At every intersection, a group of children approach my car with squeegees in hand. They want to clean my windshield in exchange for a few cents, maybe a dollar.

There’s only one problem: I never have cash on me.

No matter how much I want to thank these children for their work, I have nothing to offer them!

So, I ask them to stop.

I lower my window, and I tell them, “Hey, sorry, but I don’t have any cash to give you. Please don’t wash my windshield.”

They don’t stop. The water bottle gets poured onto my windshield and the squeegee goes to work.

Frustrated, I insist, “Seriously, I’m really sorry, but I have nothing to give you. I wish I did. Please stop because I can’t give you any cash. I’d feel terrible if you wash my windows if I have nothing to give you in exchange.”

They look at me, angry and reluctant to stop. For a second, I’m afraid I’m going to get a squeegee to the face, but I plead with them to believe me. I tell them that if I had the cash on me, I’d gladly help them out. I just don’t have any today.

They squint their eyes at me, wondering if I’m telling the truth. After a second, they relent and say, “Next time?” I tell them, “Yes, definitely. Next time I’ll have cash, and you can wash my windshield.”

They smile and walk away.

The Power of Hope

It burns a hole in my heart that these children and their squeegees can be so full of anger one second and then so calm the next.

All because I promised them a “next time.” All because they have the hope for the future.

Is it up to me to turn their hope into reality? I need to start carrying cash.

Don’t we do the same things, though? Don’t we turn our own scowls into a smile when we think there’s a next time?

If a client turns me down, I get down on myself. The only thing that cheers me up is the possibility of the next one.

If I get tired during a workout and give up, I get down on myself. The only thing that cheers me up is the possibility of the next one.

If my husband and I miss a “date night”, I get downright depressed. The only thing that cheers me up is the possibility of the next one.

The role of hope in our lives is more uplifting than we think. We lead these busy-bee lives, chasing goal after goal, validation after validation. What if we stopped for a second and smiled at the possibility that it will all work out?

If hope grants us contentment, I’m all for it. Especially when it comes to my career.

Starting Admist Twists & Turns

From time to time, people send me emails asking for advice or a Skype call. Most of these conversations end up focused on the same questions because people want to know how I “did it.”

Why does everyone go about it the wrong way? They tell me:

“I just don’t know what I want to do yet.”

“I haven’t gotten that grand idea yet.”

“I’m not sure what my passion is.”

Who said that every single person has one true passion, and you have to wait for that to do something awesome?

In reality, there isn’t one thing you’re aiming for. The direction you’re sailing toward keeps changing, and that’s okay — as long as you keep going forward.

It’s possible for you, too, if you’ll just do the work.

What I mean by “do the work” isn’t what you’d expect. Yes, I think that you need to learn constantly and develop amazing skills, but there’s something else you have to do, too.

Open Up & Share Yourself

It’s not like I “did it” because I knew what my passion is. I have no idea what my passion is! I just do what feels good, and I follow what excites me in the moment.

All I’ve done is explore.

If there’s one thing I’ve accomplished it’s being brave enough to share my explorations with the world.

This is why everyone should start a blog. (Don’t know how? Learn how here.)

I don’t care if you share your writing, your videos or your photos. Just start a blog because you need to explore what’s inside yourself.

Nothing great happens without exploring and sharing your true self.

I know it’s scary. That’s why you haven’t done it yet. You’re thinking:

“What will my friends and family say? Will they make fun of me?”

“What if nobody follows my work? Will I be a failure?”

“What if I actually fail and everyone is watching?”

Everyone fears that stuff. Some people do their work despite the fear, and others don’t.

Pinpointing one single passion won’t solve all your problems, but continuously exploring your interests will put you on a path to an awesome life.

All the greats put themselves out there and explored what moved them. All the greats were vulnerable enough to share their loves with the world. All the greats trusted in the hope that their journey would be worth it.

Do you want to do something great? Share yourself and put yourself out there. More on this in my book Life Is What I Say It Is ➜

The post How to Start: Why I Don’t Want to Find My Passion appeared first on The Perpetual Vacation.

* * *

Sometimes, the corniest things in life are the most worthwhile. My new habit is one of those things, and it’s a simple way to change your life forever.

It starts with the word “grateful”, which Google defines as “feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful.” My parents taught me to say “please” and “thank you” to others, but the habit of saying it to the world was something I learned all on my own.

It started with this: Each day, I jot down three things I’m grateful for.

I try to remember every day, but it doesn’t always happen. When I do forget, I don’t get mad at myself. When I remember, though, I’m transported to a place of wonder, like watching a video of your childhood from a place of love and laughter. To be grateful is to be intoxicatingly fulfilled.

It’s a simple practice, and one that doesn’t take much time. To show you an example, here’s what I jotted down one day a few months ago:

March 30th, 2013

1. The fact that JJ and I are sore from a workout we conquered together
2. The bowl of fruits I just enjoyed
3. The sun beating down outside

Let’s face it. That’s kind of corny. Just sharing that with all of you makes me feel a bit icky inside, but it’s worth it, and I’ll tell you why.

