Living a life outside of the box is fun. Some might call it glamorous, even!
Many of my professional friends ask for advice on how to live a more fun life with more travel & a better work to play ratio.
Quitting your day job to globe trot around the world on a budget sounds extreme & frightening to some people. Some people enjoy working within a system & following a daily routine. That’s okay–the world needs those people! The world also needs us out-of-the-box thinkers who want to live outside of the rules of “the real world.”
If you’re feeling “stuck” in your routine or career, are ready to make changes but don’t know where to begin, or simply want to have more fun, this post is for you.
The first thing I want to remind you is that…
It takes time to build this lifestyle.
Exactly 3 years ago, I was sitting in a work meeting. I was one week away from leaving for Mexico to finish a yoga teacher training & my mind drifted off to sunny beaches & better days in Mexico. When I was tuned in to the meeting, what I heard was terrible. This was not a solution oriented meeting. These were dictators who were increasing their demands & offering less in return.
Just then, I vowed to leave my job. I set the intention to finish the yoga training & use it as a tool to get out. I had no idea how this would unfold.
In Mexico, I met my badass traveling yogi friend, Melissa. Melissa has a calm & confident aura that helped & inspired me. It felt as if destiny had intervened on my behalf to cause this friendship. I can’t tell you how many times Melissa talked me down from a ledge over the next 6 months– & that’s the amount of time it took to leave my job after I made the decision during that fateful meeting.
It took 6 months to develop the confidence to move forward, financially prepare myself to leave my income, declutter my life down to a backpack & suitcase, & to let a plan unfold naturally.
I stress the importance of giving an idea of this nature time to develop because this can be the difference between impulsivity & spontaneity.
This leads to a second important point.
Acting on impulse does not always get results.
Being free & spontaneous is fun! Acting out every impulse can lead to trouble.
We all have stressful days at work that make us want to immediately throw in the towel & hop the next flight to the Caribbean.
Running from problems in this manner is not a solution because the problems will be waiting with open arms when you return.
Unless the time is spent reflecting on & correcting the source of the struggles, it’s likely you will feel as if the same problems reoccur in every setting. In nearly every case, you are the source of your struggles & you are the master of your destiny.
It took six months of meditation & prayer for a sustainable plan to unfold that allowed me to leave my job. It was hard. I wanted to run away so many times during that six months. I didn’t. I sat with the struggles. I learned from the experiences. I left the company on good terms. More importantly, I was financially able to leave & had minimized my belongings to a point that packing up & going was easy & natural.
Finally, I recommend finding mentors & coaches who will support & encourage you when friends & family may not understand.
You are not the only person who has felt this desire to reject societal norms for a life of freedom. Bloggers, social media influencers, & Facebook groups are great sources of inspiration & places to find mentors. There is likely someone in the world who has done what you want to do. Find that person & connect. It’s easier than ever with the internet!
I leaned on my friend Melissa for advice & my coach Cheryl for guidance in creating a plan. Both of these ladies continue to give judgment free advice & encouragement.
I constantly remind myself that my friends & family only have the best intentions. They may not always agree with my choices, & they may approach me with fear & worry–but I know people who love me only want me to live the best possible life, even if it means going against the grain of society.
As an adult who paves my own way, it is important to honor the path that is before me.
The world needs each of us to be exactly where we are. Your dreams & desires are glamorous. Follow you own unique path. Listen to your intuition when it’s giving you a nudge. Live a glamorous life.
