Need a Break? Your Revenue Mix Should Say ‘Cool, Go.’

This week: how having diverse income sources lets you pause on more demanding work when needed, because freedom isn’t just movement; it’s the power to step back as life calls for it.

✈️ Welcome to Midlife Nomads, your weekly hit of real talk, smart ideas, and helpful tools for building a location-independent life through remote work, travel, and business.

When you need to take a time-out, do your systems have your back?

This week, we’re sticking with the theme of building multiple income streams… because I’m living the benefits of it in real time.

I’m taking a break from client work right now, not for a sabbatical or a big trip, but because I need to. By nature, Fred doesn’t love stress (fair), and I need space in my schedule to put myself first.

If I had a regular J.O.B., I’d be completely dependent on whatever employer or government benefits might be available. And here in Canada, when you’re on short- or long-term disability, you’re expected to make do with very little. Recuperating on a beach somewhere outside your home country is entirely frowned upon.

You're stuck when you’re working, and you’re stuck when you’re unwell. You’re just… stuck.

But because I’ve been self-employed and location-independent for years, intentionally building different types of income streams, I can step back from one or two without flying into a full-blown panic.

It didn’t happen overnight—but it did happen. By design. And you can do it, too.

In case you missed it, my last One Step Closer column explored a powerful way to build that kind of flexibility: productizing your services. How can you package what you do so it’s less by-the-hour and more outcome-based—something you can sell again and again without constant customization?

Check it out if you haven’t yet:

One Step Closer: Escape the Hourly Grind with a Product Mindset + This AI Tool

In other (decidedly more fun that disability discussions) news, I just saved €1,300 on an upcoming trip by arranging a housesit! 🏡

Nope, I didn’t know the people beforehand. This was 100% cold-pitching-into-the-universe, then evaluating opportunities before coming to the right agreement. The sit covers my whole stay, the homeowner is lovely, and the place looks gorgeous. Plus, I get a kitchen and will save on dining out costs by cooking for myself, which I enjoy anyway.

Honestly, this is one of the most underrated ways to cut travel costs and experience a place like a local.