The simple practice of learning to be grateful has caused important changes in my life for two reasons:

• Life goes too fast. We all wish time would slow down. We need more time to savor each moment a little longer.
• The human mind isn’t trained for the present. Noticing what’s around us feels wonderful, but we rarely do it because our brains are hard-wired to prepare us for the future, instead.

So, how did I get started?

Like any new habit, starting out isn’t easy. To soften the blow, I started small.

My daily task consists of only two steps:

1. Pull out my iPhone.
2. Jot down the date and three things I’m grateful for.

Sounds easy, right? That’s because I designed it that way.

I purposefully kept my list to three so that I’d never be too lazy or intimidated to start. If I had aimed for a list of ten items per day, chances are I would’ve failed. Three is a great number to start with. It’s also an easy number to come up with. Many times, I go over my scheduled list of three because I keep thinking of wonderful things and moments I’m grateful for, and I end up with five or six.

Sometimes, the items on my list are silly — like our puppy’s funny new haircut. Other times, the items on my list are meaningful — like my struggle to make some progress on my upcoming book. All of them, though, are amazing and hilarious and wonderful. Wrap all of them together, and you get me.

I look back on my past lists with such joy. Just reading my past entries and all the moments I’ve felt grateful for makes me smile deep inside my heart.

Is that even possible?

Can a heart smile? If you learn to be grateful, you’ll know the answer.

Building great habits has helped me lead a life of happiness and fulfillment. This habit included!

I want to hear from you:

Could you try being grateful for a few things each day?

Are there things you’ve been griping about that you could be grateful for instead?

Is all this gratefulness talk too corny for you? Why is that?

 Leave your thoughts on this and your stories in the comments.

* * *

PS. If you enjoyed this article, you may enjoy my book Life Is What I Say It Is. I cover topics that will help you gain freedom and contentment.

Learn more about Life Is What I Say It Is ➜

The post The Greatest Advice I Ever Gave Myself: Be Grateful appeared first on The Perpetual Vacation.

Thanks for becoming a part of the TPV community — you are amazing.

And onto the post…

***

You’re wrong about me.

You think I’ve got it all figured out, and I’m living an amazing life. You think I never make mistakes, and I’m just lucky in that every single thing works for out me. You think I’ve accomplished all of this stuff because I’m more gifted than you are.

You’re wrong. All of that is untrue.

I’ve made more mistakes than I’d care to admit. I’ve been more of a flop than I have been a success. I’ve lost tens of thousands of dollars to unwise business decisions. I’ve eaten an entire box of cereal in one sitting. I’ve given up on some projects because I’m too scared to launch them.

In the wise, wise words of Steve Furtick,

“We compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”

I’m not a never-ending highlight reel, and neither are you. We all make huge mistakes. But mistakes bring incredible value to our lives ONLY if we:

1. Identify them as such.
2. Reflect on them and why they happened.
3. Stomp on them and never, ever let them back in our lives.

There are a few mistakes that are the biggest and most critical in terms of their impact on our lives. Without these mistakes, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Neither would you.

Mistakes are golden if we go about them the right way.

Here are the biggest mistakes I’ve seen all of us make — and a plan to stomp on them:

#1: You Doubt Yourself

Do you feel paralyzed every time you watch the people you admire most? Do you feel like you’ll never be like them, that you’ll never reach their heights?

I’ve felt that when I read amazing posts by other bloggers, or when I interview people that I admire for my upcoming book. I’ve felt that when I press Publish on a blog post that reveals too much about myself (like this one).

I’d like to take all that self-doubt and throw it over a cliff. It’s useless.

Every single time I feel afraid that I won’t be able to pull something off, I try it anyway. Guess what? Usually, it works out.

Tip: When you think you can’t do something, lean into the fear and try it anyway.

#2: You Self-Edit

The biggest reason why people struggle to write anything is that their urge to edit themselves is higher than their desire to express themselves freely. Writers stare at a blank page because they’re afraid that anything they jot down should be better.

How about no?

Who says you need to get it right on the first try? Who says you can’t throw some ideas out there before polishing them?

Tip: Leave the editing for later. There’s no room for editing in self-expression or a first draft.

#3: You Wait

Let me guess. That project you’ve been wanting to start — the one you’ve been brainstorming for months — is still on the back burner. You’re waiting because you can’t start until something else falls into place.

If you wait around before you start your project, it’s never going to happen.

I’m waiting for a new Moleskine before I start writing.

I’m waiting to buy a new easel before I start painting.

I’m waiting for that new laptop before I start coding.

These don’t sound like waiting. These sound like excuses.

I’m guilty of this all the time. Every time I have an idea or urge to write, I tell myself not to — all because I can’t find my notebook or I’m driving. If I can’t find my notebook, why not use a napkin, a stray piece of paper or my iPhone? If I’m driving, why not dictate into iPhone? Because it’s all in my head.

