New to Lifestyle Design? Start with These Favorite Articles

If you’re new to Free Pursuits or Lifestyle Design, welcome! Here is a list of 30+ articles (both popular and my personal favorites) to get you started.

Lifestyle Design

Lifestyle Design at its core means living life by design instead of by default. It’s about examining your life and your goals and thinking unconventionally about how to make things possible now instead of waiting to become rich or retired.

• A free ebook I wrote about the future of work: New Economy Superstar
• Live your ideal lifestyle: What is Lifestyle Design?
• Which of The 5 Categories of Life Plans Do You Follow?
• It’s not what you think: The Hardest Thing About Lifestyle Design
• Keeping it real: Radical Lifestyle Transparency
• The secret is in your finances: How You Can Afford to Not Work for Months Every Year
• Together we succeed: How We Can Help Each Other Achieve Our Lifestyle Goals
• The No B.S. Guide To Designing Your Own Life
• The 4-Hour Workweek is Full of Hype, But That’s Not the Point
• Another reason to live in the moment: Are You Putting Off Life Until Later?
• This one sparked a debate: OK, OK, I Give. Lifestyle Design is not for Everybody
• The post that started it all: How to Live the Good Life Without Being Independently Wealthy or Retired
• Some favorite tips: 5 Bulletproof Ways to Improve Your Lifestyle Right Now

Digital Nomads and Location Independence

One of the most popular aspects of lifestyle design is the ability to live and work anywhere you choose. People who do that are often called digital nomads or location independent people (LIPs). I started this blog while on a sabbatical in Mexico, and location independence is important to me.

• 6 inspirational real people: Meet 6 People With Awesome Lifestyles Who Aren’t Technologists
• 5 more inspirations: Meet 5 More People With Awesome Unconventional Lifestyles
• 50 Photos to Inspire Life as a Digital Nomad
• The most popular choices: 3 Ways to Become Location Independent
• Speaking the language opens so many doors: How to Learn a Language in 96 Hours
• 10 Digital Nomads to Learn From
• Survey results: 64 Ways Location Independent People Earn a Living
• An 8-part series on how to live abroad: Living in Mexico

Entrepreneurship and Freelancing

Working for yourself is an important part of living how you want to. It may be possible to find employment that meets your lifestyle goals, but not likely. Here are some articles about creating your own perfect job for yourself.

• There’s a Long Road Ahead (So Choose a Beautiful One)
• The free eBook I wrote about how the power of small is transforming the future of work: New Economy Superstar
• Entrepreneurship means different things to different people: Is Entrepreneurship a Flexible Career Option?
• Different approaches to starting an Internet business: How Flexible is Being an Internet Startup Founder?
• Working for yourself doesn’t have to mean working alone: Coworking: Independent Workers Sharing Space
• A glimpse into the new economy: The Post-Employment Economy: Will We All Be Freelancers or Entrepreneurs One Day?
• Here’s your chance: Why this Recession Is a Great Time for New Freelancers
• I don’t want to hear them: 6 Lame Excuses for Not Starting Your Own Business
• Blogging is an important foundation to most online businesses: 21 Tips for Getting 500 Subscribers in 90 Days with No Blogging Experience
• Do you know why? Why the Difference Between Startup and Microbusiness Might Matter to You
• Consensus: no. Is “Personal Branding” Just an Ego-Driven Waste of Time?

Work-Life Balance and Career Flexibility

If you don’t want to work for yourself or haven’t made the leap yet, you might be interested in how career flexibility and work-life balance can help you reach your goals. If you do work for yourself, I probably don’t need to tell you how important life balance is for the self employed.

• Stop Saying You Don’t Need Work-Life Balance
• Putting yourself first: It’s Hard to Live Well When You Don’t Work for Yourself
• Answer life’s biggest questions: How to Escape from Your Job Without Quitting: Acting Class
• Seriously: Why Doesn’t Everyone Work in a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE)?
• Yes, it was fantastic: 10 Lessons Learned on a 6-month Sabbatical
• Do you have to do what you love? Which Side of the Passion Debate Are You On?