Homepage Banner Same Situation Traditional Work
  • Are you frustrated about finding a good enough job to enable your stay at home as the family caregiver and provider?
  • Is your mental health making it difficult to focus at work again?
  • Or do you feel discriminated by your supervisors for things outside your control, like age, gender, race, and others?

If any of those situations sound like yours, please know that you’re not alone. Millions of people are facing the same limitations. Most people find it difficult to balance their work and unique situations.

For example, some people can only work sporadically throughout the day either because of their own medical condition or because they have to take care of a loved one (newborn, elderly parents, etc.). However, a traditional job requires continuous hours of work, making it impossible for them to work.

For instance, they had to choose between thriving at work and spending time with family or putting up with unfair working conditions.

Fortunately, in today’s internet-connected world, you can find a compromise for your work and your situation by working remotely.

To help you do that, we’ll explore the most common limitations that identify what’s holding you back. We’ll also look at the best online opportunities for YOUR situation.

With the right path chosen, you’ll be all set for a fulfilling career and a happy life!

Can’t wait to explore? Let’s get to it…


1. Due For Retirement

According to a 2019 study by Hiscox, 36% of the respondents said their age has prevented them from finding a job since they turned 40 (*).

Examples: 

  • Involuntary early retirement
  • Company policy to hire people below a certain age

Challenges: 

  • Many companies focus on a youth-centric culture
  • The demands of a modern workplace, extra hours and a push for education, may not be what you’re looking for at this point in your career

 

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ☆☆☆☆☆
  • Online Shop Owner ☆☆☆☆☆
  • Online Freelancer ★★★☆☆
  • Online Educator ★★★★★
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★★★

Senior Women Working in Workshop with Computer

With your decades of experience and knowledge, you can make the most of your abilities through coaching or affiliate marketing.

You can share your experience, mentor beginners, and make an honest living helping people. Plus, you can do all of it at your own pace instead of chasing a deadline.


2. Chronic Disease

Chronic disease is way more common than you might think. Just in the US, 133 million people suffer from one chronic disease, at least (*). That’s nearly half of the population at 45%.

 Examples:

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Crohn disease
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Challenges: 

  • It can be difficult to work for long hours at a time. In addition, symptoms may surface at any time, breaking your focus.
  • Frequent medical checkups may affect your productivity and delay work project completion.
  • You may also end up taking more than the number of sick leaves allowed.

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ☆☆☆☆☆
  • Online Shop Owner ☆☆☆☆☆
  • Online Freelancer ★★★★★
  • Online Educator ★★★★★
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★★★

Freelancing, online coaching, and affiliate marketing are the best fit for you.

You won’t have to deal with the stress and anxiety of dealing with many people. You can set your own schedule and work at a pace that is a good fit for both, your medical situation and needs.

Besides, since you’re only reporting to yourself, there is no guilt of disrupting other’s plans.


3. Mental Illness

Mental illness is extremely common, with 13% of the world’s population suffering from it (*) today.

If you’re dealing with social anxiety, you might wonder why you’re the only one in the office who gets nervous from connecting with people daily. However, when you look at the data, there are at least 284 million people throughout the world dealing with anxiety disorders(*).

Examples: Stressful staff

  • Social anxiety
  • Depression
  • ADHD
  • Autism

Challenges: 

  • The stress of communicating with clients is a big struggle and can badly influence reputation, sometimes leading to limited career growth.
  • If you can’t focus for long periods of time due to your limitations and take too many breaks, the company may perceive it as laziness.

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ☆☆☆☆☆
  • Online Shop Owner ☆☆☆☆☆
  • Online Freelancer ★★★☆☆
  • Online Educator ★★★☆☆
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★★★

If you want to completely cut off any stressful communication, affiliate marketing is an excellent opportunity for you.

No communication is needed to run a successful affiliate marketing business.

working on the beachAs an affiliate marketer, you promote the products and services of an affiliate partnership company using your online content. You earn a commission whenever someone makes a purchase using your link.

You only need to focus on developing your affiliate marketing website. Online training and tools can help you do so without any contact with people.

You’ll work for no one but yourself. As such, you’ll never have to worry about how to tell people annoying you to leave you alone.


4. Physical Disability

According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of physical disability (*).

Examples:

  • Bound to a wheelchair
  • Vision difficulties
  • Hearing difficulties

Challenges: 

  • Most workplaces and some commute routes are not suited for people with physical disabilities.
  • Commute safety is another huge concern, as it can be full of uncertainties with changes in weather, bus routes and so on.
  • Employers and coworkers may underestimate you and undervalue your worth.

