Today Lindsay experienced her first Monday where she didn’t have to go into work for money. She was pretty pumped to not have to wake up to the alarm clock. She really did plan her day today and had a great day doing the things she loved and starting the P90X program. I’m looking forward to the nutrition portion and some of the fitness part. I plan on doing some more running along side Lindsay’s getting into shape. A great side benefit of her freedom! 
So what’s next? My Freedom, I cannot wait to join my wife so that both of us do not have to wake up to some stupid alarm clock. It’s also I think when people will actually look at us and take us serious that you can actually be successful in this business. I would never ever put our family in jeopardy and when the time comes to make that decision to step away from my job you better believe I’ll be counselling, thinking about it and making my own decision that’s best for our family. It will be a great decision and one we plan on making Late Fall next year. We will be working hard towards that and 2011 will be an amazing amazing year.
I can vividly imagine my freedom day right down to the last details. What’s awesome about that is we will have at least one child by then and I’ll also be home to spend time with him/her which is one of my biggest goals is to be around with my kids and see every moment of their lives. Its a huge goal and not one many parents can say and it’s worth fighting for. I’ve seen a glimpse of that kind of family with Kyle and Erron where Kyle is a professor for the UofS and he gets a lot of time off because of the school season. He is an amazing family man and is one father I look up to outside of my family. I think everyone could learn a few things from the Andersons. So kudo’s to you guys for raising the family you do.
I want to have that great family life, like I said it’s important to me, it’s worth the fight and we will make it happen. Step 1 was to get Lindsay free, and we’ve been able to do that with this business and the association. Step 2 is to get me free so that we can be together and raise an awesome family.
FREEEEEEEEDOM! That’s for you Cliff, in reference to your latest blog post (http://www.peerpressureworks.com/2010/08/29/tales-of-jake-feat-kelly-harll/).
William Wallace portrait in
on the Isle of Mull, Scotland
I hadn’t. But now that you mention it……will do! Here’s to hopin’!
So November next year you’re free as a bird?
That’s our goal yes. Have you marked it on your calendar to keep me accountable?
@Liam,
Thanks for taking the time to locate the link to that blog post.
“In short, they don’t parent consciously, they parent on autopilot.”
True. And that’s how many adults live, never really taking the time to ask “Why? Why am I doing this? What do I want? What matters to me?”
Though I do think what is happening with the economy (at least here in the U.S.) people are starting to reflect on such things, and it’s exciting to read stories about people living authentically, rather than the way society tells them they are to live.
Thanks again for the link.
Hey, Shaun. Thanks for reminding me about that P90X program. I had seen it in an infomercial on one of my trips to the states when I was working for Intuit. It looked like a really good program.
I started it tonight by passing the fitness test. I’d be interested to hear how Lindsay is getting along with it as well.
While I agree with Steve that you need to provide an example to your children, and they need to know that if they want something, they need to earn it, I don’t know that teaching your children to slave after a paycheque is the best way to go about it.
I read a blog post from a guy who homeschools his children and he was talking to a business man on a plane. The guy was probing him about how his children would get ahead in the working world and he said he didn’t agree that that was a very important thing. Bah… I’ll hunt around for the link… (insert extensive, time-consuming research here) Here it is:
http://justabaldman.blogspot.com/2010/08/guy-on-plane.html?spref=tw
Anyway, it touched on a lot of the reasons we homeschool, why we unschool, and why we are prepared to let Nick, Lily and Olivia choose their own path in life, both in learning and in preparing to make their way in the world.
I am very happy to see the mindset you and Lindsay have brought to this mad, mad scheme (I know, not mad, not a scheme, just a joke). You guys have found a way for yourselves, and you are working to make it happen. Kids can see things like that, especially your integrity and the positivity you bring into the world. It’s not just a matter of monkey-see, monkey-do.
Anyway, enough rambly. Good job, Lindsay, good luck on P90X, and I’ll keep you up to date on my agonizing progress.
Hey Liam,
So far she’s “enjoying” it but is quite sore. She loves the nutrition aspect of it cause you do get to eat a lot of food with this program. I’ll keep you guys in the loop with how shes doing. Congrats Liam for doing it as well, interested to hear your progress.
I’ll have to check out that link later today. Great comment.
Congratulations on getting Lindsay free Shaun and best wishes in setting yourself free. Just curious, when you have kids, do you plan on sending them to private schools or home schooling them?
We have not really decided what we plan on doing to be honest. Public, Private, Home Schooling, all are options and I guess it all depends really.
I know when I was growing up I would have much rather visited some of the places that were taught and I’d love the opportunity to do that with my kids. We have done quite a bit of traveling over the last few years and would like to travel with our kids. So having the freedom to do that would be good. Again we are not 100% sure what we will do.
Personally, I think pouring in to the lives of others is much harder work (mentally, emotionally, even spiritually) than working at most jobs.
Your future children will see you and Lindsay work hard (which includes carrying the burdens of others, continuing your own personal growth, and maintaining a purity of heart).
I totally agree Bridgett.
As you move forward and start a family, you also have to consider that how you live your life affects the adults your children will grow to become. Your job will be to make sure they become productive members of society. What your tell your kids is one part, but a larger part is what your do. You have already discussed at length building your business with integrity which is very good and important for your children to see. But, don’t forget they need to see you working hard and they will grow up with expectations that they need to also work hard to accomplish what they want in life. If they only see you sleeping in and drinking latte’s on the patio in Kelowna, they may miss this valuable lesson. You obviously have ambition and a good work ethic (which you will demonstrate over the next year as your business becomes strong enough to support your new family). I expect you learned this from your parents…from seeing them work hard to provide for you as you grew up. Make sure you don’t forget to show your kids the value of working for what you get. That’s probably more important than spending every waking moment with them.
Very well said Steve. Your right it’s a value that was shown to me by my parents and one we continue to practice today. We do plan to continue to work hard and will always show our kids and family the value of that despite where we live and despite if we are both retired from the “JOB” world.