What I Really Want for Father’s Day

I bought myself a Father’s Day present two months ago.  I ran across a PanDigital digital photo frame for 50% off and decided that’s what I wanted for my desk at work.

What I Really Want
As I loaded up the frame with pictures of my family and friends I realized why I wanted the frame so much.  It’s not like me to spend $60 on a whim on electronics so I knew there was something more to the present for myself.  The pictures I uploaded represented the things I’d rather be doing than sitting at a desk all day long. 

The people in the pictures are the ones I call at the end of the day with bad news, “Sorry, I’ll be home late because something came up at work”.  They’re the ones that have to put up with my grouchy moods and whining because of the latest foobar thing at the office.

What I really want for Father’s Day isn’t a digital picture frame that reminds me of the people I care about, it’s too have more time to spend with the people I love.  It’s to spend less time worrying about work meetings, projects, and documents.  I want to spend more time making memories with family and friends and less time working on and complaining about TPS reports.

How I’m Going To Get It
This posting would be in vain if I simply lamented my situation and ended it there.  Instead, I’m building a plan to get out of my current situation, an exit strategy.  I’m tired of the work that I do but don’t really know what I’d rather do instead so I’m in the scouting phase.  I do know I’m tired of the rules, practices, and hours of working for a corporation so I’m exploring working for myself. 

I’m researching topics that interest me and determining how I can bring enough value in those areas to trade information & experience for financial compensation.  I’m meeting other people that have the same aspirations or already do work for themselves doing something they enjoy.  I’m learning the ins and outs of accounting, taxes, benefits and other topics necessary for a small business.

Sweet Success
I’ve put in many hours so far and will certainly be burning the midnight oil for some time to come but it will be worth it in the end. My hope is that I can set my own hours so that I’ll be able to work more on my family’s schedule instead of an employer’s. Since I’ll be working on things that interest me and I enjoy, I’ll be a happier person.

I know that I’ll get there; just not sure how long it will take yet.  The best part is I’ve made the decision and started working towards the goal so I’m on a roll!  That’s what I really want for Father’s Day.

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

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