theratracejournal.com

Coming to terms with one’s self is absolutely critical before you can move on into the implementation stage. I experienced a huge influx of emotions from one end of the scale to the other while asking myself what I really wanted and how I truly wanted to live my life. For anyone going through this, you know exactly (more…)

Is it possible to become self-sufficient without trading work for money? Possibly – but unlikely. Yup, I realize that’s a bold statement and it might ruffle the feathers of a few hard-core, minimalist, live-off-the-land types, but I can’t see any way around it.

It’s not that I am missing the true essence of what it means to be free of the system. I would love to find a way to get around the work-for-pay dependency. In fact, I have spent a considerable amount of time in the past year going over every possible scenario with regards to living a life free of the shackles of our modern system. (more…)

Before I get into the specifics of how I managed to sustain my lifestyle (and continue to do so), I just wanted to touch on something a little less obvious, but just as important – emotional health.

For anyone considering a move like this, I would first take inventory of your ability to cope with the consequences of your actions. While quitting your job and living on your own terms may sound good in theory, there is a lot to consider. I can tell you that I underestimated how much stress was involved and how hard it was to really break free of the 9-5 mentality. (more…)

January and February of this year seemed to drag on forever. I used this time creatively, however, and mapped out a few things – strategies mainly. It’s not like there was much else to do in the middle of a Canadian winter – what with four feet of snow and -30C temps.

I knew the type of lifestyle I wanted to maintain. I calculated how much per year I would need to fund that meager existence. And, I had a plan to generate enough money to cover my needs.
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The way I saw it, I had two choices: Not work at all and become homeless after my money ran out, or try to find a way to generate a simple income to sustain my simple lifestyle. Keep in mind that holding down a job is not the only way to create an income. It took me a long time to get that into my head – All part of society’s programming, I suppose. (more…)

The two months I spent back at home proved to be invaluable. It provided the time and space I needed to do some serious planning. In fact, it would have been perfect had it not been for the fact that I sensed some resentment among other family members. Yes, I’m sure they thought I was “back home for good” - home to sponge off my parents. Hey, it’s not like I was 20 again. At 46, that would have been weird, and it’s simply not the way I wanted to do things. (more…)

So I thought it would be best to start where I left off last December.

I moved from the city just before Christmas, put my few meager possessions into storage, and went to stay at my parents’ home for a few months. This gave me time to think about my next move.

They live in a very small, quiet town in Northern Ontario – the perfect place to really do some serious thinking, write a novel, or retire. I really valued that time as it was the turning point for me in many ways. (more…)

10 reasons NOT to start your own business (according to most people): (more…)

Here are 10 reasons to start your own business: (more…)

The solution to my problem is so simple; I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before.

All the high-wage jobs are in the city – that’s a fact. As a result, the cost of living is sky high also. Because the corporate workers are not willing to settle for less, they accept their situation (high living expenses and excessive commuting).

I’m sure that many would love to live and work outside of the city, but the only jobs available are minimum wage. Again, wages are matched to a geographical location.

Therefore, they opt for the suburbs - halfway between the cheap real estate, low wage rural area, and the expensive real estate, high wage urban area. This is a sweet spot for people because here they are still within a reasonable commute to their jobs in the city.

There are a few that have tried to have the best of both worlds with a place in the country and a job in the city, but not everyone is up to a 3 hour commute. One way or the other, they must pay the price.

I’ve given serious thought to this and have concluded that the only way to truly be free of the shackles of the rat-race is to have an income that is location independent - In other words, an income that does not require that you be somewhere in particular.

Let me give you an example:

In my previous career, I was required to show up for work every morning in the heart of the downtown core at 8:30. If I didn’t show up, I didn’t get paid. So the downside was that, even though it was considered a good job, it could only be performed at that location. My job was location dependant.

The only alternative in the past would have been to lower my living standards, move to the country, and get an $8/hr job.

Lowering my standard of living in the past was unthinkable - but what about now? Could I actually get a job at a local hardware store or stock shelves at the town grocery store? Yes, I think I could, however, these jobs are like gold in the rural areas of Ontario. Most of the locals have got these sewn up for life - They where born and raised there and have no interest in moving anywhere else.

The only way to move to “Small-town Ontario” and keep a roof over my head would be to have a source of income that did not depend on a specific location at all. One that did not require that I be in the city and one that would allow me to live in the inexpensive areas of the province without relying on one of the scarce, local jobs.

So that’s it: I need a source of income that is location independent.