My Recession Proof Plan for the Work from Home Life

I've been talking this whole week about going off the grid--By rethinking the 9-5, the home, and the consumer cycle.  By overcoming objections and obstacles.  And by building a resume that rocks.

But what if I need to plug back into the grid?  Certainly the possibility is real.  My husband could lose his job, for instance, and I would immediately have to go back to work full-time to help make ends meet.  Or we could take on an unexpected medical expense.  Or wreck the car and have to buy a new one.  Or a family member could get sick.  Or...etc. etc.

The reality is that someday I may have to plug back in whether I want to or not.  I figure that I had better prepare myself for that possibility, especially during today's economy.  How?  Well, in two ways.  Call it my "recession proof plan" for the stay-at-home life:

Step #1:  I won't let my resume get stale.  Rather than let it sit on my hard drive or in a drawer collecting dust, now is the time for me to shake it off and shine it up!  I wrote yesterday that I shouldn't be intimidated by the gap between my last "real job" and the present day, and I definitely don't want to be afraid to add the work I've been doing under my "self-employed-stay-at-home" status.

For more information on creating a resume that rocks, read yesterday's post (click here).  Also, don't forget to check in tomorrow as I experiment with dusting off my resume.

Step #2:  I need to stay connected.  Writing is an isolating career, so I have to make sure that I don't let the inertia keep me from getting out and meeting people.  I believe in the old adage "it's not what you know but who you know."  In other words, the people in my circle are my best resources for offering encouragement, support, and leads if I need to find a new job in a hurry.  So, for me staying connected means that I get out by attending local networking events and volunteering.  And since my work is primarily online, it also means meeting new friends on the internet, too.  Especially the ones who live close to me.

These "recession proof" steps won't prevent bad things from happening.  And they won't guarantee that I will be able to work from home indefinitely.  But they will greatly increase the chances that if I do have to go back to the 9-5, I'll be ready to hit the ground running!

Imagine that--the 9-5 is my "back-up plan" rather than the other way around.  Just another quality of life "off the grid."