This is a Remote Local guest post from Michael Denmon.
As a Dad you understand that your priority is to provide for your children. However, men tend to think their sole duty is to work and earn money to put a roof over their children’s heads. Long hours, weekends at the office, and saying yes to your boss when wanting to scream no is accepted as part of wearing the Dad Cape. These are things that men have done since paychecks were first created.
The majority of my working career has been spent single and in the oil and gas industry, and if ever there was a schedule that was conducive to healthy family life, it wasn’t in the oilfields. As a single man, I found the ability to sacrifice my personal life for more money a welcome opportunity to work hard and play hard. Even after I got married and transformed into an office employee I worked longer hours than most people would consider sane. That was my badge of honor.
When I became a father, my outlook changed. Not in the “kids will change you” cliche that you will see repeated in so many sitcoms kind of way, but in the “I just want to hang out with my son” kind of way. As a Dad to a young son, I find that there is nothing that I would rather do than be involved in his life. That was when I started thinking more about how my career could revolve around my life, instead of my life revolving around my career.
Making Moves
As a kid growing up, traveling abroad was never even a passing thought, much less a realistic option. However, once I started working overseas, I realized the wonderful advantages of getting out into the world and exploring and experiencing new cultures. This is something that I want to provide for my son at a much earlier age than when I learned. Unfortunately, most jobs in the United States do not allow for much time away from the office. So to take my son to the Roman Colosseum, I know that I am going to have to think outside the cubicle.
Going Remote Local is the best way to provide for your family and allow yourself the freedom of schedule and location to provide memories throughout the year for your family, instead of for only two weeks per year. Local businesses at alternate locations from where you want to be can also provide you with a pseudo-base to call home if you find yourself to be a true nomad. Going to check up on your business can serve as a familiar location to visit from time to time and provide some grounding or much-needed time away from the “road.”
Lining Up The Pieces
Going Remote Local isn’t something that can be done overnight, in most cases, but doing so does provide you with the luxury to move at your own pace once you commence. A typical W-2 career may not give you the freedom to advance your dreams as quickly as you would like, since a standard schedule plus your daily familial responsibilities can mean that there isn’t much time to throw into building your dream. So if your dream is to play trumpet in a Cuban salsa band in Havana, your average career job in the States is not going to be conducive to that pursuit. However, as a Remote Local practitioner, you have the freedom to provide for your family while still being able to chase your dream in a location that may not be the best for starting a new business.
Taking The Leap
I think the scariest part of looking at owning a local business from afar, is the lack of being there daily to ensure that things are running smoothly. If you are going to pursue being a Remote Local entrepreneur, you are going to have to learn to regulate your need for total control. I think of this type of endeavor as a partnership where you need to depend on your team for the day-to-day activities and focus your energy on big-picture items, like enjoying the benefits of a Remote Local lifestyle.
The Remote Local lifestyle is what appeals to me as a Dad who wants more for his son than remembering how much his Dad worked. If we truly want our children to grow up and be well-adjusted contributors to this world, we need to spend more time pouring into them than we do our entrepreneurial pursuits. Choosing the Remote Local path allows for you to still enjoy the benefits of being an entrepreneur while not having as much of a pull on your time and energy as a traditional self-owned business might.
Ultimately, working Remote Local is a balance between providing financially for your family and providing holistically for them. If you want to spend 80 hours per week at your business or career, go local. If you want to enjoy a life outside of your business, go Remote Local.
Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash
