Guest Post by Cory Huff, Publisher of AGoodHusband.net, HusbandsandDads.com

Reading Tim Ferriss’ book the Four Hour Work Week was a real eye opener for me.  The concept of Lifestyle Design is something that I could wrap my brain around fairly quickly.  I was stuck in a career that was going nowhere in an industry that is dying.  My financial outlook was grim and my time freedom was almost non-existent.

Tim talks a lot about creating the life that you want by building your business in such a way that it fits your lifestyle, not forcing you to fit your lifestyle to your business. Some of the craziest entrepreneurs I know live this way.  It’s not easy, but it can be done.

Lifestyle Design includes cutting things out.

It hurts to change. It hurts to stop doing things that you’ve always done, and start doing new things.  In my case, I had to get out of the job that I was in.  It was painful because even though I loved doing it, the money just wasn’t there and the amount of time I spent at work was horrendous.  The most important step I’ve made in designing my ideal life has been cutting out that piece of my life and finding a new career that freed up my time to do other things, like improve my marriage and start my own business.

Lifestyle Design includes your marriage.

You can not only design your business the way you want it to be, but you can also design your personal and family life.  I started A Good Husband initially as a way of figuring out what that meant.  What does it even mean to be a good family man?  How is that life balanced?  What does a happy marriage look like?  I can honestly say that I know that now.  Jeremy Biser and I started Husbands and Dads to help move that conversation forward with other guys. Other web ventures have followed and have led to a very satisfying change in paradigm.

Lifestyle Design includes your close friends & family.

Some of the best business ideas that I’ve had have come from conversations with friends and family while sitting around someone’s living room or dinner table.  I’m a very socially oriented guy, and the fact that I can share my ideas with friends freely and they will encourage, uplift and inspire me is a huge bonus.  Of course, I had to cut out those people who were being negative so that I hear the voices that I value.

Lifestyle Design and my business ventures.

My business ventures have grown slowly over the last year or so, but they are growing.  Businesses don’t have to explode onto the scene to be successful (though it certainly helps).  They can grow slowly so that they don’t outgrow your family and the rest of your life.  After all, isn’t that what being a Family First Entrepreneur all about?

Cory Huff has been married to his wife Lissie for six years and is the publisher of www.AGoodHusband.net, www.HusbandsandDads.com, and other websites.  He also works as an internet marketing manager.