I believe that one of life's greatest freedoms is the ability to choose when to work and what to work on.
Yesterday, I woke up feeling like absolute shit. I had such a brutal headache that I told my wife I'd have to go lie down in a dark room to try and fall back asleep. I just couldn't function.
I run my own business, mostly from home; fortunately, in this case, dropping everything to just go and sleep is actually an option for me.
Instead of resting, I found myself scrolling through Twitter where I came across a tweet that reminded me of an idea I had. I tried to ignore it and continue resting, but a fire had been lit. I sprang out of bed, jumped on my computer, and the creative sprint had begun.
When you have the kind of inspiration that makes a headache disappear, you need to run with it.
Inspiration is perishable, act on it immediately.
-Naval Ravikant
"After a few hours of tinkering, and now feeling a lot better, I went to the park with my wife and son. My son took some of his first steps that day; and i was there to see it.
I got home, took my dog for a walk, scoffed down some soup, made my son a bottle, and jumped back on the computer.
The next morning, I launched an entirely new venture that I had put together in two days. It wasn’t out of necessity; I just got so carried away with solving a problem that the solution turned into a viable business.
For me, it was play."
Find work that feels like play.
-Naval Ravikant
Days like these are the ultimate testament to being in control of your schedule. In a parallel universe, I might have had an idea, failed to write it down, carried on with my day, and then forgotten all about it, or simply not had the time or energy to explore it further once I got home from work.
But, I went from being curled up in bed to launching a new business in almost one sitting.
I have meticulously optimized my life to fully embrace and thrive in this lifestyle.
I don't act on spur-of-the-moment ideas every day; some days, I attend to my necessary work, such as restocking the virtual shelves of my online stores, designing new products or stock forecasting. On other days, I spend time with my family, without even replying to a single email all day. And sometimes, I'll go for burgers and a game of pool with my friends at midday on a Wednesday.
Surfing, scootering, golfing, or frolicking around a field with my son - these are some of the more common activities that occupy my weekdays, as opposed to work.
No matter what, I don't have any standing commitments to be anywhere or with anyone at a specific time. Ever. So, if I have the energy or inspiration, I always have the time and availability to pursue my ideas to the fullest extent. I retain the ability to choose when I work and what I work on. I consider this one of life's greatest freedoms, which is why I believe that almost everyone should try, at least once, to start a business capable of supporting such a lifestyle.
Keen for more Freedom Frameworks? Check out: 35mm Of Freedom, The Fairway to Freedom, Fortune Favours Freedom, Unfollowing Freedom, Don't Stop Yourself From Starting and more.