I’ve decided to seriously change my life. I actually made this decision many months ago, but it wasn’t until recently that I took my new life goal as a real and tangible thing. I’ve decided to become a “Lifestyle Entrepreneur”, or someone that creates an alternative income in order to create a better way to live. For me the choice was really founded on the fact that I am watching my two daughters grow up and I can’t really do anything with them. My job takes so much out of me that I either end up sleeping most of the day, or are just too exhausted to really do much of anything. Add to that the fact that I have absolutely zero personal satisfaction about my job and where I work. I knew that I had to change, but change is scary, and I had enough change the last few years to really cause me to hesitate.
What really got me going at this particular time is the fact that something that I make has been pretty much perfected and I’m ready to start selling them. I make lights for bicycles. They are battery powered, very strong, easy to use, and I think just about the best light out there. I made them to my standards, which are high, and I’ve been using them for months now with absolutely no problems. So I bought a domain name, created a website, bought the parts to make several lights to fill orders, and then stopped…..Scared. Why scared? Hmmm, good question. I suppose it was the fear that what I make will not be good enough, that I charge too much, mostly that I just don’t measure up. I know that these thoughts are ridiculous, but they are always in the back of my mind. I make great lights and everyone that has tried them has loved them. I priced my lights to actually be less expensive than comparable lights using the same technology. And I know I’m a good guy, I try to help people, I strive to be fair, and I know in the long run I measure up. My fears were ridiculous and unfounded….but there still. So I did what everyone recommends and I set a goal for when my website had to be online and made the choice to move against my fears. I figured the 4th of July, Independence Day, was a fitting time. In fact, two days before my deadline, I sat in front of the computer and realized that I had nothing more to do on the site. It was time to take the plunge and upload to my domain. The feeling of accomplishment, the sheer invigoration of knowing I had taken that first step to living my new lifestyle was amazing. I was on my way!
Since then I have refined the website, changed a few things, made it more appealing, but overall the thrill is still there. Now if I could only get a sale! I laugh at this, the stress of actually being online is gone and I am having fun figuring out how to market things and get my website seen. New goals have been set; my first sale, learn better web design, get my product out there for people to see, but throughout it all to keep a great attitude and think positively about where this business is going to take me. I picture my first European vacation with my two girls, paid for by my business. I can see myself traveling and having a good time as I talk to people about mountain biking with my lights and show them how much fun they can have. I look forward to going for bike rides in all the great venues, all as business expenses and tax write-offs with the benefit of having a great time as I do what I have a passion for, mountain biking. I can see myself sharing this lifestyle with my daughters, getting them excited to live in a healthy and fun manner with mountain biking at the center of it all. Plus just having the ability to make my schedule what I want it to be. To take charge of my life once again, and let nobody ever dictate what I have to do for their profit again. I’m not worried about getting rich, the foundation of this change isn’t money, but the freedom to be what I want to be, and the ability to invest in a better way of living.
PS. Check out my lights at ZigLights.com and let me know what you think….or buy a set!
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