Don't you just hate the 9 to 5 rat race? I think we all do. I did and still do but I wanted out of it. Like you I was not sure how to get out of the 9 to 5. Escaping the 9 to 5 was not in my reach. I was depressed and one reason was I thought I had nothing to offer to people. This made my escape more of a dream than a reality. My search became tiresome and with no skills I gave up. So I was back to the 9 to 5 rat race with no escape in site.

When I got out of high school I worked construction for a year. Wow was that a mind numbing experience for me. So I joined the Marine Corps and this was were I was going to retire. However fate has something else planned. I injured my back, had surgery, and only did 8 years. After the eight year Uncle Sam said "see ya." So I was on the market for a new career.

I basically bounced from job to job. I was not sure what I wanted to do. Most people who abruptly have to leave their career find themselves in this situation. My life was the Marine Corps, I loved it, I woke up to it and went to sleep with it. So this alone caused stress and not able to find something I wanted to do. During the last couple of years I got security jobs. Why not? Well I quickly came to the realization that this was no substitute for the Corps. My last job I had was with a company that delivered and picked up large sums of cash. I loved this job, the excitement, the discipline, the need for a sharp mind. Was this the substitute for the Marine Corps.

Well honestly this job was more stressful than the Corps. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, and really their was no one to help watch my back, in between pick ups and deliveries. When you are carrying thousands and thousands of dollars every one looks suspicious. Well I decided this was it, no more. I guess I am getting to old to live the dangerous life. The problem was what am I going to do. One day I was online and seen an ad I think it was an online ad service, nothing fancy. The ad was for a home computer repair service in some ones house. That was smart I thought no over head with a lease. I think that is one thing that holds us back. All the over head and start up cost.

Then that gave me an idea and I did some research online. I was going to start my own computer maintenance service. I was going to work out of my home, and make my living room my work shop. I thought about why not do what most computer shops do, speed up slow computers. I do the steps to speeding up computers on a weekly basis to my own computer. When my computer gets viruses I get rid of that myself. When my computer gets malware I do the same. I don't take my computer to a shop and pay them 85 dollars up front. I diy my computer myself, and why not do for other people. However I would not charge the ridiculous fee that most shops charge.

Why? because I have no overhead no expensive lease, or rental. So I decided to do it. I ran a few online ads for my area, in free services. I printed flyers on my own computer and posted them around town. I took some to the local supermarket and other stores that had bulletin boards. Then I sat back at home and waited. At first I thought it was weeks before I got my first call, but reality is it was only a few days. Once I got a few repairs under my belt I took some of the cash and ran an ad in the paper. Nothing to expensive and fancy, and the calls came in. I even do a few out call service repairs, but the nice thing is I can charge a little extra for gas, and still be way under the local techs price.

So what are your skills? What are your passions? Escaping the 9 to 5 rat race is not as hard as we think. It just takes some brain storming. I was a someone who thought he had no skills. I thought I was going to retire in a 9 to 5 job making very little. When I put my brain to work, and started storming I found what I could do to get out. And now who would have thought it, me loving my job, making my own hours, and making more money now then ever before. Just because I had the will, the drive, and now the knowledge.

This article brought to you by Escaping the 9 to 5 learn to do computer repairs and maintenance and start your own in home business.