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ★★★★★
  • Online Shop Owner ★★★★★
  • Online Freelancer ★★★★★
  • Online Educator ★★★★★
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★★★

If your only gripe with traditional work is the workplace location, you should talk to your current or future employer about working from home. Be sure to discuss the sick leave policy in advance if you know you need regular medical check-ups.

If you want more freedom than that, any other Online Remote Job Models will suit you well. From freelancing to coaching to running an online shop, you have tons of opportunities to reach your maximum potential despite your physical limitations.


5. Conflict in Work-Life Balance – Middle Age Issues

33

According to OECD, the average global worker spent 1734 hours annually at their workplace in 2018 (*). This figure is even higher in countries like China, Korea, and Mexico with 2255 hours spent per year, equaling ¼ of a lifetime.

Examples: 

  • Extra time off for business or continuous studies to meet the requirements of a promotion.
  • Newborn family members that need attention and care towards the development of an intimate relationship.

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ★★★★★
  • Online Shop Owner ★★★★★
  • Online Freelancer ★★★★★
  • Online Educator ★★★★★
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★★★
Home Office Happy FamilySad Daddy Away from Home

Remote work allows flexible working hours and saves time. There is no need for a work commute. Combined, these two factors will give you time to connect with your family without sacrificing your career growth potential.

The first option I recommend is to talk to your employer about working from home. Remote work is far more common than you might think and it’s only getting more and more popular.

If that’s not possible, you should consider any of the online work opportunities.

For example, a quick one to start would be freelancing and online coaching, both of which allow you to leverage the skills and experience you already have.

If you want to run an online business with minimal investment instead, you could try affiliate marketing. If you do have some capital, an online shop might be a good option for you.


6. Family Caregiving

Family Caregiver

If you can’t do a day job due to a newly born little one, or a sick family member, but still have a few hours to spend working, please know that millions of people are in the same situation(*).

Examples: 

  • A family member needs care due to age, diseases, or accident.

Challenges: 

  • You can work sporadically or even 8 hours daily, but not continuously enough to hold a traditional job

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ★★★★★
  • Online Shop Owner ★★★☆☆
  • Online Freelancer ★★★★★
  • Online Educator ★★★★☆
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★★☆

I’ll start by sharing my own experience. Back in 2016, I had to move to Spain with my husband and my 1.5 years old son. Luckily, my employer agreed to let me work remotely from Spain, thus allowing me to adapt to my new life comfortably.

If your employer is open to remote work, I suggest you explore this solution first.

Otherwise, you should consider online opportunities like freelancing, online coaching, and affiliate marketing. All three offer a good mix of potential and freedom. You can work from home at irregular intervals throughout the day so you can financially support your family without compromising your role as a caregiver.


7. Financial Burden

Loans

Consumer debt is a huge problem throughout the world. For example, the amount of debt owed by individuals in the US alone has already surpassed $4 trillion(*).

I know how difficult it can be since, in the past, I also struggled with my own student and wedding loans. I had to sacrifice my sleep, nutrition, and emotional health while worrying about paying it all back.

Examples: 

  • Credit card debt
  • Student loans
  • Auto loans
  • Mortgage payments

Challenges: 

  • Working multiple jobs to keep up with the loan payments, leaving no time for relaxation.
  • Ignoring important health factors to save money, e.g. sleeping time, quality of food.
  • Risking the loss of your current position, due to the stress of loans, which harms your health and thus work performance.

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ☆☆☆☆☆
  • Online Shop Owner ★★☆☆☆
  • Online Freelancer ★★★★★
  • Online Educator ★★★☆☆
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★☆☆

Freelancing is your best bet as you can begin earning extra income quickly and with no additional cost.

You can work on multiple projects at the same time to maximize your earning potential and build a secure source of income.

There are no strict schedules or minimum time investment, so you can work anywhere, anytime e.g. during lunch hour in a cafe, on a bus while travelling or after work in the comfort of your own home.

You can also try affiliate marketing and online coaching. However, these options will take some time before you’ll see any income.


8. Employment Discrimination on Basic Demographic Profile

Employment Discrimination

The form of employment discrimination can vary. It can be based upon your race, gender, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Just between 2010 and 2017, over 1 million cases of workplace discrimination were filed in the US alone (*). Worse yet, no compensation was awarded to victims in 82% of those cases (*).

