!
Learning the difference between being Effective and being Efficient
There’s no better test than working from home to help you figure out which tasks you need to get done, and which you can leave for later to ignore completely. To really hone your skills, read this great blog post and soon you’ll be a time management master!
Create your work from home trial
In his book, Ferriss talks about using sick days and vacation days to prove you can be super productive while working from home. All it takes is a bullet-point list outlining how much more you achieved while at home. Always include some explanations for the increase like lack of commute and office interruptions or noisy distractions. Making a list like that should be super easy for you at this point!
Once you’ve completed a few trials, and armed with your productivity list, Ferriss up’s the ante with a proposal to working from home a few days a week on a semi-permanent basis. Again, you’ve already done the trials! You’ve already proven you can work from home on a semi-permanent basis!
Are You Excited Yet?
Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Before you know it, you’ll be getting the call that office buildings are opening back up and your desk is waiting for your return. Your return to normal. Your return to THEIR normal.
We didn’t work this hard for nothing!
It’s time to create YOUR NEW NORMAL.
The ability to work from home is the first, most vital step that every Freedom Seeker must complete. That’s the jumping off point for working around the world, anywhere there’s a WIFI connection.
So PLEASE stop yourself from going back to normal. Make them drag you kicking and screaming! Put up a fight. You’re armed with the proof (your productivity list), you’ve set the precident these past 3 months (you’re more than capable), and it’s your time to shine.
Let’s Make It Happen
Your new normal can be anything you want it to be. You weren’t born to be someone else’s definition of normal. I heard Pastor Steven Furtick recently say “just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it isn’t normal”, and I believe that’s true for you too.
Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it isn't normal @StevenFurtick #newnormal Share on XSo let’s start creating your new normal.
While you wait to receive your copy of The 4 Hour Work Week, grab my Freedom Seeker’s Passport. That’s where I’ve outlined the steps I took to go from 100% chained to cubicle desk to working from anywhere in the world … with a traditional 9-5 job. It’s packed with tips, shortcuts, and tweaks I made to Ferris’ outline to better suit my situation. It’s designed to help you work through your unique situation and creat the lifestyle YOU want.
I can’t wait to see what your version of normal becomes!
Was this helpful for you? If so, please share it with a friend who you think would get value!
Be sure to comment below and let me know what new normal you’re creating!
P.S. If you’d LOVE to start Your Own Blog with “Just 3 Clicks”, check THIS out!
Was this valuable for you? If so I’d really appreciate your comments below and shares on social media.
Resources
Here is a list of the resources mentioned in this post:
The 4 Hour Work Week – Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, or earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint
Freedom Seeker’s Passport – How to Create an Online Income, Experience Modern Travel, and Discover Life Without Reservations!
Being Effective vs Being Efficient – My recent blog post that will turn you into a time management master by learning he difference between being effective and being efficient
This is so true. I feel like I’ve learned a lot over these months and I hope I keep those lessons with me.
100% Hannah! Never stop learning 🙂
Thanks for sharing.. I liked it
So glad Tooba! Thanks for your comment
I was so bummed about all the isolation, but something really amazing happened – I grew a lot. I was able to spend so much more time with the family, and we got so much closer. In a way, it was great for us.
Brianne recently posted…Fun, Flirty Fashions for Every Style
Yes!! That’s so awesome to hear Brianne
True! Working from home indeed has a ton of pros.
Absolutely Rohan! I don’t think i could ever go back at this point
nice quote you have for your tweet! btw, how do you create quotes for tweeting?
The Joyous Living recently posted…5 Essentials Protective Items to Pack for Your Next Visit to Disney Parks (Covid-19 Style)
Thanks! The best plugin I’ve found is called “Click to Tweet”
I find that more and more people are going back to normal, but they don’t realize that things are still not safe out there. I feel like they haven’t learned anything.
Heather recently posted…How to Create a Caterpillar Finger Puppet with Ring Pop
I feel absolutely the same way Heather! We really need to be paying attention out there
I have been thinking all of this for years now! It is amazing how many companies could transition to have their employees work from home, yet so few do. It would save the company so much and benefit the employees and their families in so many ways. Lunches could be at home with family. And like you mentioned, so much time saved when not commuting or having to shop for office clothes, and so many other things!
Marie Phillips recently posted…Step by Step: How to Teach Imagery in Literature
Working from home is the best perk a company could offer, in my opinion. I’m completely ruined from ever working in another office!
This post was a good reminder to shake up the way we used to view things and that normal can be complacent. Creativity in productivity!
Thanks so much! Definitely time for a shake up
Long live, Bruce! You have taken the word “normal” right out of my mouth. I so much love working remotely.
Love that so much!! Remote work is so much fun
I’d love to work from home full-time. I can’t at my job because that’s not a call I can make…but I’d sure love to.
There are ways to “test the waters” to see if working from home is something your employers are open to. I really hope you’re able to do so very soon!
These are such unique perspectives! Thank you for sharing these tips and Reno sees that we should not return to “normal” but become a better version of ourselves!
100% right! It’s the perfect opportunity to become a version of ourselves and resist falling back into “normal”
I think that life felt good lately more people at home and me and the family got to spend more time together it was nice.
Love that Steve! So glad you got to experience that
great tips. it’s ahrd not going back to what we know sometimes.
So very hard Katrina, but something we need to be mindful of