Every day, you work at your service job, hustling as a full-timer, freelancer, contractor, consultant or working directly or indirectly with clients on any number of projects. This is a privilege, and one we are so lucky to have. We get to work creatively every day, and I find that to be incredibly humbling.
All is well and good. And then one day after you’ve answered the 10th question or solution about the same problem and wonder, “Hmm, is there any way I can automate this? Because I sure as heck have done this like 999999999x times already. I'd like to focus on some other stuff now.”
Yep. I’ve been there, we’ve all been there, and yes. There’s a method to adding in more freedom into a business to run it more efficiently and have you focus on what matters most to you: having more flexibility, time, and overall freedom. I know because I’ve done it. In the last year I have done my best to hack the system and add in more freedom. And I’d say 70% of the time it’s been successful.
It comes down to hacking two things:
Space
Time
Let’s break down space. In order to get paid, most people need to physically show up somewhere. Whether that somewhere is an office or meeting with a person face to face for an interview to land a position, you need to be there in person. But what if you didn’t need a place? What if it was virtual?
Now let’s break down time. In order for you to get paid, you exchange your time for a one-on-one service. Which makes it incredibly difficult for you to get paid more as it's usually on a per project basis. But what if you could get paid 10-to-1? Or even 1000-to-1?
Space & Time are two restrictions society has invented, and rightly so, after the industrial revolution. But what if technology could change that? What it we could beat place and time and invent freedom?
My three step formula:
Step One. Beyond Space. What that looks like:
Set yourself up to work remotely or in the location of your preference
-Work remotely while maintaining 1-on-1 relationships
-Work from home, a shared work space, or while traveling
-You choose where you need to do your bulk work or maintenance (social media, etc)
Step Two. Beyond Time. What that looks like:
Create products or outsource your weaknesses
-Productize your services
-Outsource your services
-Create systems that automate as much as possible (emails, client requests, screen testing etc)
-Don’t exchange your work for time, exchange it on benefit rendered
Step Three. Beyond Time + Place. What that looks like:
Creating products, outsourcing what you're weak in, and working where you choose
-Work on something, launch it, and maintain it for a lot more time + place options
-You’ve likely put in a lot of time beforehand, and after you launch an enormous amount of time opens up
-You’ve likely worked in a specific (or several) places to get a product or automated service out there, but post launch you’re free of location