Post: #1

I have being reading 'the well-fed writer' lately and I am pretty set on becoming a freelance copywriter. It seems like a no-brainer for me. Writing is something I have always thoroughly enjoyed and more than one professor in college said I had a gift.
Moving into copywriting will require some work on my part. It is very different from anything else I have done but I am willing to embrace the blood, sweat and tears.

That said, there are a couple things that scare me about leaving the cubicle.

1.) Social interaction(or lack of it). I will be sitting behind a screen all day with no coworkers. You location independent guys, how do you handle this?

2.) Independent motivation. In a regular job, you have a boss that sets expectations and you have coworkers to compete with. Basically, you are forced to perform. My fear is that I don't know if I will be able to push myself on my own. When I get on my laptop, I tend to get distracted easily...How do you L.I guys cope with that and set goals?

Post: #2

(10-07-2013 11:41 AM)Magyarphile Wrote:  1.) Social interaction(or lack of it). I will be sitting behind a screen all day with no coworkers. You location independent guys, how do you handle this?

Easy.

I hate "office people" anyways.

Fill your free time in the company of beautiful women.

Seems to do the trick.

Quote:2.) Independent motivation. In a regular job, you have a boss that sets expectations and you have coworkers to compete with. Basically, you are forced to perform. My fear is that I don't know if I will be able to push myself on my own. When I get on my laptop, I tend to get distracted easily...How do you L.I guys cope with that and set goals?

Block p0rn on your computer.

Problem solved.

Post: #3

(10-07-2013 11:41 AM)Magyarphile Wrote:  1.) Social interaction(or lack of it). I will be sitting behind a screen all day with no coworkers. You location independent guys, how do you handle this?

Get a social network. Make friends. Start a side business. Develop a hobby. Don't batch your errands but instead run one errand a day and make a point to approach at least one person while you're doing it (I day game but you could also try making friends this way).

Quote:2.) Independent motivation. In a regular job, you have a boss that sets expectations and you have coworkers to compete with. Basically, you are forced to perform. My fear is that I don't know if I will be able to push myself on my own. When I get on my laptop, I tend to get distracted easily...How do you L.I guys cope with that and set goals?

There's no secret here. You just have to want it. If you don't genuinely want it, the only other thing to do is to make it your only option. Cut your safety net, and put yourself in a sink-or-swim position. If you have to write copy in order to eat, or pay rent, you probably won't spend too much time surfing the net or watching porn.

Post: #4

The lack of social interaction is definitely difficult. I solve this by occasionally working in public places like coffee shops.

My motivation to work is that if I run out of money I won't be able to afford to travel anymore. Today my morning was spent on a plane from Munich to Athens. Last Monday was spent in Munich in a tent drinking an Oktoberfest beer. No money means sitting in an office. Pretty simple to find motivation.

Post: #5

Start doing Jiu Jitsu or Muay Thai. Instant social circle in almost any major city.

Post: #6

Co-working spaces can be really cool, or really boring, depending on which it is. Though, if you want to, it is pretty easy to meet other location independent people and online people in general. Those of us who strive to work independently seem to share a lot of common values anyway, which makes it much easier to make associates and friends compared to office workers who most will agree are often very annoying (and thinks you're annoying too).

Other than that, yeah you have to work on your social circle more for sure, but realize that there are a lot more freelancers out there than you think, for example lifting weigths in the gym early in the afternoon or drinking at a tuesday. And those people are usually easy going, so don't be afraid to strike up a conversation.

Just please don't be the needy dude who always tries to pick your brain or get a favor. You're going to have to fall over on your own and get up again, until people who made it will want to discuss biz with you.

Last but not least, you need to figure out what is worth more, freedom or structure and likewise does having (annoying) co-workers make up for getting up at 7 am and taking public transportation to work in the early winter morning?

For me, that is a no brainer, no thanks, I'll take being a bit more lonely by far over that.

Post: #7

Good advice so far.

Go to conferences related to your work, join something active or volunteer. Its much better than socializing with office folks. When you meet people through an activity or volunteering you meet people who are getting out and doing things not because they "have to" or "just for the paycheck" they are a much better influence.

Post: #8

Yes!!
Im not going back to the office.

