Why You Shouldn’t Stick to Your Schedule
Within every aspect of your life, you are bound by time. Whether you wonder when you’ll die (what a way to start the day!), or checking the time as you count the sweat beads rolling down while exercising or watching the clock hit 5:00 p.m. so you can enjoy your dinner, you are bound by your schedule.
What is a schedule? Dictionary.com defines “schedule” as “a series of things to be done or of events to occur at or during a particular time or period”. We spend so much time allotting hours and minutes to certain tasks, to build steady schedules. If it is true that creativity thrives in random moments, outside of defined boundaries, then why do we devote majority of our time to defining schedules?
If you noticed, I didn’t post anything new here on Monday. After quitting my job, I will be making an honest effort to not let my brain get carried away with “productivity” and finishing whatever I’m doing as soon as possible. I will be making an honest attempt at living in the moment versus trying to crank out 15 things at once.
Tough Realizations
This will be hard for you to admit as it has been hard for me… do you live your life in a hyper-active state? Does your brain talk about the stuff you still have to do when you’re trying to “relax” and watch a show? Does your brain refuse to shut the hell up long after your mouth has? Are you thinking about running out of that grocery store asap? Are you in a rush to run home from work??
The one thing I immediately noticed after getting home yesterday was how much my brain is entangled with the process and thought of being productive. Why do we subject ourselves to all of this?
Uh, Excuse me…
Miss I’ve-Quit-My-Job-&-Feel-Profound-Now, but I have…
…mortage(s) to pay?
…children to feed?
…flat screen tvs to buy?
…live in a McMansion?
…buy 2 Starbucks lattes a day even if I can’t pay my bills on time?
We all want to live a comfortable life and there is nothing wrong with that. What I find wrong is with the way we think we have to live our lives to attain that comfortable life. All the things mentioned up there? They’re excuses because you’re afraid.
What you should be afraid of is where you’re at right now.
If you’re happy with your 9-5, then you shouldn’t be here. You don’t have a problem… if you’re still reading, deep down you know there is a teeny tiny problem.
The question is: what are you going to do about it?
What I Did on my First Day of Unemployment
I woke up at 7:00a.m., rolled over, hugged the cat and passed out ’til 8:30a.m. I woke up slowly, lingered on the computer, went down to the gym because I wanted to…. then went to the park for a walk and thought of my co-workers stuck at my old workplace. Here I am, not sitting at my desk, bitching to my friend about how stiff my back is after sitting in that cursed computer chair for 7 hours.
I didn’t do anything extraordinary today. But I did anything I felt like, when I felt like it.
And it was freakin’ awesome, people. I can feel the change! I’m beginning to realize how powerful this is. This is life changing.
If you’re unhappy working for someone else, for one reason or another, you need to set a plan in action. Not later tonight, not tomorrow, not this weekend. Now!
Back to the Point… Oh, Yeah!
The point is that every little thing you’re doing is defined by your schedule… even this post you’re reading. If you plan on working for other people, then you should come to terms with the fact that you will always live on a schedule defined by someone else. You will work 8 hours a day for someone else and then the stress from your work will defined every little thing you do after work.
Step outside of your own boundaries imposed by your own schedules. Next time you’re watching your favourite tv show and you reach over to check your text or grab your laptop, stop yourself.
What Does This Mean for EIP
The schedule here will be a bit more random: I might post twice a week if not much is happening, or three times a week if I’m making significant progress and need to share the results. I won’t necessarily keep to the M/W/F schedule and if my readers don’t like that, then those aren’t the type of readers I want. Time is limited and best work is often a result of stepping outside the bounds: I intend on not wasting anyone’s time!
If you have an opposing point of view (or not), feel free to share!
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Why not just batch write your posts (write multiple posts in one day) so that way you schedule them up on a regular basis?
Michael´s last blog ..The Secret of Passive Income Through Outsourcing Revealed
Michael, I haven’t given that a shot yet but it takes me some times to come up with topics to talk about and to actually flesh out the posts. The best ones are the random ones. Most importantly though, I don’t want to set a rigid schedule especially without exploring how and when I produce my best work.
