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Question: I come from a traditional family, and having a traditional full-time job is very important to my family. I also have a startup idea and want to travel full-time, but this is frowned upon. Out of all of those options, I really want to travel the most, but that requires money. I can’t ask my family for money. What should I do?
Long story short, the real question our submitter wants to be answered is how to manage their work-life balance. I break it down below!
Step 1: Choose Your Fighter
First, you will eventually have to make a decision as to whom you want to appease — yourself or your family.
- If it’s yourself then you can work on your startup, travel, or do whatever else you feel like doing.
- If it’s your family, then your option would be to work a traditional job and save money until you are financially independent.
Step 2: Choose Your Fight
If your ultimate goal is to travel full-time, you will need to find a way to independently make money so that you can travel and regain your time. This can happen in multiple ways:
- Remote Jobs: A full-time remote job will be your best option. This means that you will get paid, have benefits, and be able to work wherever you choose to. This also makes your passion for traveling and being on the go a real possibility! The downside to this, is that you still will not get to fully enjoy your travels if you are working 40 hour work weeks.
- Contract/Freelance Work: You can do contract or freelance work. This means that you can work for a traditional company still, but on a limited-time basis. Contracts can last anywhere from 3 months to a full year or longer. If the role is not remote, the key here is to ask for a higher salary and save up your money so that when your contract ends you can travel full-time. Contracts can be part-time, full-time, or remote. Make sure to clarify the type of work you’d like to pursue.
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- Ask for Flexible Benefits: You can find a job/company that has Paid Time Off (PTO), Unlimited Paid Time Off (UPTO), or Flexible Telecommute Days. If they offer PTO or UPTO, this means that when you take a vacation, you still get paid and you don’t have to do any work. If they offer Telecommute Options, that means you can choose when you want to work remotely and when you want to work in the office.
- Pursue Your Start-up: Alternatively, you can go rogue! Work on your start-up idea. If you want to test the waters first, work on your business as a side-project. When you start to secure clients or find a way to monetize it, you should transition
Related Read: Side Hustles – Maximizing Multiple Streams of Income
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The original question has been edited for clarity