My teacher once yelled, “Matt, did you hear a word I just said?”
I stared blankly back at her, scanning the room for clues about what she might have said.
“Erm, yes, yes, I was, sorry,” I mumbled, hoping that would be the end of it.
She wasn’t convinced.
She asked me to repeat it. (I couldn’t.)
She sighed and moved on.
That pretty much sums up most of my school days, honestly.
I was always somewhere else in my head, daydreaming, doodling, thinking about anything other than what was on the board.
What were we even learning, besides some stuff about angles, shapes, and… tech-tonic plates?
Not every class was like that, to be fair. Some teachers had a pulse.
But most of the time, it felt like the real lesson was simply:
“Here’s how to be normal. Here’s how to fit in. Here’s how to follow the script.”
And for a while, I bought it.
I thought that was just what you did.
What School Doesn’t Teach You
It wasn’t until years later, thanks, internet, that I realised school never taught me any of the stuff that actually matters.
Nobody pulled me aside and said, “Hey Matt, did you know you can build your own thing? Or that you don’t have to work a normal job if you don’t want to?”
Nope. Not a word.
Instead, you get a conveyor belt:
Learn this. Pass that test. Get the grade. Go get a job.
Repeat.
But outside the classroom? That’s where life actually happens.
The real world doesn’t care if you can recite the periodic table or draw a perfect triangle. It wants to know:
Can you solve problems?
Can you teach yourself new skills?
Can you create something out of nothing?
If you can my friend, guess what? You to can build an online freedom based business.
The Path To Real Freedom
It’s only when you get online and start seeing what other people are doing that your brain almost short-circuits:
Wait, you mean you don’t have to do the 9-5 thing?
You can build a business from your mobile phone?
You can learn literally anything you want, whenever you want?
Mad.
For me, most of the stuff I actually use in my life came from school.
But from working with people who were years ahead of me.
Who knew things that I didn’t.
And were already living the kinda lifestyle I always wanted…freedom.
You Can Start Your Own Online Business
Honestly, I probably learned a handful of useful things at school.
Making friends.
Paper aeroplanes
And some Geography stuff that’s helped with some of my travels.
Everything else? Self-taught by this thing we call life.
School didn’t teach me how to:
- Start something from scratch
- Sell an idea
- Get comfortable with failing (and trying again)
- Learn on my own
- Connect with people doing weird, interesting, outside-the-box things
And that’s kind of wild, when you think about it.
Because those are the skills that actually matter.
Especially if you crave something different, want to not feel boxed in, are a little creative, or like me…
You don’t seem to fit in to the ‘norm’.
You’re Allowed To Be More Than “Normal”
Look, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a regular job, if that’s your thing.
All power to you.
I’m the type of guy who’s happy if others are happy.
And I’m tired of all the “laptop” lifestyle people putting down everyone else…like, c’mon.
But if you ever felt like you wanted more, or just something different you have options.
Because here’s what I’ve learnt:
You don’t have to be one of the herd.
You don’t have to follow the script.
You get to write your own.
You can be different and grow your freedom based business.
Turns out, life’s a pretty good teacher, if you’re willing to learn.
So the question is, where do you start?
That makes for a whole other blog, but try this: Ask yourself these questions, and make sure to jot them down onto some paper (or a phone because it’s like 2025 right now…).
1) What excites you?
2) What do you enjoy doing?
3) What do you want to do, but you tell yourself “it won’t work”?
4) What does your perfect day look like? Not what you see on social media, but YOUR day?
5) What don’t you like doing and would drop in a heartbeat?
6) What problems do you solve/can you solve?
7)What do people come to you for advice on?
These are some questions to get those creative juices flowing.
And here’s the thing, you have to let yourself be free when tackling them.
Why? Because you’ve likely been shaped to what society wants you to do.
So think outside the box.
What’s one thing you wish school had actually taught you? I’m all ears, drop it in the comments.
Employed to unemployable -The Life Of a Freedom Based 'Business'. 
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