The title could also be “Why you shouldn’t stick to someone else’s schedule”. If someone else is planning your life, that is indeed a restraining factor. For self-employment or freelance work, self-discipline and getting things done are quite important to keep things going. But your own schedule is so much better than someone else’s schedule imposed on your life.
Simeon´s last blog ..Via Londen naar Melbourne
Simeon, don’t get me wrong. Loose schedules are fine but there are people who are really uptight about doing stuff within their tight schedules (whether self-employed or not).
It doesn’t hurt to step outside of your schedule and do things another way once in a while
Sounds like a great first day of unemployment
What’s keeping me from quitting my job is health insurance. Part of me thinks that’s an excuse too though, so I don’t know…
As far as keeping a schedule goes, I think there is a happy medium between all randomness and all scheduled. I keep a list of things to work in, but move them around a lot.
Jackie´s last blog ..Do You Have an Inconvenience Fund?
Jackie,
Health insurance is one thing that I’m a little anxious about. I will be researching this weekend to see available options. A friend just told me her son found basic coverage for $200/month in CA, but I don’t know the details.
You might be using health insurance as an excuse to not quit.. our brains work in funny ways when we’re afraid of taking certain actions. Have you researched coverage options at all…?
I hope to find a happy medium in the coming weeks as well. It’s nice to see you around here, Jackie.
I’ve applied for an individual high-deductible plan and been denied coverage. My husband’s application was rated, even though he is in great health, because he saw a doctor to be sure everything was fine after he got rear-ended. I’ve also researched offering health insurance from my own company, which might be a possibility if I can afford to hire at least one employee. Premiums on that were in the $2500 per month range for a high deductible plan. So that’s as far as I’ve gotten. Next up is brainstorming other ideas, or hoping my husband gets group coverage I could be on.
Jackie´s last blog ..Do You Have an Inconvenience Fund?
Whoa, is that $2500 for you and your husband? That’s crazy! I’ll have to do some research and get back to you on that. What state do you reside in? I’m in DE.
Love it! Great way to spend your first day. Don’t rush into the fire until the fire’s really been igniting inside. That’s when working for yourself becomes a beautiful powerful beast. Best of luck! I’m really looking forward to reading your progress!
andi´s last blog ..ollie vs andi: update week 1 (i’m not afraid)
Hi Andi & welcome! Yeah I’m in detachment mode on purpose just for a little bit while I wrap my head around what I’m doing. I also have to plan a week long road trip which doesn’t help.
Hope to see more of you here.
Hi Moon,
Your 1st day of unemployment was my first 3 months. I hadn’t taken more than 3 days off in a row for over 5 years. I was due to break the sked.
I have a tight schedule now on most days as it brings orderliness to my mind. Orderliness keeps me happy even when stuff on the outside doesn’t work out how I’d like it to. That being said I can switch it up at any time: sleep in, work later, spend days offline. Following your intuition is the goal for me. Knowing what to do and when to do it.
Ryan´s last blog ..33 Reasons to Start Cash Gifting Today
Ryan, that’s crazy that you lasted 5 years without a break! You need that 3 months and then some. The freedom that your schedule allows is beautiful. Here’s hoping that I can find the same balance
Moon –
Congratulations – welcome over from the dark side
I love your pleasure at the first day of “freedom”. Enjoy the freedom – revel in it. The only real barrier to keeping in this flexible, joyful place will be you. As I have warned some of my happy clients recently, one thing to consider “don’t be too smug”. Stay free!
Phil
Phil – Less Ordinary Living´s last blog ..The Five Secrets to Finding Work that Matters
Hopefully I’m not coming off as smug but rather excited. Thanks… I’m trying to enjoy everything without the constraints of time and a schedule. I’m loving the freedom so far
Moon,
In the short time I’ve been doing this fulltime and working from home, I’ve learned 3 things.