I also used to do this with working out. If I didn’t have time to go to the gym, I’d stall and postpone my workout for another day. Now, I just get it done in less time and in my own bedroom. You don’t need equipment to do pushups, jumping jacks, and mountain climbers. And it’s awesome.

Tip: Stop waiting and start doing.

We all make mistakes. Only some of us make something awesome out of them. Will you?

If you enjoyed this article, you may enjoy my book Life Is What I Say It Is. It covers topics that will help you enjoy more freedom and contentment in your life. Also included are interviews of amazing success stories from Julien Smith (NYTimes best-selling author and now CEO of a steal startup), Nathan Barry (designer turned author turned awesome), Jean Powell (beer sales extraordinaire) and more.

Learn more about Life Is What I Say It Is ➜

The post 3 Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making appeared first on The Perpetual Vacation.

It’s going be AWESOME, and time is running out. If you want to learn about achieving freedom in your life, sign up for the book. Hint: freedom usually leads to fulfillment, meaning, purpose, and lots of other cool stuff.

* * *

The hottest thing on the market right now isn’t a high paying job anymore — it’s freedom.

“I wish I could work in my PJs.”

“I wish I could work out at 11AM if I wanted.”

“I wish I could work on something that matters, something meaningful.”

I hear this all the time. The last time someone told me this was just two hours ago. I’ll hear it again tomorrow.

I do all that stuff people wish for almost every day — and it’s awesome — but that is not what freedom is all about.

Some days, I work like mad. On Monday, I rolled out of bed at 6:15AM and worked in my PJs for five wonderous hours. Other days, I take it easy. Yesterday, I ended a Skype call with a new friend because I had a Devil Wears Prada DVD date with my husband who feels sick.

When you’re free, every day is different. It’s up to you to make it wonderful.

A person that yearns for freedom and dedicates time and effort to achieving it is a freedom seeker. A person who values their time on this planet and works to do the best possible with that time here is a freedom seeker. A person who wants to live life on their own terms is a freedom seeker.

Whether you want to be free from your job, your uncertainty or your lack of a meaningful life, I’d like to help. From my experience getting to know people who have crafted a lifestyle of their own, here are five habits that freedom seekers have in common.

#1: Freedom seekers know themselves

Scheduling meetings is a pain, especially when you want to talk to people who are super successful, which means super busy. Sometimes that means Skype calls on the weekend.

Me on the other hand? I’m not busy at all. I used to be a busy person, until I decided to stop.

I’ve noticed that all the people who I admire the most spend an incredible amount of time becoming in touch with their wants and needs. They invest time in getting to know themselves and what they want their lives to look like. It’s not by coincidence that they seem to grow their businesses and lifestyles in a way that seems so fitting, so free, so fulfilling.

If you look in my Moleskin journal from last year, there’s an entry that says this:

Marcella’s dream day: Wake up at 6AM and write. Workout. Lunch with someone I love. Afternoon follow-up on client work. Dinner with husband.

I achieve most of that every day. I’ve purposefully built my business in a way that allows me to have a very hands-on approach at the start of a project — but when it’s time for me to let go and let the team do their thing, I let go knowing that it’s all in great hands.

If you want to get to know yourself better, ask yourself some of these questions:

• What do I want to feel like in five or ten years?
• What does my ideal day look like?
• If I had no chance of failing, what would I try?
• What are the activities I hate the most — and how can I get rid of them?

#2: Freedom seekers think ahead

How many times have you said YES to something you completely regretted later? How many times have you said NO to something you were too afraid to try?

Of all the people I admire as freedom seekers, I haven’t come across a single one that hasn’t talked about strategically accepting or rejecting opportunities.

Some opportunities aren’t beneficial to your future and your plans for an ideal day (even if they’re super lucrative and the money is luring you in, an ice cream on a hot day). Maybe you should avoid that? On the other hand, some things are scary. It wasn’t easy to stand up on a stage and talk to people with the TEDx red dot under my feet. I was afraid, but I got it done because it was important for my future. It was important for my quest of true freedom. (More about this below on point #5.)

Your every day contributes to your future. How you spend it determines how quickly you will gain freedom.

If you want to prepare for your future freedom, ask yourself some of these questions:

• What path did the people you admire take?
• What kind of opportunities would get you to freedom quickest?
• What activities aren’t contributing to your freedom at all? How can you get rid of them?

#3: Freedom seekers value experiences

Being in charge of your day is incredibly empowering. Sadly, very few people can call the shots on how they spend their time. It’s frustrating and depressing. As David Cain wrote in a recent article:

“The time I feel most deprived is when I wake up and remember that it’s Monday, and that my day will not be mine today.”

Most of the people I admire, freedom seekers and life enjoyers, put their money and time into experiences before material goods.

I travel to conferences and to see family because I value my experiences with people over any other kind of material good. A trip might cost the same as a new handbag, but I promise you the handbag won’t help me achieve much, whereas the trips help me in invaluable ways. Bonus: I’ve decided that my experience at these conferences would be even better if JJ came with me. He’ll be traveling to Fargo, Portland and San Francisco with me very soon. (Happy dance!)

