Chris O’Byrne
Can you tell us about your publishing and editing business? What made you decide to start your own business?
What started out as a simple, freelance editing business has become a royalty-based publishing company with some highly-successful titles. My niche is professionals and business owners that recognize the power of a book to spread their ideas and build their business.
I decided to start my own business because I’m a lousy employee. I’m never satisfied with the status quo and I’m always thinking up better ways to do things and new ways to create business. Most employers don’t value that and only want someone to robotically do their job and not think.
How have you created space in your home and in your life to do the things you love?
In my home, I’ve honored space by not filling it with useless clutter. My wife and I each have a place to sit comfortably and work. We each have a small basket on the floor beside us to hold a few miscellaneous office supplies such as a pen, notebook, and backup hard drive. The rest of our tiny apartment (420 sq ft) follows suit. We often can’t believe how big our place feels.
I’ve been less honorable with my mental space. I know I need a certain amount of mental space for creative thinking, yet I often completely fill that mental space throughout the day with the results of previous creative thinking—my work. I’ve taken steps to alleviate that problem. Most mornings I write three pages of freeform creative thought in my “morning pages” journal. I also try to set aside an hour a day for creative work.
What does your typical day look like? Can you tell us about some of the lovely details that are part of your routine?
I’m usually up by 5:00, drink a protein shake, brew a cup of coffee, write in my morning pages, and then start working. I usually work until I go to bed, around 9:00, and then I read for an hour or so before drifting off to sleep. During the day I take time to work out, go for a long walk, enjoy healthy meals, connect with friends, and play with my grandson. I work a lot, but I don’t neglect the other, equally important aspects of my life.
Our course participants are interested in creating a lovely life – a life in which they cultivate beauty and joy everyday. Some are unsure where to start. Can you share a few tips that have helped you create a lovely life?
I can’t stress enough how important it is to just do something. Take action and keep taking action. All your planning and wishing is meaningless if you don’t do something. If you have to, start with one action each day that moves you closer to your goal.
Most people who create lovely lives find that after a few successes they realize that yes, it actually is possible. Until they experience the success, it’s only theoretical to them. But once they experience it, they really get it and then they realize that, Hey, I really can do anything! Once you have that knowing, nothing can stop you and then it become a matter of choosing what wonderful things you’ll do with your life—knowing that success is inevitable.
We believe everyone has unique talents and we call these talents superpowers. What is your superpower and how does that power make your life lovely?
I’ve learned to love what is. That doesn’t mean that I don’t work to create change in my life, but at any moment, I see the truth and I love it. This goes much deeper and is much more profound than how it may appear on the surface. The best place to go to start understanding this is www.thework.com.
Learn more about Chris’s work at Red Willow Digital Press.
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