A Lifestyle Choice? Or Simply the Future?

As you may know, I'm a freelancer. I work for myself, and I work from home. I took the leap in 2005 in attempt to create a lifestyle that fulfilled me. I'm still refining exactly what that is - words like "freedom" and "balance" and "travel" often tumble out when I describe it - but I know that what I want does NOT involve commuting, workaholism or rigid schedules. A tall order, yes, but I've avoided all three more weeks out of the year than I ever did previously.

What's interesting, though, is how the traditional workplace has evolved in some parallel ways during this same time period. Three years ago, telecommuting was a novel concept. Today, it's the next cost-cutting frontier. Similarly, freelancing was seen as an alternative career for risk-taking or niche tradespeople. Now, even "full-timers" are turning to freelancing as a stopgap, supplement or entirely new path during uncertain economic times. Freelancing has hit the mainstream, you could say.

After talking to some friends at career crossroads recently, I sense that the workplace is poised for big change, as are traditional gender roles. With men constituting 80% of those laid off since 2007, and more and more women taking on the breadwinner role, something's gotta give, right? How can breadwinning women (especially mothers) work insane hours and still handle 75% of "domestic engineering"?

I don't know how it will all shake out, but I see "flexibility" and "lifestyle" being the key words moving forward. For evidence, I humbly submit a few headlines that caught my eye this week. Take a gander and let me know what you think the future holds.

Freelancing: A Real Option (Miami Herald)
As times get tougher, many are turning to freelancing and contract work, transforming a trend that was once a lifestyle choice into a matter of economic survival.

Telecommuting: Once a Perk, Now a Necessity (Business Week)
To cut costs, companies such as Capital One are pushing more employees, including even top managers, to work from home.

The Increasing Call for Work-Life Balance (Business Week)
Work-life balance is now the second most important driver of employee attraction and commitment, says CEB research.

As Layoffs Surge, Women May Pass Men in Job Force (NY Times)
With the recession on the brink of becoming the longest in the postwar era, a milestone may be at hand: Women are poised to surpass men on the nation’s payrolls, taking the majority for the first time in American history.

Career Women at Midlife: Sadder and Sicker (Business Week)
While women are securing greater power in the workplace, they are also growing less satisfied with their lives as they age.

Potential Deal Breaker #2: Unreliable Internet

This entry is the second in a series. You can view Potential Deal Breaker #1 here, which can be summed up as "I don't want to die." Potential Deal Breaker #2? It can be summed up as "I don't want to lose all my clients and become destitute."

This one's a no-brainer for freelancers and telecommuters who have deadlines. It is also probably the only “absolute deal breaker” I have. To put it plainly, I must live somewhere with reliable high-speed Internet (which as I’ve now learned, requires continuous electricity). After all, my virtual office - and my livelihood - are dependent on it.

How dependent? Well, I use the Internet to speak with my clients (my business telephone number is an inexpensive, portable SkypeIn number that rings through to my laptop), IM/email with clients, send and receive electronic faxes, conduct research, fact-check, pay bills, produce monthly e-newsletters and submit writing assignments.

This is the deal breaker that put the kibosh on San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, where I lived for a few months in 2006. The Internet was passable (it was a rapidly developing tourist area), but the real problem was that the electricity was out several times a week due to rolling blackouts. Therefore, Internet was down several times a week, and always on an unpredictable schedule. Not workable, period.

So despite its rock bottom cost of living, much of the Third World is out, and I can’t go too rural even in the US. (Dial-up won’t cut it. I need to be close enough to a city to have DSL or cable Internet.)