Experiences are the small increments you’re life is made of. What else could matter more?

If you want to find some experiences that could help you enrich your life, ask yourself some of these questions:

• What kind of experiences make me feel empowered, joyful, loved? Can I repeat them?
• When I put value in material goods, what happiness am I seeking in them?
• When can I set aside some time to invest in incredible experiences to feel amazing and do good?

#4: Freedom seekers gather together

Doesn’t every group of awesome people feel a bit like a clique? I know that the group of bloggers I admire all hang out together. Same goes for the startup cofounders that rock, the investors that dominate, and the writers that appear on all the best publications.

Why is that? It’s simple — because they all value community and learn from each other.

Last weekend, I spent time with a group of entrepreneurs that visited Nicaragua as part of Under30CEO’s Experiences trip. The group brainstormed very cool ideas, learned about micro finance, but also forged incredible new relationships. Now, everyone is back home sitting behind their desks and doing the same work they did before the trip — except they now have a vision of what is possible and a network of people to lean on to make it happen.

That is GOLD.

I’ve been a part of a mastermind group and a few informal community gatherings. They are where I feel the most at home and accepted.

All because we share interests and make each other feel that what we’re striving for is possible.

If you want to gather around other freedom seekers, ask yourself some of these questions:

• What events are happening in my area?
• How could my networking attempts change if I assumed everyone I approach is already my friend?
• Who do I admire? Can I reach out to them?
• Who else do I know is a freedom seeker? Can I grab some coffee with them?

#5: Freedom seekers never stop learning

Nobody was born an expert — not even Tim Ferriss, Oprah, or any of the other amazing freedom seekers I admire. How do they continue to pile success on top of success, year after year? They never stop learning.

You know those moments when you’re stressed or bored, and you open up Facebook just to relax? I do the same thing — with educational articles. Instead of wasting my day away perusing photos and gossip, I read about to get better at my craft. I’m no expert, but I’m always striving to learn more so that I can do what I love better and better.

Improving your skills will allow you to seek more freedom in your life.

The formula is simple — if you’re awesome at what you do, you can demand more leeway in your business and career ventures. The better you are, the more you can pull off on your own terms. Clients will want to work with you no matter what. You get freedom, clients get awesome results.

Freedom seekers never stop learning.

If you want to learn continuously, ask yourself some of these questions:

• Where can I learn more about my craft?
• What topics interest me enough to keep me up at night on Google?
• What skill can I try to polish over the next few weeks?
• What is something I think is in big demand but hardly anyone masters yet?

Are you seeking freedom?

My message is not about working in your PJs if you want to or making tons of money without a boss breathing down your neck. My message isn’t about slacking off.

Those things aren’t freedom.

My message is about sharing yourself with the world because the world needs it. Amazing things happen when you do. That is freedom.

But you won’t believe me until you try it, will you?

If you enjoyed this article, you may enjoy my book Life Is What I Say It Is. I go into detail on topics that will help you enjoy more freedom and contentment in your life. Also included are the interviews where I got many of these ideas. You can learn from entrepreneurs and general badasses like Julien Smith (NYTimes best-selling author), Nathan Barry (ConvertKit), Matt Wilson (Under30CEO) and more.

Learn more about Life Is What I Say It Is ➜

The post What Is Freedom? 5 Habits of Freedom Seekers appeared first on The Perpetual Vacation.

It’s going be AWESOME, and time is running out. If you want to learn about achieving freedom in your life, sign up for the book. Hint: freedom usually leads to fulfillment, meaning, purpose, and lots of other cool stuff.

* * *

My favorite memories are all embarrassing as hell.

You know which ones I’m talking about.

The ones that make your face squish up as you try to forget it ever happened. The ones that make you giggle and squee with glee. The ones where you aren’t quite sure how you let your guard down so low.

The silly memories are the ones that make you smile when you remember them. None of those include taking life seriously. Not a single one.

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, here are some of my favorites:

That time I tripped on the stairs in front of a cute guy, who didn’t try to help.

That time I turned bright red (face, ears, and neck) when I met someone I admired.

That time I was singing at the top of my lungs when someone suddenly turned down the volume.

That time I sat in a room full of head-honcho type businessmen and made them laugh at my jokes.

That time I tripped onstage during my TEDx Talk.

Just kidding, that last one didn’t happen, but it would’ve been hilarious. Seriously, though, I have realized something huge:

All my amazing adventures sprout from being myself — never from being serious and acting like someone else.

Judging by all the adventures I’ve embarked on over the past few years, I’d say it has worked for me. Likewise, I vote that you could live life the way you want to live it.

There are three main reasons I think silliness and being yourself can help you in your life. I can’t make any decisions for you, but allow me to explain why I think this way. Then, you can decide for yourself.

1. It Catapults Enjoyment

Every few weekends, JJ and I drive down to San Juan del Sur to hang out at the beach. We’ll drive there on Friday night, and return on Monday mornings before work. It’s a two-hour drive — way too long for a Friday night — but I always look forward to the trip so much.