1. My family still views this as “playing” around on the computer. I’m told to get a real job. My Grandmother and her friends associate working at home on the computer is porn…
2. My brain doesn’t shut up. My ADD really acts up at home. The computer is always calling my name and I find it difficult to do anything else. I have a huge “to do” list and staying on track for me is rough.
3. I work best between the hours of midnight – 6AM. Finally peace and quiet. The phone doesn’t ring, people don’t text, UPS and Fed Ex aren’t driving by, people stop banging and repairing their houses, they stop mowing their lawn, etc. Although I love it all, it’s very distracting to me.
You mentioned some great things!
Scott Barron´s last blog ..Earth Day 2010: My Pledge
Thanks for sharing Scott. I blame college for my ADD. Trying to juggle 4-5 classes, various projects, quizzes, labs, tests…. you’re teaching your brain how to “multi-task”. More like teaching it how to not concentrate on just one thing.
Watching tv while doing all that didn’t help my cause either
We have so many distractions though.. YouTube, tv, laptops, iPods, pets… on and on it goes. I’d try nighttime but I like waking up early in the morning too much. Hey, as long as you can pay your bills, do whatever yo want (in the legal bounds).
Regarding point #1… people who don’t understand modern technology will always regard being on the computer as playing around… oh well. You can laugh them all the way to the bank, right?
Chris Mower´s last blog ..5 Ways to Trim the Fat from Your Next Project
haha, Chris, I can understand. I plan on telling my family maybe a few months from now once I have my ducks in a row. Otherwise, they might make assumptions similar to what your family’s doing
I’ll laugh all the way to the bank with you, sure!
Hey Moon! Best of luck with your new life changes. Wishing you the best.
Chris Mower´s last blog ..5 Ways to Trim the Fat from Your Next Project
Hey Moon !!
Great to hear… your first day of unemployment
Best of luck with your new life…Moon
Looking forward to reading your progress….;)
Dev | Technshare´s last blog ..Top 20 Young Entrepreneur Blogs
Thanks Dev, be sure to tune in for the progress.
Hi Moon,
thanks so much for sharing this post! You are SO right – I feel like I´m always running behind time to do this and that and those things, even when I try to relax I have a lot of stuff on my table I should actually do. I guess we all need to realize that what we do is not living but running through life till we can retire to actually enjoy it, which is pretty stupid in my eyes although I´m celebrating this….
Keep up the good work, I will check back to see if you could fit a new post into your new living your life schedule.
All the best
Monja´s last blog ..I love my Kindle!
Monja, welcome and thanks for chiming in! I’m familiar with that feeling and now I can’t believe I’m just letting it all go. It’s really weird. I had such trouble waking up at 7:00a.m. to get ready for work but now I’m waking up around 7:30a.m. full of all the sleep I can take.
I guess I was trying too hard there. I will surely update what my new schedule looks like soon enough.
Hey Moon,
I completely understand what you’re talking about. I have a steady job (read, I have a schedule) but I’m working on my passive income flows so that I can break away from it. One of our team members just does free lance work on the side as he has properly built up good passive income flows. I just can’t wait until I can break away from the 8 hour schedule. Congratulations on your freedom, and I hope that it brings you tons of joy. I know my wife will be excited when I can finally break away.
Enjoy your time, enjoy your blog, and enjoy your cat!
Have a great weekend, this is the part of the week where I have it scheduled not to work. lol.
Thanks,
Timothy
Wealth Artisan Team Member
The Wealth Artisan´s last blog ..Writing Articles Online
Timothy, it is really hard. The question is, do you believe in passive income? Would you do better without the safety net of a job? This is a whole new lifestyle and you bet your wife will be excited unless you two are the type to need time away from each other
Ordinarily, I would completely agree with your assertions, but in this instance the safety net is not a hinderance. Much of the work to generate passive income is done while I’m on the clock. I’m able to fulfill my job duties while I write and generate on the side. I’m lucky in this regard as I’m pulling a paycheck while I do the work to generate the passive income. If I had to do the work on my own time, then I would definitely be doing what you’re doing right now.
