Most are Wordpress installs because I love the fact that you can install it with a few clicks using fantastico. After a few minor tweaks for seo, I am good to go and can start posting content. For anyone who is new to all this, it is something you can learn fairly quickly.

There is a problem, however, that you will likely run across after you get your site up and running. That problem is the fact that the default install for wordpress is kinda plain and it just screams amateur. It is easily recognized and it more or less tells the visitor that the owner either can’t be bothered to make something unique, or they simply don’t have the skills. Even if the visitor isn’t familiar with it, they will still be met with a very lack-luster website.

What to do?

Well, fortunately, Wordpress has a feature whereby you can easily install a custom template that will completely change the look and feel of your site. No matter what niche you are in, there is likely a template out there that will perfectly compliment your site. Realistically, you could probably choose from a thousand or so templates that you can use free of charge – and there are many sites that offer this, including the main Wordpress site at http://www.wordpress.org.

And that is fine, except for the fact that these templates have links in the footer – put there by the developer. That is the price you pay to use the template, and it is the main reason that these people create themes in the first place. Why is this a problem? After all, it seems fair to give the developer a measly link to their site in exchange for a template.

Actually, the problem is that a lot of free templates available these days are filled with irrelevant links that have nothing to do with the template or the developer at all. In fact, many don’t even have a link back to the developer’s site. Instead, there are links to debt blogs, payday loans, diet products, and so on. It is obvious that the author is selling links in the templates they are making. Now, would you really want links in the footer leading to payday loans when your site is about organic gardening? Your visitors don’t know that the links aren’t yours. They may be put off by your entire site because it appears as though you are only out for money.

Also, keep in mind that the links may lead to less than desirable websites. Because Google assumes that you have complete control over who you link to, they will likely penalize you if they don’t like the sites you are linking to.

Why would the developer lower themselves to this level?

Well, template link selling is actually quite a lucrative business since people will pay handsomely to have there link on the homepage of any site using the theme.

Now, besides having links on your site that you have no control over, there are a number of other reasons that you may struggle with finding a suitable theme for your new wordpress site. Even if there are no bad links, you may find that it is lacking something else. Maybe the side-bar is on the wrong side – or the header is just too pinkish. Perhaps the author of the theme threw in a horrible looking graphic and completely ruined an otherwise awesome template.

It has been my experience that there is always something lacking in a template. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.

I even looked into paying for a theme. And while they do tend to look better than free themes, and they don’t have any links in the footer, I could never seem to find one that looked exactly the way I wanted – or had the functionality that I needed.

With this blog (the rat-race journal), I was lucky. In 2005, I found a theme (Red Train) that perfectly suited the subject. It was a picture of a commuter train speeding through a platform. I actually lucked out on that one. And, of course, back then, you didn’t really get a lot of spam links in the footer. There was only one link, and that was to the developer’s site.

It only had one problem: the print was a little small and it was white text on a red background. No doubt this is hard to read for some folks.

To make a long story short, I decided to change themes, but I didn’t want to go the free route. I decided that if I was going to pay, I would get one of the new generation, customizable templates. It came down to choosing between Thesis, Flexibility, and Affiliate theme. After much agonizing and research, I chose the FlexSqueeze theme.

Though I have only been using it for a few days now, I know that I made the right choice. It allows me to completely change any aspect of my site. From font styles, to layout, to customized headers; there is not a single thing you cannot change when it comes to the look of your site. And that is exactly what I need.

As someone who has literally spent hundreds of hours searching for, and customizing blog themes, the FlexSqueeze theme is almost too good to be true. I am finally in control – I can create my sites the way I want, right down to the most minute detail.

Since the license is good for an unlimited number of websites, this is going to be an indispensable tool as I create more niche sites.

I have to admit that parting with $129.00 sucked, (I am very frugal when it comes to things like this) but I truly believe that this FlexSqueeze theme will start paying for itself in very short order. I am currently in the process of upgrading all my sites. In fact, in a few of my niches, some of my long time readers actually started complimenting me on it. That’s a good start.

I know that many people who are just getting started with this may find it hard to believe that things will get better, but, believe me, if you are following the basic tried and true methods, and you are giving it your all, you can’t help but succeed eventually.

And let’s be honest: success means different things to different people. While one person may define success as getting to the point where their basic needs are covered, others may not feel successful until they have filled their lives with all the latest consumer junk. Hey, to each his own.

I belong to that first group. In fact, my income is nothing to brag about. If it weren’t for the fact that my expenses are so low, I wouldn’t be able to pull this off at all. Now, there is no doubt that some of the more successful internet marketers might consider my monthly income as nothing; but the fact of the matter is that it is providing everything I need at the moment. It pays all my bills, it has completely wiped out my debt, I have plenty of spending money, and most importantly, it gives me freedom that most people in the working world could never imagine or experience unless they won the lottery.