Guess why.

Every trip, I crank up the music, sing at the top of my lungs and play air drums the entire way there. It’s a little private concert for JJ’s suffering ears. (Don’t believe me? Ask JJ.)

Is it super attractive? Probably not. Is it incredibly fun? Hell yes.

We only have one chance to experience each moment. Why not enjoy the hell out of it?

I’ve learned one thing: how to enjoy myself.

Whether it’s bad traffic, a last-minute change of plans or a terrible client meeting, I’ve learned to roll with the punches and have a laugh about it instead.

My life has changed for the better because of it.

Note: I’m no Buddha master.There are of course certain things that still irk me, but I’m working on improving that. I’m trying to take a more light-hearted approach to what bothers me. I’ll let you know if laughing works.

2. It Activates Acceptance

When you’re singing at the top of your lungs, I promise you are weeding out the people who aren’t right for you.

This is the advice I give my friends who are dating or meeting new people. All we have in our power is to be ourselves, and the rest falls into place somehow. In the words of Dr. Brené Brown:

“Don’t try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer.”

Weeding out those who aren’t right for you means you are left only with the people who love you, who accept you, who truly want you around.

Feeling accepted by your inner circle is the comforting equivalent of a deep, deep breath.

Some smart people believe that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, but I’d take it a bit further.

Hanging out with and being accepted by amazing people will catapult the kinds of adventures you try.

If you hang out with people who don’t travel, chances are you won’t attempt that round-the-world trip you’ve been eyeing. I’ve written extensively about community before (we have our own, too), but I want you to remember one thing: being accepted for being your true self is the most fulfilling path to success.

You can succeed by not being true to yourself, sure, but it doesn’t sound too fun to me.

3. It Sparks Your Growth (In Your Career, Too)

Bringing my whole self to the table isn’t just about acceptance — it’s about growth. It has definitely sparked my growth in ways I never expected — especially when it comes to the career paths I chose to follow.

There’s a difference between striving for what we think we should want (not being true to yourself) and striving for what feels right inside (being true to yourself). In the words of Paul Graham:

“Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. It causes you to work not on what you like, but what you’d like to like.”

Now that I think back on my time working for a boss, my time working for myself, and my time writing for all of you, one thing is crystal clear:

Nobody has ever hired me for being fake.

In my experience, the clients and business who hire me after getting to know me better — silliness and all — end up being the best clients of all. Here are some of the benefits I’ve enjoyed after being hired for truly being myself:

• Value. I feel valued for the experience and knowledge I bring to the table, not just for the work they need me to execute on their terms.
• Improvement. I’m free to mention experiences I’ve had with other clients or my own personal projects. As a result, project improve.
• Flexibility. I’m free to spend my time as I see fit, getting things done but also nourishing other parts of my life.
• Friendliness. I’m free to keep each meeting and encounter light and free of stress. There’s nothing better than feeling a degree of friendliness in a business meeting.

Freedom is a popular theme in my life, in case you haven’t noticed. My upcoming book is about that very topic. All of us desire more freedom to some degree, don’t we?

I’m curious to know what you make of all this silliness.

Can you be silly in your day-to-day life?

Are you being yourself? If not, what are your concerns?

I’d love to hear from you. Leave your stories in the comments!

* * *

PS. If you want to be an early adopter and learn first about special discounts, remember to sign up for my upcoming book, Life Is What I Say It Is. It’s going be AWESOME. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

The post 3 Reasons You Should Be Silly As Hell & Sing At the Top of Your Lungs appeared first on The Perpetual Vacation.

There’s nothing like a near death experience to get a human being to re-think that boring job. There’s nothing like the recovery of a terminally ill patient to suddenly jumpstart that trip they never got around to taking.

The inevitability of death can cause incredible reactions within us, like finally living the life of our dreams or emerging to a new clarity and zest for adventurous living.

Gandhi may have said these magic words first, but it now seems like the entire universe has uttered the same phrase at some point:

“Live is if you were to die tomorrow.”

The problem occurs when you think about death-as-a-motivator too much. It starts invading your thoughts in ways you don’t want it to.

A few weeks ago, I watched a movie in bed with JJ. The night was absolutely perfect. The A/C was cranking, the covers pulled up to our chins, and our bodies tangled up in a permanent hug.

When the movie ended, we snuggled up even tighter and exchanged our I love you‘s. Extra corny with a dash of awesome.

Until I started bawling uncontrollably.

Foreboding Joy Sucks

To say JJ was confused would be the understatement of the century. Through my sniffles, I tried to explain:

“What if something happens to you? What if something happens to me? This is so perfect. I don’t want it to end.”

Granted, we were watching a creepy movie, but nothing to elicit a tear session. It wasn’t the movie that had caused me to break out in tears.

I was so happy, all I could think about was the possibility of that happiness going away.

Sounds super strange, right? I know, it’s ridiculous, but I’m not the only one.

