When most people think about the advantages of the laptop lifestyle, the freedom that is obtained when you are no longer tied to any schedule or geographical location immediately comes to mind. They picture someone sitting on a beach with their computer answering emails or hanging out in the local coffee shop sipping away on their favorite latte.
While these stereotypes of advantages do have truth to them there are other sides, both advantageous and disadvantageous, to the laptop lifestyle that you may not have considered. Below is what I feel is a fair view of both after personally living this life as well as talking to others who are doing the same.
The Advantages
- Not Having A Boss – This is the one that puts a smile on most people’s faces. According to recent research by Study Finds 1 in 5 people do not like their boss. The article uses the word “hate” but I find that word to be a little strong. Nevertheless, there are a large amount of people in the workforce out there who really do not think much of their superiors at work.
When you break free with having your own business whether it be online based or not then you can tell the boss goodbye.
- Avoiding the Crowds – How many people have to wait until the weekends to get out and make the purchases that they need? Grocery stores, gas stations, banks and all of the major chain stores are usually packed with people who are buying the things they need to get ready for the upcoming week. Unfortunately there is often no other time to get out and do these things with a typical 9 to 5 job.
Avoiding this, to me, has been one of biggest advantageous of living the laptop lifestyle because I dislike very much standing in lines and feeling overcrowded. Plus the time that is saved by getting in an out of a store quickly is wonderful.
- Less Driving – This one has been nice for me as well due to the fact that less driving simply means more money in your pocket. I am not only talking about the obvious savings which would be spending less money on gas but also things like fewer oil changes and tires lasting longer.
Other advantages to driving less are that you keep the miles off of your vehicle which keeps its resale value higher and you also decrease the chances of getting into an accident. This is a win win scenario all around.
- Way Less Clothes Shopping – For some of you this may be considered a disadvantage but either way, the laptop lifestyle will definitely cut down on your need for a frequent wardrobe update.
A few of your favorite sweatshirts or t-shirts combined with a few pairs of jeans or shorts and you are all set to go for you work day. Some people prefer to just stay in their pajamas but I try to keep a little discipline in the equation myself. - Unlimited Vacation – This is one of my favorite advantages of all. Gone are the days of having to ask someone weeks or months in advance for vacation and on top of that only having 2 to 3 weeks a year to truly relax from your job. As long as the hotel that you will be staying at has WiFi then all you need is your suitcase, your laptop and great destination.
The Disadvantages
- It gets lonely – The only thing I miss from the 9 to 5 world is the social interaction with my co-workers. Did they get on my nerves every once in a while? Sure, most co-workers do but at the end of the day it was always nice to hear about what other people are up to or find out about what is going on around the city I live in.
The laptop lifestyle tends to be very secluded from the rest of the world so keep that in mind especially if you like to be around people.
- Losing sense of time – Seriously, this has been something that I did not realize could happen but it did. When you are no longer on the “schedule grid” you really start to lose track of time during the day and especially which day of the week it is.
The typical 9 to 5 job, even if you are working from home, will at least make you keep track of time because of scheduled work meetings and deadlines. When you venture out into your own digital world, all of this goes away. Some people may see this an advantage however so it really depends on your mindset.
- You are responsible for you! – Not just from a financial and business perspective but from the perspective of taking care of yourself mentally and physically. When the societal requirements to pay attention to a schedule, dress nicely, have human interaction, and keep up basic human hygiene all go out the door then it is up to you to be responsible to make sure that you keep a healthy balance in your daily life. Otherwise, your newly found freedom might just turn you into a modern isolated cave dweller.
So these are, in my opinion, the pros and cons of the laptop lifestyle. Now it is up to you to decide if this life sounds like it would be a good fit or not.
If you are interested in learning how to experience this life for yourself starting now then I highly recommend that you sign up for the Free Video Series. This is where you can meet my mentors who will provide a blueprint showing you the steps needed to take in order to live life from an entirely different perspective.
Thanks for stopping by!