Here is an example of what I’m talking about:

I returned home last night after spending 2 amazing weeks skiing in Jackson Hole. It was an incredible experience and one that I won’t soon forget. I don’t take many vacations and I certainly don’t take skiing vacations (this was my first), because I am careful with my money. It is a habit that I’ve picked up over the past few years of living on next to nothing. The fact that I now have a little more money to spend is a notion that I’m still not used to.

Besides, I thought it was about time to reward myself for all those 12 hour days.

The group that I went with are all long time friends from my previous job. They have been doing this for years and are very familiar with Jackson Hole. I was the least experienced person, but I can ski well enough to utilize most of the runs there (though there are some steeps that are way out of my league).

When I booked, I decided to go for 2 weeks. The second week was less money and since I was already there, I reasoned that it wouldn’t break the bank.

The only thing was that everyone else was booked for a week. That would mean that I’d be on my own for half the trip. That didn’t bother me because I am used to being on my own and I meet people fairly easy. My friends thought it was very strange, however.

It seemed that they couldn’t get their head around the fact that I chose to ski by myself for a week. In fact, one person even tried talking me out of it – citing the fact that it was dangerous to ski alone and all that. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn that a few of them were jealous. Granted, you can get in trouble if you ski alone in some of the more remote and expert sections there, but I always stick to the more average runs and there is always a ton of people using them

To make a long story short, I had a blast for the 2 weeks I was there. Even though I was “on my own” for the latter half, I got to know people and even hung out with a few after hours.

But I digress…

The point I am trying to make is how I had complete freedom to choose to take that extra week. This is the essence of what I am trying to establish for myself. The complete freedom to come and go as I please without being influenced by the corporate ball and chain.

Case in point:

When we first arrived in Jackson Hole, everyone was pumped for a great week ahead. You could not have found a happier group in the whole resort. But as the week wore on, things changed a little. They all seemed a little less enthusiastic. Though it would be hard to maintain that level of joy, I also noticed something that brought back horrible memories of my life as a wage slave. They were all going through the typical vacation cycle I used to dread. It goes something like this:

• Last day of work before vacation – Giddy anticipation. Almost a euphoric feeling.
• Day 1-3 – Elation. No thoughts about work. Living in the moment. Looking forward to the rest of the week.
• Day 4-6 – Reality check and the realization that the corporate world is beckoning. Mood is somber. Start checking voice-mail and Blackberry.
• Day 7 – A feeling of dread as you worry away your last day of freedom.

By the end of the week, they were, indeed, checking emails and voice mail. The party was slowly coming to an end. It was scary to see how much life was sucked out of them as the week drew to a close.

It was at this point that I noticed a certain amount of cynicism and jealousy towards me. I was suddenly on the receiving end of snide comments and little digs. I let it go, however, because I understood what they were going through. The one thing in the world each of them wanted by day 6 was to spend another week doing what they loved. And the one thing I wanted most was for them to be able to stay. The problem was that, even if I paid to have them stay an extra week, the rat-race was beckoning – and it wasn’t taking no for an answer.

I would have been in exactly the same situation, but instead, I was able to log in to my netbook at the end of the day, check my stats, and see how much money I was making while on the slopes.

I tried to hide my good mood as I said bye to my friends.

In fact, I actually started losing my voice at one point. This lasted for months and was not your typical laryngitis/viral ailment. I went to see the doctor and he said that everything looked fine and asked if I could have strained my voice somehow. Actually, my throat was not sore and I felt fine, other than the fact that I couldn’t speak properly.

I was first made aware of this one day when I met up with an old friend and he asked me what was wrong with my voice. I usually have a fairly deep voice, but it started sounding high-pitched and strained during the conversation.

This continued to get worse as the weeks went by and I eventually came to the conclusion that I simply was not talking enough. It was the only thing that made sense. A few days later, as luck would have it, I purchased a voice recognition program called Dragon Naturally Speaking to help me get my articles out faster. In a matter of a week, I was back to normal. Very strange.

But there are other health related problems that can crop up with this kind of lifestyle too. The fact that you are not active for a good portion of the day can mean that you can gain weight very quickly. You are also not using your muscles and this can have a great impact on your overall health.

Having been overweight, I am susceptible to becoming obese again. This is the worst possible career choice for anyone with a weight problem. If not for the fact that I basically have to starve myself to keep my weight under control, I would quickly balloon up to my previous size.

However, that was last year, and I am not under so much pressure to put in 10-12 hour days this year. As a result, I have created a schedule that ensures that I include at least an hour walk every day – rain or shine.

I also include a little weight training (a half hour a day) to round things off. The exercises also help with things like posture and cardio.

Although working at home is something that most of us only dream about, the lifestyle does come with a price if you start ignoring your health.