The strange fear of losing all the awesome stuff in life is quite common.

The very next day, I found out why.

One of my favorite people in the entire universe is Brené Brown. I discovered her at a conference last year, and I’ve devoured most of her writings and videos ever since. The very same weekend of my cryfest with JJ, Brené was a guest on Oprah, and I had my mom record it for me.

I dream of becoming someone like Oprah. Coincidence? I think not.

The morning after my cryfest, I got the chance to watch their episode. In it, Brené said the very thing that explains my outburst of fear:

“If you ask me what’s the most terrifying, difficult emotion we experience as humans, I would say joy.”

Holy ouch.

Motivation’s Back-Up Plan

Living life as if it’s going to end is wonderfully motivating but also terribly depressing — especially when I think about all the good stuff in my life that could instantly disappear.

Expiration dates can’t be the only motivators.

I’m a particularly motivated person. There’s a concrete mission behind my work, and that’s not easily deterred.

If death makes me cry like a little girl, what else could I use to keep me going?

This past weekend, I spent time with a group of awesome up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Their stories struck me more than I thought they would. Some of them are already trying out businesses of their own, but most of them are still looking for ways to break free from the corporate life to do something truly meaningful.

That’s a popular theme in my life — running into people who yearn to do something of their own, something that matters.

While we sat down to dinner, one of the budding entrepreneurs and I were talking about the success this blog has experienced, and what I’ve done with my life. I said to him:

“You can do this, too. That’s the whole point.”

Instead of focusing on death (and bawling during happy moments), I’m focusing on showing other people just how easily they too can live an awesome life.

This is all right here for you. You can create the life you want. If I did it, you can, too.

Update: Something Is A-Comin’…

A few years ago, I told JJ:

“I have a rocket pack strapped to my back. Are you ready to join me?”

I wasn’t joking.

Over the past few months, I’ve been working on my new book. Soon, I’ll be announcing where you can get it. Don’t worry, all articles on this blog will continue to be free forever.

I don’t want to ruin the surprise just yet, but I’ll tell you a bit more about it:

Imagine a life where you set the rules. You choose what to do with your time. You choose to create projects you enjoy. You choose who to work with. You choose to take care of your mind and body.

All of that is possible.

Here’s the hard truth: I can’t tell you how to make money on your own. I can’t tell you how to quit your job and find your passion. I can’t tell you what to do next. BUT…

I will tell you how I did it.

I am living proof that it’s not necessary to live your life filled with obligations you hate. I’ve learned what works online (and what doesn’t) – and now I’m sharing these simple lessons to help you succeed.

I promise the book will be a more in-depth look at what makes an awesome life — full of funny stories, inspirational questions, workbooks to help you apply it all to your life, and some research to back it all up. (Let’s be serious, though — stories are more fun than research.)

Keep an eye out for it next week. (Or, you know, on Monday.)

Thanks for hanging out with me here on TPV. I appreciate your support so much — but I also appreciate the fact that you share my beliefs and values. There’s no better feeling than being surrounded by a powerful community of awesome-seekers. You’re awesome.

Wishing you awesomeness,

The post The Downside to Motivation: My Hilarious Breakdown appeared first on The Perpetual Vacation.

Awesomeness is the philosophy behind every single superhero movie and list of rankings that ever existed. Both Batman and the New York Times Best Seller List — all crafted to showcase awesomeness.

← Growing up, we exhibit courageous awesomeness during Halloween.

On a regular day, though, awesomeness is tough to achieve. The amount of bravery and courage needed to achieve awesomeness means most people never consider themselves awesome.

What if we changed our approach to awesomeness?

Most people think about the different paths in life in terms of actions. For example:

How should I go about achieving my dream job?

How should I approach that hottie I like?

I see things differently.

Instead of focusing on the different paths of action, I focus on attitude and perception:

How can I have an awesome time while doing cool work?

How can I make the most of every single day before I die?

Yeah, it’s a bit morbid. Motivation is like that sometimes.

When the focus shifts to attitude and perception of what’s around me, I’m much more able to inject my personality and self into what I do. I’m also able to give myself the permission to be AWESOME, no matter what I’m doing.

Discovering awesomeness is absolutely free.

Looking back on my life, I could divide my years in two phases. Let’s look at each of those in depth:

• Before the Blog: I spent the first twenty-three years of my life being groomed to get a job. I went to school, took advanced placements classes, went to a great university, and got a great job. All to achieve one goal: to receive a consistent paycheck. I was not quite sure what I enjoyed, nor what made me feel exhilarated. The money rolled in, while my enjoyment rolled out.
• After the Blog: Over the last three years, I’ve written a free blog for all to read. I’ve discovered more about myself than ever before, and I feel 100% activated. My interests and activities have changed There’s no money coming in from the free blogging, but my life switch is finally switched ON.

Which one do you think is more awesome? From the hundreds of emails I receive from all of you — which I absolutely love — I know that there is awesomeness you are seeking.