I have to commend you, what you’ve done has broken the typical mold. I read a great book by Dave Ramsey called “Total Money Makeover” and in it he said this: “When people tell you that you’re nuts, or on the wrong track, that typically means that you’re doing everything right.” And the reason he says that is because right now, everyone has such a skewed way at looking at finances that it is totally backwards.
Large companies want us working toward a large retirement goal. A number like 5 million dollars to retire on will have most people running on the corporate treadmill until they die! IT guarantees a lifetime of labor and dedication. If we all focused on a target monthly passive income, many people would be retired well before they are 50. Keep telling it as it is!
Thanks,
Timothy
Wealth Artisan Team Member
WealthArtisan´s last blog ..Writing Articles Online
Whatever Moon (about waking up, hugging your cat, and passing out until…)!
I think we become afraid bcuz we have to believe in ourself and hold ourself abay. I am at that point where I am second guessing myself.
Anyway, to you. Be productive and have a schedule. I understand going outside of your normal 9-5 life schedule to open up experiences. And I totally agree. But YOU are at a point where many us desire. Make sure you utilize your time to the best of your ability. Because having time to make your dreams come true doesn’t come by easy.
“Whatever Moon…”…? Where’s that coming from?
Christine, this comes from a genuine place when I say that this is something that you’ll experience once you’re not working for someone else. Everything I did was ‘hurry, hurry, hurry’, that constant rush to get things done.
Now I’m chilling, especially for the first few days. You bet my time won’t all be wasted. I’m talking about breaking out of the mold to breath and live a little, not so I can waste that time away
I’ll raise a cup to you!
P.S. What are you second guessing yourself with…? In regards to what…? Remember, we all have those moments. I’m upto here (pointing to chin) with apartment hunting and doubts.
Oh, I meant the ‘whatever’ in a fun, playful kind of way! Truly sorry if it was taken wrong. I would love to be kicking back like you are doing. Especially this last week being inundated with a work deadline, trying to raise a family, and blogging to get out of the 9-5. Truly ‘hurry, hurry, hurry’ mode. Thanks! down a shot of something for me, too.
My blog is starting to pick up tail wind, become successful. I second guess myself as to whether I can grow and uphold this success. Sometimes I feel lack of direction, especially because blogging for income can be done IN A ZILLION different ways (ebooks, teleseminars, video blogs, buying out other blogs, affiliate links, etc…). I wish I had a road map to know exactly how to execute my way. I have an inkling, but to have a blueprint would be nice. What is the definitive next step? LOL. I think we probably all second guess ourselves wondering if we could really be successful. Especially women, I have a feeling they wonder if they deserve to be successful. But, I need to get over these personal questions and step out with the confident me.
Money Funk´s last blog ..Earth Day: Camping is Fun
Not a big deal Christine. I didn’t know how to take it, lol. If I can ask, where do you work? Or rather, what do you do? I’ll do a shot of 2% milk for us both
You bring up an excellent point, Christine. I think women pick on their own insecurities and raise their own doubts. I tear myself down too much, well used to. If you put a man and a woman in the same room who have the same amount of education, I bet the male will portray himself with more confidence while the woman might seem unsure about what she’s bringing to the table. Welcome to my undergrad years
Christine, don’t take the lack of direction as a burden, take it as freedom. There might be a million options but which one is best suited for you? What do you enjoy doing the most? Experiment and choose. This takes a lot of time, as we know.
Screw the blueprint, pal. We don’t get one of those apparently. And that’s a good thing because there is room for us and maybe you can create a blueprint for someone else
I’m off to eat the hell out of chili and rice because I’m starving! Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for dropping by. I really appreciate it.
Schedules suck – they really do a number on a person. If you don’t meet the “criteria” you feel like you’ve slacked off, when in fact that isn’t always the case.