Examples: 

  • Things outside your control, such as age, gender, and skin color.
  • Things that are hard to control. Such as the perception of the place where you live, study or work

Challenges: 

  • Inappropriate comments and treatment
  • Trouble getting promoted

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ☆☆☆☆☆
  • Online Shop Owner ★★★★★
  • Online Freelancer ★★★★★
  • Online Educator ★★★★☆
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★★★

Freelancing is a great option as people will judge you and pay you based on your skills and talent — not what you look like.

Another option would be to start an online business of your own. It could be affiliate marketing, online coaching, or running a digital shop.

As your own boss, you will be able to reach your full potential with the respect you deserve. Taking control of your career is not easy, but it’s definitely rewarding.


9. High Local Unemployment Rate

Not only does the unemployment rate vary across different countries, but it also differs from city to city.

Take Spain as an example. In 2018, the unemployment rate was lowest in Navarre at 10.5% whereas it was highest in Ceuta at 31.4% (*).

List of Spanish_autonomous communities by unemployment rate 2018 March

Examples: 

  • Economic climate change such as the global recession in 2008 or local economic policy shifts due to the change of political parties.
  • Change of the local labor market supply and demand in certain industries

Challenges: 

  • Some industries that used to be in high demand are getting saturated which makes it difficult for qualified university graduates to land a good job.
  • More people looking for jobs means more competition for each position. Therefore, on top of harsh terms and conditions, wages are driven low.

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ★★★★★
  • Online Shop Owner ★★★★☆
  • Online Freelancer ★★★★★
  • Online Educator ★★★★★
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★★★

As all remote job categories are global, the restraints of local unemployment rates become irrelevant if you choose one of these career options.

Remote jobs, freelancing, affiliate marketing, and online coaching — any of those options will allow you to have a thriving career regardless of the unemployment rate in your area.


10. Location Limitations

Location Limtation Traffic Jam-Night Time
While there aren’t any worldwide statistics for this one, a study in Canada has shown that 7% of all commuters spend more than 60 minutes travelling to work(*).

Examples: 

  • Living on the outskirts of an urban area to avoid the expensive rents in the city centre.
  • Lack of sophisticated career options in your area.

Challenges: 

  • Arriving late to work may harm both, your reputation and your income (in case of a punctuality policy).
  • An average daily commute of 2 hours not only wastes your time, but also eats up whatever energy you’ve got after an exhausting day at work.

Opportunities:

  • Remote Office Employee ★★★★★
  • Online Shop Owner ★★★★★
  • Online Freelancer ★★★★★
  • Online Educator ★★★★★
  • Affiliate Marketer ★★★★★

Any of the remote working categories will be a new love for you. Whether you want to work for someone else remotely or start your own business, a computer with internet access is all you need to launch.

Working remotely will give you the time and energy to focus on anything you want, as you’ll no longer have to travel for hours daily.


Time to Take the Next Step

As your first step, you’ve hopefully identified your unchangeable situation and acquired a basic understanding of what your best options are. 

If you are still in doubts, watch this video to see if you have This #1 Thing Holding You Back From The Next Level Of Life You Crave and how to crush it, which is produced by Dean Graziosi, a world known business coach, mentor, author and thought leader. 

Once you are able to sort these out, it’s time for you to march forward by taking any of the following steps:

1. Explore Your Options:

Read my dedicated post on how to discover the Opportunities Within Your Reach | The 5 Thriving Online Remote Jobs and Their Freedom Score.

2. Learn How To Start

Now you have a clear picture of your situation and the type of remote work you’re interested in. Are you wondering how and where to start?

I understand how hard this can seem at first, especially with so many enticing resources out there.

Stop worrying and jumpstart by reading about my Top Recommended Platforms and Tools For 5 Main Online Remote Job Models. I chose them based on countless hours of research and my actual experience as an online remote worker since 2008.

3. Still Not Sure Where To Go? Reach In-Depth with Your Understanding

As you may have noticed from my recommendations earlier, Online Freelancing, Affiliate Marketing, and Online Coaching are all fantastic options for anyone who wants to ditch their traditional job and turn to online remote work opportunities.

To learn more, read my dedicated post about The Top 5 Remote Work Models and My Recommendations.

 

Share Your Experience with Us

Did this post help you identify your limitations? How do you plan on tackling them? Does the next step still feel like a big challenge?

Let me know in the comments and I’ll personally help you out. Remember, we’re all in this together!