If you’re experience is anything like mine (which is really all I know), you may discover the path to awesomeness by doing stuff for free.

But How Will I Survive?

Last week, I received an email from a friend in need of a simple website with a very low budget. I could’ve turned him away easily with an “I’m busy right now” email, but I decided not to. I replied and told him, “Listen, if I was in your shoes, this is what I would do…” It resulted in about three or four hours of me doing free work for him, but I helped him very easily set up a simple website for free.

To his business, it makes all the difference. To me, it’s just a few hours of easy work. I did it gladly.

I do it because it fulfills my purpose and is incredibly fun — though, I can’t do everything for free. We all need to eat.

Doing favors for people has gotten lots of great karma on my side. Not always, but sometimes.

Great karma may turn into future paid work.

When I look back on the three years I’ve been in the blogging world, I realize that I’ve done lots of stuff for free. Here are some examples:

• Writing two blog posts (almost) every week
• Contributing articles to other blogs around the internet
• Teaching a virtual writing class each Saturday morning
• Gathering a community of entrepreneurs in Managua and online
• Giving a TEDx talk on turning hobbies into careers

I do stuff for free because it helps me:

• Practice and improve my craft
• Make lots of new friends who share my beliefs
• Get the word out about what I do

I never do free work in the hopes of gaining something later on, but I’ve experienced great opportunities and luck after doing something for free.

What If It Doesn’t Work?

Sometimes, doing work for free doesn’t work — and it sucks.

My online writing class failed last week in a big white cloud of inactivity. All because I gave it away for free.

For two weeks, I prepared hours and hours of content to share with a select group of people. In the end, it served me to practice and try new things out, sure.

It’s still a sad thing to see happen.

Free is rarely valued as much as it should be.

Here are some examples of money being tied to our perception of value:

• The apps I download and then ignore are usually the free ones. I’ll rarely delete an app I paid for.
• The time I value the most is the time I pay for. That’s why vacations are so popular.
• The books I never read and usually the free ones.

But when it works, it works. 

There are plenty of examples of free stuff that we value very highly. Seth Godin’s blog is completely free, and almost everyone I know reads it daily. Mostly, though, the stuff I value the highest is the stuff I’ve paid for.

How Can I Tell The Difference?

When I’m deciding to do something for free or not, it’s always a tough choice. Being clear on what I want for my life makes it much easier to make a quality choice.

1. It doesn’t interfere with my must-haves. I want to express myself, travel, experience awesome stuff, and spend time with my family. If I can work on a project for free without giving up any of those, why the hell not?
2. It teaches and stretches me in my craft. I want to continue learning all the time, putting myself in new situations and experiences. If I can learn new ways to go about my craft, I’ll go for it.

My recommendation is this: first, know what you want your life to be like. If doing free work doesn’t interfere with that — and helps you achieve it — definitely do some free experimentation.

Your Turn to Start Doing

I’m the first to say that it’s important to value yourself and make your life sustainable, but I’ve gained so much by doing the exact opposite. I give away so much for free (like I do on this blog) because my purpose calls me to do it.

Doing awesome stuff doesn’t always mean charging for it. It means helping people. Are you willing to help?

I’d love to hear from you:

What do you think about doing stuff for free?

Have you tried it? What were your results?

Could doing stuff for free help you in some way?

Leave your ideas and stories in the comments! You can find more discussion in our community of Adventurers.

Wishing you awesomeness,

PS. I’m working on my upcoming book about breaking free, so sign up for an excerpt? It’s going be AWESOME.

The post How To Be Awesome: Do Stuff For Free appeared first on The Perpetual Vacation.

One of my father’s favorite stories to tell is one about my love for sleep. Allow me to share it with you.

When I was four or five years old, my parents had friends over for dinner at our house. After a while, they noticed I was missing. They looked for me everywhere, but I was in the safest place possible: my bed.

Surprised, my father came into my room, and asked me:

“Marcella, what are you doing in bed already? Your friends are out playing.”

My explanation was simple and decisive:

“I know, Dad, but I don’t want to be tired tomorrow.”

I rolled over in bed and fell right to sleep.

From a very young age, I’ve put myself first.

That doesn’t mean I am conceited. I’m actually far from it. But I AM strongly self-centered — which is the only real way to find happiness, I think.

A lot of people go through life focused on everyone else around them, even when they don’t realize it. From a mother putting her kids’ needs first to an employee putting in extra hours to please the boss, sacrifice is a concept ingrained in human history. Sadly, it’s a concept that has become also too ingrained in our approach to life.

We regularly tell ourselves things like:

“I can’t go to the gym tonight. I have to go to the supermarket for the family.”

“How could I write a blog? All my times goes into my job.”

“There’s no chance I can live my dreams. I have obligations to pay off.”

Living your life always putting others first is dangerous business.

I’ll tell you why with just a few important reasons:

1. Without yourself, your life is no more. You are critical to everything you do, aren’t you?
2. Caring for yourself first means growing stronger in your help to others.
3. Putting yourself first helps you enjoy every moment you are here.

But most people don’t live my approach. They let their lives suffer at the expense of other people — some important, some not.

I know what you’re thinking, though…

But There’s No I in TEAM!

That’s true, I’ll give you that. There is no I in “team”, and it takes a village to do anything worthwhile — but there’s also no chance you’ll help anyone if you aren’t around!

You are all you have.

You may be thinking that this is a very selfish approach to life, but I disagree. Selfishness is the opposite of what I’m proposing. What I’m proposing is this:

If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of others?

• If you aren’t taking care of your health, how long will you be around to love your family?
• If you put your job first, how will you let your creativity thrive?
• If you don’t take time to relax, how can you do your best work?

From my perspective, living a you-first life means living a BETTER life.

A few days ago, I was watching a video of Tony Robbins while I did my kettle bell workout. (Yeah, I’m weird — I busy my mind with videos when I workout.) In the video he mentioned that there are two things that make humans feel awesome:

1. Growing as a person
2. Serving others

It’s in our nature to grow, like Mia has. ➜

But serving takes a bit more work. Putting myself first allows me to to do that better than ever before.

How do you serve the people around you? Living a you-first life may help you do it even better.

What Does a You-First Life Look Like?

When I put myself to sleep at such a young age, it was just the start of my me-first life. My parents may have thought I was strange, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

I once fell asleep at a rock concert — oops!

You may be wondering how to incorporate some similar concepts in your own life — and I assure you it won’t be easy at first.

We’re not talking about what’s easy. We’re talking about what MATTERS.

Allow me to share some examples of what a you-first life might look like:

• When you feel stressed, you set aside time to de-compress (however necessary).
• At some point in the day, you find the time to exercise your body and mind.
• When you’re out to dinner with a group, you skip the comfort food for healthier food — real fuel.
• When you have an idea, you take a moment to capture and explore it.
• When the people around you don’t honor your interests, you tell them why you need that to change.

Ready to Put Yourself First?

I’ve realized that very few people I encounter live a life that holds themselves at the center, as the priority — yet most of them tell me they wish they could find a way to be happy, like I am. Society tells us living a you-first life is wrong, but is that really the case?

If you desire a more balanced life — a life centered around your values and desires — try giving a you-first life a shot.

Your life is passing you by every single second. It’s yours to live. Are you living it?

I’d love to hear from you:

What do you think about living a you-first life?

Have you tried it? What were your results?

Could living a you-first life help you serve others?

Leave your ideas and stories in the comments! You can find more discussion in our community of Adventurers.

Wishing you awesomeness,

PS. Props to Paul Jarvis for inspiring me after reading his recent article on Medium.

The post A You-First Life appeared first on The Perpetual Vacation.

Growing up, one of my favorite movies was The Sandlot. Who am I kidding, it’s still one of my favorite movies. I’ve probably watched it dozens of times and never get bored. It was actually the first movie I watched with JJ on one of our first dates.

Now that I’m something resembling a grown-up, I miss The Sandlot — a lot.

There’s something about a story set in the summertime about a group of kids on an adventure that makes me wistful for my care-free youth. I may be living a perpetual vacation, but that doesn’t mean life is as easy or stress-free as it was during school’s summer vacation.

In The Sandlot, a group of young boys plays baseball together to pass the time — until they knock a baseball signed by Babe Ruth into a backyard guarded by The Beast, a giant dog they’re terrified will eat them alive. The boys have no other choice but to find a way to get the signed baseball back, even if it means facing The Beast himself.

What I’ve realized is that life is a lot like The Sandlot — a mix of failures and big wins in hopes of achieving our goals.

Identify The Beast

In the movie, the boys have never seen The Beast. They’ve heard horror stories about him, but he’s hidden behind a tall fence until the end of the movie. Their imaginations grow him into a nightmarish monster that devours anything that moves.

The Beasts we face in our own lives are very different. Usually, there’s no fur or slobber involved (or so I hope).

Depending on what you are aiming for in life, The Beast you are facing may be any one of these:

• Your inability to travel the world
• A boss you despise
• The extra weight you’re carrying around
• A relationship you’re unhappy with
• A job you yearn to quit
• Your lack of time to do the activities you love
• A client that’s making you miserable

What are you up against?

Take a moment to think about this, truthfully and honestly. You may be facing multiple Beasts, depending on how you feel about your life and what you wish to accomplish.  But The Beast isn’t always exactly what it seems…

ARE YOU SURE YOU KNOW THE BEAST?

In reality, the boys’ imaginations were completely wrong. The Beast was a lovable dog that ended up licking their faces, not eating them. He wanted to play, not fight. If they had taken the time to find out more about The Beast from the start, their summer wouldn’t have been so full of stress.

It also wouldn’t have been so much fun. Failure after failure, the boys spent an amazing summer cooking up ways to reach their goal.

No matter how easy or difficult fighting The Beast turns out to be, what you learn along the way is the best part.

Many times, the way we imagine the villain isn’t accurate at all. