Your Business Can Be A Vehicle To Access Time And Financial Freedom

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I’m rarely a believer in one-size-fits-all advice because we’re not all ‘one size’. Meaning: we each come to the table with a variety of experiences, scars, fears, circumstances, privileges, opportunities, and on and on.

I’m an (elder) millennial and people mock us to say that we think we’re all ‘unique snowflakes’. In this case, I’ll take that intended insult and agree: we are all unique in what motivates us, what we desire, and how we attain said desire.

Today’s question from Reena sheds light on this: her wish, like many of us, is to live a life of freedom and flexibility and to create a business that is the vehicle to create that for her.

While her combination of circumstances is unique (chronic illness, limited energy, and trauma), there’s a lot we can learn from reena’s situation even if our circumstances are different. Here’s her question:

Dear Darrah: My life has taken some unexpected turns in the last few years. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness which led to medical leave. I had a very traumatic, unsupportive, and stressful experience with my long-term employer. My benefits were cut and I resigned from a job I intended to keep until retirement. I don’t have a business background (I have a social services background), I am not tech savvy and do not have an online presence at all. But my dream is to do some type of voice work (I am drawn to asmr) and to have my own channel online. The last few years have taken a lot out of me. However, I now know what kind of life I want. I know what I want to do, but I am not sure how to start. I need to prioritize my health which means that work from home and self-employment is my best (and preferred) option. I want to earn enough money (translation — a lot!) to give me a good work/life balance and enable me to contribute to causes that I care about as I had been doing prior to illness when finances were not a concern. How do I go about being self-employed, working from home, creating an online business with a chronic illness (where I need to be very mindful of my energy and have limited energy)? What is the best way to start such an endeavor? What should I focus on first? Thank you! Reena