“Hack the life you want.” What does that mean exactly? There are many definitions of the word “hack” and it can take on a different meaning for every individual, but for me, it’s more like this:

hack

verb (transitive, colloquial, by extension)

• To apply a trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method to something to increase productivity, efficiency or ease.

The celebrity chef’s new kitchen hacks book sure has helped me cut my prep time in half!

Okay, so there are other definitions of the word “hack” but we’ve established what hacking means to me for the purposes of this article. What can it mean for you? Why is this something you might want to pursue?

More time with the kiddo

My last 9-5 job was great. I felt I was paid well for the work I did. Lots of perks. Somewhat flexible start/end times. But, think about it –

• 1-hour commute TO work (walk, bus, wait for train, walk)
• 8 hour work day
• ½ hour lunch
• 1 hour, 15 min commute FROM work (walk, train, wait for bus, walk)
• and before you ask, public transport was way cheaper than having a car.

So, all in all, I left for work before my daughter even woke up for school, spent at least 10.75 hours away from home, and had about three hours to spend with her each night before she went to bed (including dinner and homework time).

More time with the fam

Going out anywhere on a school night was a little difficult due to time constraints and other issues. At least we had the whole weekend, right? Not really. Most weekends she had Saturday school and weekends were the only times we had to do our shopping, etc. unless we sacrificed a school night. That usually left us a bit frazzled due to what I call her “autism scheduling”.

 

Hacking the life I wanted meant making it possible to have time to spend with my family that I hadn’t been able to do before.

 

No set schedule

Monday through Friday, leave the house at 6:40 am to go to work.  Get home around 5:25 pm. Every day, every week, every month. Aside from holidays and certain priority work days, nothing really changed. If I wanted time off I had to make sure I had vacation/personal time available to use, or sick time accrued if I needed to take a sick day and still get paid.

And I had to make sure someone could cover for me or run the risk of getting behind in my work. A majority of the work I did relied on email or phone communications with others at various air bases around the United States, so coming in at night kind of defeated the purpose and was, therefore, frowned upon.

 

Hacking the life I wanted involved being able to work on my terms, on my own flexible schedule.

 

Control over certain expenses

No more commute means no more bus and train fare, tolls, gas or other vehicle expenses. No more buying business attire unless, of course, you choose to. Gone are the business lunches, unless your line of work requires you to entertain prospective or current clients. Working at home can also mean certain tax benefits.

 

Hacking the life I wanted meant being able to work comfortably in my pajamas, sweats, jeans & t-shirt, or barefoot with a quilted parka and purple tutu if I had the mind to. Okay, maybe just the barefoot part.

 

Control over income

My previous jobs paid me by the hour, every other week. A set amount, only increasing if I had overtime available, got a raise, or received the occasional holiday bonus.

 

Hacking the life I wanted meant I could control how much or how little I worked, and be able to negotiate the rates on a majority of the projects I take on. I decided when I got a raise. I decided if I wanted to work a little extra so I could take time to go off with the fam for a bit. I decided if I wanted to crack open my laptop while on the train to the next county for a family trip to the zoo so I could enjoy the rest of the day, knowing that my work was done.

 

Hack the life YOU want

How can you do this with your own life? Think about the things that have control over you, and brainstorm ideas on how to take back your control. Think outside the box, outside of the traditional ways “normal” people do things. Raise your expectations exponentially. Never give up and never stop learning. You can do this. Many people do already and are reaping the many benefits of working toward a richly satisfying life that’s truly their own.

#HackThisHustle