Today is Thanksgiving in the States, a day for stepping back, taking a look at your life and realizing how lucky you are. As lifestyle designers, we have quite a bit more to be thankful for than the average person. In general, we tend to make money doing what we are passionate about, we have control over our schedules, and we can decide from where we’d like to work.
But what are the things we should be thankful for, not as people in general, but as lifestyle designers specifically? To which people or to what things are lifestyle designers most obliged? I’ve come up with five things to which I think you and I owe a considerable amount of gratitude.
1. The Four Hour Work Week
If lifestyle design was a religion, this would be our holy book. Not only has it been the starting point for thousands of aspiring 9-to-5 escapees (myself included), it’s also the book from which the phrase “lifestyle design” comes. The Four Hour Work Week both legitimized our hatred of the professional institutions we had found ourselves trapped in and also, more importantly, showed us that there does exist a path to personal, professional and financial freedom and that it’s easier to follow than we could have imagined. Without this book, there’s a very good chance that most of us would still be wage slaves deluded into thinking that our suffering was the same as discipline.
2. The Internet
It’s true that there are those of us who thrive running traditional businesses or remotely working for real-world businesses, but most of us owe our entire lifestyles to the internet. Without a doubt, the internet makes starting a business a lot simpler than it used to be, from incorporating to selling to marketing. Today it’s possible to start a business or to earn a passive income with little or no upfront costs. Not only that… through sites like SBA and SCORE it’s even possible to get free help and education from experienced business owners that should cost you thousands.
3. Twitter
I’m not sure where I’d be if it wasn’t for Twitter. I signed up for a Twitter account around December of 2007, but I never had any idea about how to use it. Even earlier this year when I started Wage Slave Rebel I still hadn’t figured out what I would do with it, but I was told it was necessary so I ran with it. To my surprise, a community started growing around this site. Not only did I have a community of readers to converse with, I’d also fallen into a great community of like-minded bloggers such as Sean Ogle, David Turnbull, John Bardos, Cody McKibben and countless others (check my co-conspirators to the right). Twitter is essential for lifestyle designers. It’s a more minimalist way to connect than email and it does a much better job of facilitating community.
4. WordPress
If you are a lifestyle designer, you either have a blog or would like to start one. Of all the blogs you’ve ever checked out, I’d bet a majority were built on top of WordPress. WordPress is an open source blogging platform freely available from a great little company called Automattic. You can go over there right now and download a copy for your own server or, if you’d like to give the app a test drive, you can set up a blog at WordPress.com. Not only does WordPress power most of our blogs, it also provides quite a few lifestyle designers with a job. Lots of folks make a living with WordPress, developing WordPress themes or plugins or by offering consulting services and technical support.
5. Crush It!
I picked up a copy of Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It! recently after reading a metric ass ton of positive chatter about it on Twitter. To be honest, I was a little disappointed by the book, but only because Gary’s medium is definitely video or at least audio. He has a certain in-your-face charisma and exerts a certain amount of badassery that just doesn’t translate to print. If you ever see one of his keynotes, you’ll know what I’m talking about. But I still highly recommend and love this book. Tim Ferriss in his Four Hour Work Week makes it sound like making a million dollars is as easy as hiring a virtual assistant and playing with a few keywords. Gary is the polar opposite. Gary keeps it real with Crush It!, really pushing the fact that if you want to make money doing what you love, you have to work your ass off. His words really tend to kick my ass into gear and cause me to stop making excuses.
What else belongs on this list? What things have you found this year that you are thankful for, that have most helped you on your journey? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
[Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links.]
Related posts
- 7 Things The Aspiring Lifestyle Designer Needs To Ask For This Christmas
- The Beginner’s Guide to Lifestyle Design
- Lifestyle Design is Dead
- Lifestyle Design for Normal People: Four Baby Steps Toward Absolute Freedom
- Lifestyle Design is Still Alive
Hey, I'm JD. I'm a writer, web designer and contrarian entrepreneur. Wage Slave Rebel is a place where I (and others) explore alternative and ethical ways to earn a living apart from the corporate hierarchy. The goal of this site is to help people escape wage slavery and start reaping the full rewards of their skills and passions. 
We definitely live in amazing times! Opportunities are limitless and for that I am certainly thankful.
I think the number one thing we should be thankful for is having the good fortune to be citizens of rich countries. We won the "Ovarian Lottery" as Warren Buffett said. We wouldn't be having this conversation if we were born and raised in most countries of the world.
Yeah that's definitely true! I'm glad to be in a place where even those in the lower classes have access to important resources for personal and professional growth (like books and computers and the internet). Definitely thankful for that. Great addition, John!
Be careful if you try to use voice recognition software, a "comma" can become a "comment". I started to leave a reply/comment on your last post and accidentally left a 1/2 a sentence.. Then I realized that what I have to say is equally valid for both posts. Try to focus on the positive, remember that the poorest people in our country have it better than half the planet & there's not a better coping mechanisms than laughter. Sarcasm can sometimes be substituted for laughter, but I really prefer just trying to find the absurd! You're doing the one thing that's no one can do for you: persevering!! Keep up the good work. You are building the life you desire, even if it always takes longer than a we hope! My recent post what does success really mean?
I've come to realize, especially lately, that it's very important to focus on the positive. Focusing too much on inadequacies and pessimistic possibilities tends to create self-fulfilling prophecies that dictate inevitable failure. More gets done if you build yourself up and if you build others up.
Thank you!
I was really surprised to see this comment. Really honored you stopped by! Thanks, man!
I'm most thankful for all the folks that have offered unending support as I started my blog. Without them, I would still be fumbling in the dark, not sure which direction to go.
I feel the same way. I had started many blogs before. The difference was that WSR involved lots of great people from the beginning and, as you said, they were able to lead me out of common pitfalls because many of them had already gone through what I was going through. I'm thankful for those folks, too.
Man, I hope everybody realizes that we all have the ability to design the lifestyle we choose. Anyway, great post. Really and Truly struck a chord with me, thanks for writing it. My thoughts:
1) 4HWW- "If lifestyle design was a religion, this would be our holy book" Amen, Brother. I read this book in 2007 and to say it had an impact is an understatement. I was going through my journals yesterday from that time and the entries looked like this:
August 24, 2007- {pre-4HWW} "Today, I read the wall street journal cover to cover, I am on my way into the office to make 100 sales calls, I am getting so close to success I can taste it!!!
August 25, 2007- {I read the whole book in one day}
August 26, 2007- FTW!!! I QUIT!!!
And I did. I walked into by boss/buddy's office and told him I'm leaving to travel the world. Sold all my shit and left in December of that year. He wasn't too sad to see me go as I was the worst Loan Officer in the history of the Real Estate Business.
2) The Internet: Up until 2005 I was a career criminal (bookmaking/gambling) and the internet scared the hell out of me. My job was to stay in the shadows and this internet thing seemed to leave a detailed footprint of any and all activity. Not good for my budding little criminal empire.
For many reasons, I left that life behind, and begin slowly transitioning myself into the legit world (it's much more shady b.t.w, but I love it all). Now, this is where I live—Freaking love the internet.
3) Twitter: Just got on in August? of 2009. Simply put, I wouldn't be commenting on this post without twitter. Facebook is another big one for me too. Facebook is for re-connecting with people from my past and staying connected with my close friends. Twitter is for meeting making new connections, new friends, and learning from some of the brightest minds out there.
4) WordPress: I don't know shit about design or building a blog, matter-of-fact, I have the worst freaking layout/design in the history of blogs. I've got to get better here.
5) Crush it: This is my 2009 4HWW. I am implementing almost the exact formula Gary lays out in the book to reach my goals. It is the best $15 I've spent in a long time. Just like 4HWW, this book felt as though it was written for me. I'm very grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow WSR readers!
~Mike My recent post The Post Game Wrap Up Show: The Quest to Generate $576,000 Within 90 days~August 24, 2009-November 21, 2009
I love your pre-4hww and post-4hww entries. That's definitely a testament to how powerful that book's message is! I felt much the same way (although I'd only read it in mid-to-late 2008, so I was already on my own). I like what you said about Facebook vs. Twitter. Facebook feels way to clunky for me to meet new people. Way too personal too. I like how quick and easy it is to get in touch with people on Twitter and that you don't have to be mutual friends. Makes it really nice for growing a sweet network of cool, like-minded people.
This is a great post! I so love 1-4 and have heard alot about 5, so will pick up a copy soon.
I have often thought recently what a difference the internet, twitter, like-minded people and wordpress has made to my life recently! It is so great being able to connect with such awesome people, so easily and know that I'm not alone in my often different way of viewing life. 4HWW and other inspiration in this niche really are great to show us, what is possible and what we can do.
Jen
My recent post Make Fast Decisions
Thanks JD!
For me, the internet, Twitter, etc. has shown me the importance of connecting with awesome people. Not only is it good support, it just jumpstarts success. As soon as I started meeting new people, this site took off and my goals became more concrete!
I think even people who are now anti-4HWW have it to thank for a lot of the inspiration for what they're doing now. I personally don't subscribe to every little idea and run my life a lot differently than Tim, but it certainly was a major catalyst in my decision to move forward with my plans.
And now here I am and I couldn't be happier.
I'm personally thankful for YOU, JD, because you provide my with a constant source of inspiration in your writings: you're constantly rattling cages and hurling rocks at stagnant establishments, and you do it in a way that is a pleasure to read every time. Well done, brother!
Wow, I was not expecting those amazingly kind words! Thank you so much, man. That's the greates thing I've heard today. I do my best, lots of times, to mimic your writings. They have a comfortable flow and they tend to tell a story and nudge the reader toward some sort of lesson rather than just spelling it out and I really appreciate that. It's refreshing and I think I've told you before, but what you write reads a lot like Malcolm Gladwell, for me anyway.
Anyway, I think I'm more in the anti-4HWW crowd now. The general philosophies still mostly apply to my life, but I think he makes success out to be something easily and lazily attained, and I've found that to not be the case. That's why I found Crush It! so refreshing. Nevertheless, I owe a lot to the book for making me think that this kind of lifestyle is possible and nudging me out of my comfort zone.
Hey JD,
I have to say you've hit the nail on the head on this post! All of these things have made such a huge impact on my in the past year, that I am beyond grateful for them
Internet, Twitter, WordPress, 4HWW, Crush It… I couldn't have put it better myself!
Hope you are having a Happy Thanksgiving 
Karen My recent post I Don’t Want to Be The Alcoholic That I Am
Thanks, Karen! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
We live in good times. There is no reason to be hating life right now. There are far too many opportunities to thrive.
That's pretty cool that Matt stopped by!
My recent post Crush It! Work Your Face Off with Gary Vaynerchuk
I was thrilled to see that Matt stopped by, and not only that, but he left a comment! I guess being excited about that really shows the extent of my geekdom.
No, I'm right there with you. I was surprised not only that it looks like it was him, but that he doesn't seem to do that too often. I'm only just learning about the WordPress world, but it's really an amazing platform that is one of the ones changing the face of the internet and the business world in many ways.
Things 1-4 would all definitely be on my list as well. Haven't read Crush It yet but planning on it soon. I feel so fortunate to be living in this certain point in time. The opportunities have never been greater, especially for people who think unconventionally. Great post, hope you had a great Thanksgiving! My recent post challenge everything
Crush It is great but I think if you've ever watched any of his keynotes, you'd have gotten the same message a hundred times more effectively. I'm not completely finished with the book, but so far I think you could probably find most of the information elsewhere and for free.
I am thankful for you, J.D. I am so glad that we've somehow connected in this wild whirlwind of technology. You are a great friend and a tremendous inspiration!
-Dena My recent post Friday Carousel — 11.20.09
Thank you, Dena! That’s too kind!
Thanks for the link-love JD.
I’m simply thankful that those who have come before us have solved most of life’s quirks giving us the opportunity to follow through with what we care about.
And, if you can find a copy, read the book “How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World.” It’s very similar to 4HWW in ideas, but was written in 1973. Plus it’s less focused on building a business and more about personal beliefs you can change to find freedom.
Thanks, man! I’ll have to check that out. I like 4HWW, but I’m not so crazy about how he portrays the business side of things. Always interested in the “freedom” part though (who isn’t?!)