When is YOUR Independence Day? The Sequel

You might think my goal with these posts is to help you do PR better.

But that doesn’t capture it. My goal is to help you work toward becoming independent in where, when and how much you work. That doesn’t mean you need to be self-employed. I know plenty of PR pros who call their own shots in a variety of circumstances.

Five years ago this week, I wrote a post about how Ken Li told the owners of his Chicago-based PR agency that he was moving to his wife’s dream farmhouse in Indiana and would only be in the office one day a week. He had made himself so valuable to them that they said “Great!”

In the strange circumstances we find ourselves in today, working from home doesn’t sound that unique. (Or even desirable on a lot of days. Am I the only one who misses the annoying sound of other people typing?) But as usual, Ken is staying ahead of the curve. This past December he said good-bye to everyone at his agency and full-on retired at age 47. As in, he doesn’t need to work anymore.

For the first few months, he confessed that he slept in until 10 or 11 every morning. “It felt great,” he said sheepishly. After he caught up on his sleep, he began exploring his passions and will soon be embarking on a labor of love that’s entirely of his choosing.

Now that is “independence.”

I know in this contracting economy that seems like an unreachable goal. But guess when Ken started his journey toward independence? Back in 2009, in the teeth of the Great Recession. He was in the very first group of members to join my Inner Circle back then. We had a detailed conversation about his dream and he started gently accelerating his path toward his goal.

You have to see it in your mind first, and then the path starts to reveal itself.

This holiday weekend, take a few moments and let go of your current pressures. Read these brief posts I wrote about achieving independence:

• How can you separate your own sense of meaning and value from the work you do?
• Most PR pros aren’t working for what they really want. Are you?

And then write down the answers that come to you.

I look forward to supporting you on your journey, and one day celebrating YOUR Independence Day.