Post: #9

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I went from academia to the corporate world to digital nomadism and now I'm probably going to join a venture backed startup.

I'll still be an entrepreneur but I'll no longer be in the state of "if I want to fly to Chengdu tomorrow for no reason I can do that".

It has its ups and downs, as everyone said. It's certainly worth pursuing for a period of time to see what it is like to be able to take advantage of that.

You have to become extremely disciplined in managing your time and fitness. It's very easy to slack off with this lifestyle.

One suggestion I'd make if you achieve location independence - travel often and "plant seeds" for your network everywhere you go. This is for everything - business contacts, women, drinking buddies, fitness buddies - whatever area in life you need people.

Post: #10

I've been across this spectrum for the last three years. I didn't work for two years, and although I had the freedom to travel ( not luxuriously) I realized I didn't even want to constantly be receding , always breaking bonds and trying to re-establish new ones all the time.

I believe true born nomads are rare. We probably evolved to have a small group of peers who would hunt together and have fun together. But people evolve, as urbanization increased wealth, certain people benefited from being able to quickly form and dissolve bonds in the interest of commerce.

Selection among these may have given rise to a higher percentage of people who can function without long term relationships.

Just because typical office life, with its uncreative, rigidly scheduled march of servitude towards whichever rich or corrupt organization controls it, sucks, doesn't mean that being totally alone and adrift is healthy either.

I believe at this point I want to have close associates connected by unified, lofty artistic goals. I may have to have two locations maximum to have this; but to work together with others seems essential to me to have a happy life -- for my character type.

I just started work at a very bureaucratic organization where I have to sign in three separate times because their mistrust of their workers is so severe. It is a horrifying sensation to be inside this monster, I have to do it for money to move on to a period of creativity free from supervision.

Post: #11

(10-07-2013 11:41 AM)Magyarphile Wrote:  1.) Social interaction(or lack of it). I will be sitting behind a screen all day with no coworkers. You location independent guys, how do you handle this?

There are two things:
1. you have to find a bunch of places where you're comfortable working. Cafes, restaurants, etc.
2. Finding good contacts is very important, but sometimes it just comes down to luck. I met one of my best friends in Kiev while I was waiting in a hotel foyer. We had a lot in common and basically my whole social circle started from knowing him. If I didn't happen to meet him that day, I probably wouldn't have any real friends in Ukraine.
Also, I recommend deleting your Facebook or any other social bullshit, because the time you spend on those websites isn't real interaction and leads nowhere. Basically it's sunk time. You can keep a profile if you use it for game, but don't use it for communication with your real friends.

In general, I totally agree with G Manifesto - office gnomes aren't worth knowing anyway.

(10-07-2013 11:41 AM)Magyarphile Wrote:  2.) Independent motivation. In a regular job, you have a boss that sets expectations and you have coworkers to compete with. Basically, you are forced to perform. My fear is that I don't know if I will be able to push myself on my own. When I get on my laptop, I tend to get distracted easily...How do you L.I guys cope with that and set goals?

Athletes often talk about being in 'the zone' and it's something I often experience myself. When I'm in the zone, I can get a week's work done in a few hours.
You won't be in that state unless you're alone, i.e. at home and have no distractions. I never try to schedule specific times for working that way. Sometimes I wake up and feel in the mood for work, other times it's when I arrive home.

There are books about getting in the zone... search something like "working in the zone" and they'll probably give you some ideas about how to get there. Personally, I don't know because I've always been in charge of my own projects, even when I started working as a school kid.

One last thing - you should separate your work into two parts - one part is serious work that you do when you're alone. The other part is admin, emails, etc, where the quality doesn't matter and it can be done at cafes when you have distractions.

Post: #12

Wrong assumption. Working in an office doesn't automatically give you a social circle. Last year I did my internship at a company. It was small and only bitter people worked there. I would have preffered to work at home. Just something to keep in mind.

Post: #13

Working in an office is also less fun and social (i.e. can't have "guy talk" if you've potentially got HR watching over your shoulder ready to drop the hammer on you if you say something even mildly politically incorrect.

Post: #14

I'm trying to think of a list of 'location independent' jobs.. so far I figure : copywriting, programing/coding, online poker, SEO, tutoring/coaching.

Any others?

A few good books I am reading: