Work From Home For Life in 2011

Work From Home 4 Life in 2011

There is something about the New Year Season that makes one retrospective & introspective – right? There are parties to go to and resolutions to be made. We celebrate the turning of another year and breathe a sigh of relief that we have survived to start anew with fresh hope for the future.

It is my belief that you can’t look or move forward until you have looked back. Besides who wants to make the same mistakes again?

So I thought I would review the year that was 2010 and contemplate what that year brought me and my family ( in no particular order)

Looking Back: What I learned in 2010…

For starters I learned yet again that

“watching someone you love die of cancer has long term psychological effects. “

My mother-in-law was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma just before Xmas 2008 and was given less than a year to live.

I have watched my step-mother die of Bowel cancer and my Dad die of throat cancer so watching my mother-in-law fade away was an awful reminder but I had to stay strong for my husband and children.

As predicted Brenda died late in 2009 and my hubby found beginning 2010 hard – he struggled with his grief over losing his mum and his job. This brings me to the second thing I learned during 2010…

“Sometimes when your worse fears are realised you actually survive and come through it! “

In the middle of 2009 Hubby was made redundant from his well paid middle management position due to the down-turn in the building industry. I was working for just over minimum wage and come 2010 we nearly lost the house.

At least being unemployed gave him extra time with his mum; not only to say goodbye but also to nurse her at home.

He did eventually get some temporary work over the busy 2009/2010 Christmas season and finally got a permanent position in April working for the local Hospital board but at a much lower position & income.

Thankfully his share of his inheritance paid off the mortgage arrears and credit cards/accounts so we are now debt free – apart from the mortgage.

Looking back I can now appreciate that the fear of being destitute is so much greater than the reality. Our family lived through it. Our credit rating is in the toilet but we no longer live on credit – the mortgage and bills are paid each month and the family are fed.

When you hit rock bottom there is really no other way to go but up.

These experiences lead to a greater desire to not be beholden to anyone whether it is income or debt. As I see it, the only way to become recession proof is to become successful at earning money online and working from home.

The 3rd thing I learned in 2010 was

“I am Stonger Than I Thought”

A 7.1 Earthquake that shook our city of Christchurch in the early hours of September 4th.

It was quite an experience to ride out the 40 second shake on our bed while watching the wall hung TV tip and praying our quake-proofing worked.

We were one of the lucky ones… a few broken dishes and a toppled aquarium but our home was intact with no see-able damage. We went without power, phone and OMG! Internet for a few hours but all in all survived unscathed.

Being prepared with our camping gear, med-kits and calm demeanour helped immensely. The kids took their cue from us, and although the after-shocks still get the heart racing, we all take it all in our stride.

The 4th thing I learned in 2010 is that it pays to

“Stop being a martyr and take action!”

I was not happy in my job. It wasn’t the work I hated – in fact I loved it. It was the mind numbing, head banging, going nowhere, what’s the pc word for it… “Human Resource” issues that nearly drove me to commit murder or seppuku.

In despair and desperation I made a decision to resign. It was a scary step considering what we had been through but my health and happiness were at stake.

The day I handed in my resignation notice I applied for a job online. The very next day I got a phone call from the recruitment agency saying that the applications were closed but as they hadn’t found anyone as suitable as me they were going to put me forward as a candidate.

Several phone calls, interviews, and forms later, I got a phone call at work on the last day of my formal notice period. I had a new job starting Monday!

I am much happier with my new job which has better wages, better conditions and is not retail!

I am thankful I had the courage to walk away and trust there was something better waiting for me. It is not my ultimate goal but is a stepping stone away from despair and toward hope for the future.

Looking Forward in 2011

For my family 2011 marks the last year at Intermediate School (Junior High) for our youngest daughter and our eldest daughter has decided to start her Fine Arts degree – finally! She took a ‘gap’ year or two after finishing high school, and it’s nice to know that her artistic talents aren’t going to be wasted.

Hubby is investigating ways to increase his minimum wage income by both looking for another management position and working on his WW2 Model Airplane Kits blog (his first foray into blogging and the internet marketing world.)

As for me…

Firstly, I am focusing on improving my health and well-being by getting my Fat Burning Furnace stoked up; shredding some much unwanted pounds, increasing my energy and vitality levels. I also want to quit smoking so I’m going to be a barrel of laughs to be around. (You can read about my efforts by following the links to my blogs.)

Secondly, and most importantly, growing my work from home business.

I will endeavour to be more consistent on building my online income from the current trickle that it has been to the torrent I want it to become; and let you know what works and what doesn’t.

As a person that labours over my writing (and yes, it can be painful to watch), I will be focusing on using Write or Die daily to write for at least 15 mins a day. Chances are that a lot of it won’t make it to this blog but rest assured the choice cuts will be served here. http://writeordie.com/

Putting into Practice what I have learned will play a major role in this. While learning how to make money online is important, the only way to make money online is to do it!

To quote a well known marketer…