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Owned by Melissa

The Free Range Dev

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Systems Thinking for Intentional Living From command line to coastline — building freedom that lasts, together.

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21 contributions to The Free Range Dev
AI Caricature
Out of curiosity, I did the ChatGPT caricature prompt currently trending on Facebook, except I changed the prompt a little bit to be a tighter and more goal-focused prompt. And then I gave it 10 photos of myself to make sure that the caricature was accurate. I love that it put one of my family babies in the picture with me. Lol. But this really is a pretty accurate depiction of my daily grind and where I am headed. Have you created an AI caricature of yourself? If so, feel free to share the image and prompt below.
AI Caricature
0 likes • 5d
@John Schlautman I think I'll turn it into a goal poster 🤩😆
What's your journey look like?
What's everyone working on? Whether you're a 9-5er, an entrepreneur, a stay-at-homer, an investor, or anything in between, tell us about your journey. It's fun to learn all the ways people are choosing to take action and direct their paths!
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What's your journey look like?
Messy Momentum > Perfect Stagnation
This came up in today’s Coffee Time, and it stuck with me. Lately, focus has been a real struggle for me.Not because I’m stuck — but because I’m split. I have a lot of things in motion at once, so I’m making a little progress everywhere… and finishing almost nothing.That creates the feeling of stagnation, even when the effort is there. What I’m noticing is this: Momentum breeds confidence, and momentum usually comes from completion, not perfection. When nothing gets fully finished, there’s no psychological win to stand on. No proof of movement. No confidence loop. So the shift I’m working on right now is simple: one thing → see it through → let the momentum land → then move on. Not clean. Not optimal. Just finished. Clean and optimal will come with time and experience. Do you feel stuck from either over-perfecting one thing — or from splitting your focus across too many things at once?
Messy Momentum > Perfect Stagnation
What’s On Autopilot — And What Still Needs Willpower?
Do you currently have any part of your life intentionally set up as a system? Where do you feel the most decision fatigue right now? (Not “perfect.” Just a repeatable chain of actions that removes small, daily decisions.) Systems aren’t about optimization or productivity theater. They’re about protecting attention. When lower-priority things are handled automatically — meals, money, workflows, routines — you stop renegotiating your life every day.That frees up energy for the things that actually matter. No pressure to fix anything. Just curious where everyone’s at.
Poll
2 members have voted
0 likes • 19d
Most of my systems are actually personal, not professional. That’s partly because my work and life overlap a lot — I work from home, homeschool my kids, and run the household. The systems I do have exist so professional time is even possible at all.They’re there to reduce interruption, decision fatigue, and background chaos — not to optimize work output. Where I feel the most friction is on the professional side.There’s more I could systemize there, and honestly, some of the issue isn’t systems at all — it’s boundaries. Noticing that distinction has been useful for me. It helps separate “I need a better process” from “I need a clearer line.” Curious how this shows up for others, especially if your work and life aren’t cleanly separated.
The Space Between Thought and Action
Ask yourself, "Where in my life am I reacting automatically instead of choosing intentionally?" A thought appears. A feeling follows. Neither requires action. Freedom lives in the pause -- right before the reflex kicks in. That pause is a skill. And skills can be practiced. 🧠 ✨
0 likes • 19d
Lately I’ve been noticing that I react on autopilot most around time and pressure. If I feel behind, my reflex is to tighten up, rush, or start stacking too many things into the day instead of stepping back and choosing what actually matters. The thought is “you’re behind,” the feeling is urgency… and then I treat that like it requires immediate action. I’m practicing catching that moment and asking: Is this actually urgent, or is this just an old pattern trying to run the day?Sometimes the more intentional choice is to slow down, simplify, or even not act yet. Still very much a work in progress — but I’m getting better at noticing the pause.
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Melissa Usher
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@melissa-usher-8633
From Command Line to Coastline- Breaking Stuff, Building Income, Living Free–Together | Dev, Entrepreneur, & Life Hacks | Join us & build your freedom

Active 2d ago
Joined Aug 16, 2025