It’s taken me a long time to realize that if I work my ass off for a couple of hours, it’s actually better than “working” an average day (where I spend all day half-assing it). Yet I’m still struggling, because I’ll rock those few hours really hard, then tell myself “I should still be working…”
I blame corporate America. Because it’s easy. And it’s fashionable
Lee | Search Engine Viking´s last blog ..Your Computer Is A Business Expense
Yeah I was feeling like I was slacking off for the last year, even though I couldn’t help when the projects came in. When it rained, it poured
It’s an on-going struggle isn’t it, feeling like you haven’t worked…
Hey Moon – I’m quite anti-schedule myself, unless it is a schedule that I devise in order to structure the pursuit of my goals. But as soon as I begin to feel like a robot, and am no longer able to sit still and just enjoy the present moment, I know that something needs to be changed.
And I think its a great idea that you just allowed yourself to ‘be’ on your first day of unemployment. Clear your head, get your old lifestyle out of your system and then move forward with confidence and motivation towards your new goals.
Earl´s last blog ..My (Unofficial) Guide To Authentic Mexican Food
Thanks Earl. Yeah, I’m vacationing in FL until the end of the week but even after I return, it’ll take me a bit to “find my groove”.
Screw rigid, unnecessary schedules, I say!
Hi Moon, great to hear you enjoyed your first day of freedom!
As far as not keeping a schedule goes, I reckon that time away from the PC is just as important anyway. It allows you to to think, experience other things, and will no doubt further enrich your writing.
Carry on playing it the way that suits you!
Des @ Affiliate Progress´s last blog ..Why Do You Want To Be An Affiliate Marketer?
Yes, that’s very true Des. I remember not even looking at the computer at home because I was sick of being on it 8 hours a day. Great now
Hi Moon,
You are in free fall. Probably have burn out from your J.O.B. I have been where you are. The joy of doing what you want when you want pulls you out and gives you time to think, evaluate and progress, maybe even develop a plan.
Whether it takes a month, three or a year, eventually you will want more of yourself and begin to set a schedule, not a brutal multi-tasking sort of schedule, but one to keep you on track, after all you will want to earn an income and I guarantee you dollars to donuts that when the income starts to roll in, excitement will kick in and the “schedule” will not feel like a brace of handcuffs.
Congratulations on taking a tough stand with yourself. Wishing you the life you want and the means to live it.
Valentina´s last blog ..Sunday Morn Musings: Screw It, Let’s Do It!
Hi Moon,
Brand new to the idea of looking outside of traditional income sources and found your blog really hit home – thank you.
Dan Locke.
Dan Locke´s last blog ..Takes Shape
Dan, glad you found EIP. Hopefully you’ll find some posts that you can relate to or that will help you out. Welcome!
This caught my attention right on! Finally someone talking and accepting how it is instead of trying to get a round pen in square hole!
Thanks for writing this awesome piece. Nice design you have here.
King Sidharth´s last blog ..How to get Sht Loads of Customers & Users for Every Thing You Do Secret Note
King, sadly, most people need somewhat of a schedule. I’m returning to my M/W/F schedule for now, as I tend to slack off and my writing completely dies. That’s not to say that if I need a day off or if I need to alter my schedule that I won’t do it
Very smart move.
It’s those random spur-of-the-moment and “do whatever I want” experiences I love having.
That’s of course doing all the upfront hard work to have those moments
Affiliate Marketing´s last blog ..What You Need To Know About Email Subject Lines
You have a point there
It’s not good to completely abandon everything. I tend to lean more towards the lazy side so I have loose schedule. Works out perfectly for me now.
I’m jealous. I’m on the “have to be at work at 8:30 every morning” schedule with my new job, and I am most definitely not a morning person. I’m really more of a “get up and procrastinate until the project is almost due and then stay up all night finishing it” kind of person. Which I suppose is why I always end up blogging 6 times in 3 days and taking the rest of the week off in total burnout.
I’ve come to believe that schedules basically are like diets: they don’t work, they make you suffer unnecessarily, and they’re ridiculous to boot.
Robert, I know what you mean! I can be the same way. I think the best thing you can do is find you how you work best and try to stick to that schedule