We had a really good conversation with a woman in Dallas, Texas. When she heard we spend 24 hours/7 days a week together, her response was “Me and my hubby would kill each other”. We explained that most people feel that way because they have so much going on. They have to wake up, get ready, go to work, do errands, pick up kids, think about bills, be social with friends, be social online and so on. There is little time for couples to be together these days and when couples do get together, there is often runoff stress and too many silly distractions to experience each other fully or to be on the same page. Everyone seems to have to make room to get some quality time together and it’s still not enough to keep most fires alive.

She then replied something along the lines of, “My hubby and I hope to retire one day and live on an island. Maybe then we can be together all of the time and just enjoy life”. We met another person, this time in New Orleans, who mentioned he’d love to get on the road and do what we do, just maybe in 10 years or so, once he saves enough and finishes working. The thing is, nobody should have to wait.

Yes, we were all taught to go to school, go to college, go to work and one fine day, retire and peace out. The two of us are just unwilling to go that route. We feel we have spent so much of our lives being taught and working and yet, we had experienced barely any time actually living. When we said “I Do” in 2010, we decided that it was the perfect time to take a turn and carve out our own path.

Once the two of us denied 9-5 jobs and started our own business, we were able to reorganize life in a way that made being together (all of the time), a pleasure. We went minimal, said goodbye to living in a house and hello to traveling in our VW bus. We left our little town with $3,000, a few belongings, our dog and took a leap of faith.

Ultimately, our dream was to make a beautiful life’s work, rather than two separate things (life and work). Instead of working separately and asking how each other’s day was, we combined forces for a common goal and began waking each day as one. Working together as a team strengthened our relationship, taught us priceless lessons and proved to us we could make our dreams come true.

On the road, we have experienced freedom unlike any other we can remember. Our little design business has fueled our adventure and at times, we’ve taken odd jobs together or had to get creative to keep going. We have learned to have faith we will be protected and guided along the way. We have learned that less is more and we have learned our time together on Earth is priceless.

It’s been beautiful to see and experience the last 8 years of marriage together 24-7/365 and we can’t picture it any other way now. We’re not saying everyone should be attached at the hip, we just feel everyone deserves more time together. We believe relationships, families and the future would benefit from closer ties with the ones they love. It just takes cutting out the distractions, reorganizing and coming together.

For those connected souls out there that wish to be together all of the time, these are the steps we recommend following:
 

• If you two have separate jobs and want to be together all of the time, quit them and start your own business together. Come up with an idea revolving around your shared talents, skills or passions. If you need to, start the business and quit your jobs when it’s up and running. This can make the transition easier.
• Reorganize and prioritize the other areas of life that are unrelated to starting a business. Make sure the things that matter most stay and eliminate the things that can go.
• Work on everything together, not separately. Even if one person is better at doing something, it is better as a shared experience so both people continue to learn how to work together and learn new skills. Don’t worry, it is not easy in the beginning, but you will form your own rhythm and routine.
• Downsize, turn off distractions and cut negative people out of your life. The less there is to worry about, the more focus you can put into growing your business and lifework.
• Be open, be willing and don’t make too many expectations. Focus on staying positive, using creative thinking, having fun, being in the now and keeping good communication. Believe in each other.
• For the business, get a logo, website and business cards to market your new business.
• Get the word out with social media and contact potential clients or customers that might be interested in what you are selling.
• Continue to support and reassure each other when bumps in the road occur. There will be bumps.
• Contact other businesses that could use your services, products or work together with you.
• Be patient, work hard and put everything into getting the business off the ground and getting your 24-7/365 life going.
• Once your business starts rolling, it is up to you two to keep readjusting your lifestyle to fit with the workflow. Prioritize, keep a schedule and enjoy what it feels like to be your own bosses. We can tell you, we have loved being the makers of our own reality and hope more people and couples start taking work and life into their own hands.