With this post, I wanted to say that people shouldn’t give up on the idea of lifestyle design just because the type of lifestyle they are looking for is different from what Tim is after.

Exactly! People like Tim and so on sharing their experiences is something that was difficult to come by when I was a lot younger – I suppose in a bigger sense, it is access to information and ideas that can make the difference.

The lifestyle designers show us that we don’t have to follow the path we think we do, work in the cube and so on.

Most of the people where I grew up are still here, because they never thought it possible to go anywhere else, if they wanted to do so.

I was like that too, up until a few years ago.

And now I know where I want to be, and I am going there.
.-= Brett Legree´s last blog ..small changes. =-.

For those that agree with Tim or not I think it has given us all something to think about, mainly the value of time and the power of choice in how we spend that time. Right now we are living in a very dynamic world where many of the “norms” do not really align with the belief system of many that is becoming more permeable as our exposure to the belief system of others occurs more easily with the click of a button. The very concept of lifestyle design is a new one.

Like Brett said we have the power to change, however, without books like Tim’s and the other Lifestyle Designer’s that are now letting us know what are some of the choices possible. I fear I would have only been limited by ideas of employment or small business owner. The biggest take-away that I’ve gotten is that there are different types of business owners i.e. the location independent, which is something I hope to one day achieve.

Thanks Jarkko, for helping expand the options by putting it all together and reminding us we do have choices.
.-= Shane´s last blog ..Dream Again =-.

@Thursday Bram: I’ve been thinking about the same thing. But I do believe that it’s sort of a requirement for making it to the lifestyle advocated by Tim: You need to work hard at first if you want to relax later. You cannot just read the book and then decide to start working 4 hours per week. You need that long period of building your business and income streams that Tim did before setting out to this new path of his.

That said, I’m glad that there are smaller lifestyle design changes you can do even while still working on that one big, hairy, audacious goal. :)

@Brett: This is so true. We all have been young and single at some point, but didn’t do what Tim did :) And you’re right, it’s not too late to make changes (start doing something / stop doing something / whatever it is that makes your life perfect).

Thanks for the insightful comments, everyone!

There are plenty of people who are (and have been) just like Tim – young(er), single, lots of free time – and what did they do?

Nothing.

So, maybe I can’t have Tim’s life. Maybe I don’t want Tim’s life anyway.

But if I do nothing to change where I am (assuming I want to redesign what I have), then nothing will happen!

Tim made the choice to do something. We all have the power to choose.
.-= Brett Legree´s last blog ..small changes. =-.

Ferriss started with an already-successful business, without any family obligations and generally in the best possible situation to just focus on figuring out what he wanted to do — and then doing it. I don’t think that means that folks not in a similar situation can’t do something similar, but I think most of us have very different concerns than Ferriss did.

I really appreciate the fact that you listed some different (and more widely applicable) takes on lifestyle design.
.-= Thursday Bram´s last blog ..Market Your Freelance Writing In 31 Days: The Ebook =-.