Lifestyle Design
February 16, 2010 
7 Comments
I just read a great article about a concept called lifestyle design. As it turns out, I have carefully designed my lifestyle without even realizing it.
Here’s how…
“Start with the lifestyle not with the business, otherwise the business will take your lifestyle.” — Tony Robbins
Back in 1998, I was an executive with the Hertz Corporation. I lived in Manhattan and worked at the headquarters in Park Ridge, New Jersey. I had been with Hertz for 11 years working my way up the corporate ladder and actually made it.
Unfortunately, the view at the top wasn’t all I’d hoped it would be.
Here’s why it stunk:
1) I had to move to a city that was fun but far away from my family and friends in Colorado.
2) I traveled extensively. Three weeks a month I was on a plane on a Sunday afternoon headed to a different city where I’d stay until Friday night.
3) The corporate culture at Hertz was so stuffy that we were required to wear a jacket if we ventured outside of our office.
4) The corporate politics made the real politicians look like amateurs.
In a nutshell, I hated it.
My Uncle Bill (my mentor and honorary Father) told me that I would never get rich working for someone else, so I made the decision to leave Hertz and venture out on my own entrepreneurial path. I’ve owned and operated several business since then and even ventured back into a “JOB” when I needed to solve the mortgage financing mystery, but I’m happiest and most fulfilled when I’m working for myself.
In fact, I have some principles by which I live my life.
My personal mission statement is “Have fun. Be free. Create value.” And it’s in that particular order on purpose.
Having Fun in Cabo.
I even drew up my vision of the ultimate lifestyle. Some might call it my “lifestyle design.” And here it is:
1) “What Do I Want to Do Today?”
I want to do what I want to do. Not what someone else wants me to do.
2) Passive Income Pays the Bills
As an entrepreneur, I don’t want to have to worry where the money’s coming from to cover my living expenses. So, I set up passive revenue streams from real estate investments and other businesses that exceed my annual cost of living. I have a nice car, toys, take luxurious vacations but I don’t get caught up in an excessive materialistic lifestyle.
3) Have Fun
I can’t get motivated unless I’m having fun. In work and in play. So, I only work on projects that are fun. In fact, I closed my mortgage company in 2008 because it wasn’t fun anymore. It was a very lucrative, successful business that supported many people. When I announced I was closing the business, my loan officers and clients were stunned. No one could believe that I walked away just because “I wasn’t having fun anymore.” I was able to because of #2 above.
4) Hang Out Only With Positive, Happy People
This was a tough one. When I closed my mortgage company, I also took stock of the people that were in my inner circle of friends and family. I made a list of all the negative people that were an emotional drain and created unnecessary drama and chaos in my life. I systematically “broke up” with each and every one of them. A lot of people thought this was harsh, especially my Mom, when one of the people I broke up with was my sister. But my life is drama free and much better for having eliminated the negativity.
5) Have No Time Obligations
I threw away my alarm clock. I don’t even have one anymore. I wake up when I wake up, eat breakfast and get to the office when I get there. If I have a deadline or scheduled obligation it’s for something I want to do not for something I have to do. There’s a big difference.
6) Wear Whatever You Want
I like being comfortable. I wear jeans in the winter and shorts and flip flops in the summer. Everywhere. When I had my mortgage company, one of my loan officers was upset that I wore flip flops to meet with a potential equity investor. He thought it was unprofessional. I think that if someone is offended that I wear flip flops then I don’t want to do business with them.
7) Work from Anywhere
I like to travel. And I like hanging out at the beach for several weeks during the summer. Every business I’m involved in can be run virtually from anywhere in the world.
So, what about you?
Have you designed your lifestyle or has someone else?
If it’s someone else, what are you going to do about it? Start now.
This is a lovely and uplifting read!
I LIKE your comment on wearing flip
flops to meet a potential equity investor.
If that would make or break a deal…hmmmm.
Here’s to living the life we dream of…EVERY
DAY!
Susan what an awesome article!! And I love your story about Hertz. When I arrived at the VP spot at the company I worked for I found it to be a lonely place. With only a few other people in the company at that same level I didn’t have real camaraderie with my coworkers anymore. They reported to me and that changed things. And when I disagreed with the decisions of the President I had nowhere to go but within myself. But for me, the clincher was that I was told what my teams sales targets would be for the year. That would have been fine except I was also handed a 3 point plan as to how I would achieve those targets. I was to follow that plan and do nothing else. Basically I was 100% responsible for the results with 0 control over how I achieved them.
The day that happened was the day I decided that it was time to create a life of my own. I realized that I would never be happy until my time was my own and I was in control of my failures and my successes. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And at least 60% of the time I am wearing sweat pants or comfy workout clothes … and that is just plain awesome.
Thanks Julie! And thanks for sharing your story!
Well, I’m working on it. I have met a few people that have designed lives that they love. I have creating value first on my list. And that works because for me it’s fun and I am free to do it however I want.
Susan,
I loved this article. You know recently I learned a bit out lifestyle design and how WE are in control of designing our own life….because if we don’t….someone else (actually probably lots of someone elses’) will design it for us.
I’ve learned about this before but for some reason it never really clicked for me personally until January 14th 2010.
I actually made a pretty huge post about it on my blog which stated that I was totally going to be changing what I’ve been doing (which was wholesaling.)
Please by all means, check out the post and let me know your thoughts: http://www.goinflippincrazy.com/2010/01/14/f-r-e-e-d-o-m/
My concentration has been totally geared towards apartment building investing now (and other businesses that I have that generate passive income.) But apartment buildings for the bigger passive income streams.
The end of this month my partner and I will be going to Dave Lindahl’s Private Money bootcamp and we’re excited about that.
Lifestyle design is so exciting, isn’t it? Thanks for the great read today!
Carey
Sounds like you’ve got things pretty much worked out! I too hate to worry about the time. While I do use the clock on my cellphone to ensure I don’t miss doctors appointments, the start time of movies and so on it’s normally tucked safely in my pocket and I haven’t worn a watch in years. That, to me, is luxury. I wake up when I want and go to bed when I want.
Really, to me, lifestyle design, is about freedom and it seems that deliberately or accidentally you have things pretty much sewn up.
So let me ask you a question – is that how things feel to you or are there still elements of your lifestyle that you’re working on?
That’s how it feels. Occasionally I’ll start to take on too much but I keep leading with the lifestyle and remembering to say no more and it works out.