In the face of an increasingly non-level playing field, my only option is to “think outside the box,” when it comes to personal and business survival.
For me the key question is, “Will I be able to sustainably maintain this system to support my quality of life?” If not, what’s my plan for when I hit diminishing returns?
I find the current economic situation frustrating and aggravating. Give me a gazillion dollars of someone else’s money – I’m just as capable as any CEO of going on a spending spree. The difference is I’d have something to show for it. And my investors would get a return on their investment.
Call me old-fashioned, but I expect leaders to be accountable. Our “bail-out” efforts amount to little more than handing money to a junkie and acting surprised when the money is used to purchase heroin.
My nature writing life has lead me down several trails, both in the business of writing and in the pursuit of earth-friendly skills. Without sustainability, survival can be an unnecessary struggle.
In my naturalist life, “shelter” has gone from something I create out of natural materials I find on site, to the creative use of a light-weight, 4-season tarp. The tarp can be assembled and packed up quickly with less impact on the environment.
In my writing life, I have to decide how I want to use my writing skills. I can work to promote my own writing, or I can use my skills to help other writers. There are only 24-hours in a day. How I spend those hours depends on what I’m willing to live with – or without.
Like every other small business owner, balancing non-work and working life is a major on-going issue. We all need to eat to live. Michael Pollan is one of my heroes – a virtual mentor, if you will. I’ve never met him, but I value his ideas and his writing skills. He quotes Joan Gussow’s advice: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
I don’t live on a farm, but I live near a farm. I can purchase “shares” from my CSA and pick up once a week, or I can choose to spend time on the farm working, thus paying less for my shares. When I bring a family member along, every hour each person works is counted. Instead of money spent on vacation, quality time is invested.
If the cash-work is not coming in, I can seek new clients or I can invest my time on the farm and still come out with a greater dollar value of NOURISHING food. The value of the food I get is much greater than if I were to pay retail, especially when there’s a seasonal abundance. Seriously. One week the share included as many organic tomatoes as I could carry. Even in season, what would it cost you to purchase 20 pounds of organic tomatoes? And the exercise I get working on the farm means I don’t have to pay to join a gym.
Long before I read Pollan’s advice, I did invest in a freezer. The additional payoff in dollar value is visible when I tally my monthly bills. Seasonal abundance means that since June 2008, I have saved $300 compared to the same month a year earlier. And I get the fresh-picked flavor, instead of the cardboard taste of store-bought.
The point is that even though I have become accustomed to working for monetary payment, doesn’t mean that when the money goes away, I’m without a way to maintain my quality of life.
My new rule is to do what I can for myself and hire people who have the skills I lack. If I cannot afford to hire that person, then I will seek a way to trade skills, and if that’s not feasible, I’ll determine how badly I need the service or product.
On the home front, when the cable company raised my rates, I dumped the TV service. Not only do I save the cash, but everyone in the house is more peaceful. Duh.
My individual choices are not for everyone. We all live in different places, have different responsibilities and different choices available. We all do have the power to make choices.