Image Credit: A Hum to the City by B Tal

** This post was written by Leigh Haugseth. Find out more about Leigh at the bottom. **

I work in a cube. No novelty there. As soon as I stepped foot inside my 8 x 8 gray cell, I wanted to run out screaming. Three years later, I’m still here. You get used to it, which is the scary part.

My days aren’t hard. I work 40 hours per week, make a decent wage and have plenty of time for outside work activities. Life should be good, right? I should be grateful and content, right? Um, wrong.

I feel restless, creatively stifled and that my growth is being stunted by working 9-5 in this mediocre job. I want to be free, to work when I choose and to be my own boss. Rules, authority or constraint in any way does not sit well with me.

Honestly, I’m amazed I’ve made it 3 years…

The idea of starting my own business has always appealed to me – I just wasn’t sure which one. I toyed with several ideas, delving just deep enough into them to figure out which ones I really could do and which ones were not for me: I could start a health coaching business (I’m a nutritionist), start a blog and write amazing articles and monetize the site or start a travel business. I love to travel, but would it be so much work I wouldn’t have time to travel?

Then I started reading about people like Lea who were working while traveling. WOW. I thought, that’s it, I want to do that.

Of course, then all sorts of negative thoughts immediately came such as…What exactly are you going to do? You can’t make enough money while not in an office and what about insurance?

I told myself that that kind of work is only for those with strong technical skills which you don’t have. You are single with no additional back up income – are you serious about this?

With a little self help reading blogs like Location Independent and with frequent pep talks to myself, I realized I could definitely do it. Who’s to say I can’t except me?

Sure it would take a lot of work and learning new skills but for me the reward of being location independent, answering only to myself, would be worth it. I told a few friends about my plans. Some were excited and supportive while others cringed at the thought, especially during these economically unstable times.

I learned to be selective about who I told my plans to – I was pretty fragile then and needed to, and still do, be around positive and supportive people. I am constantly reading online about those who are currently working as successful LIPs and working nomads and remaining focused on my goal.

This is where the Internet is so very handy and helpful. I subscribed to the Location Independent site and several other blogs to keep my spirits and motivation high, all the while suffering through pointless meetings and endless days in this gray cube. And I hired a career coach for a short time to help me sort through my ideas, fears and direction.

So now I have a general idea of what I’m going to do. I’m taking the leap. I self-assessed, soul searched and did lots of thinking about my strengths and abilities. I’m ready for the action stage.

Today, I feel a lightness having made the decision to become location independent because I intuitively know that this is the right path for me. And I have a plan and I know that I will ultimately succeed.

The road to that dream of supporting myself while being location independent may be a little winding and bumpy but I’m not afraid…the dream is way bigger than that.

About The Author: Leigh Haugseth’s passion for travel is propelling her transition from cubicle dweller to LIP.  You can find her at Fresh New Life.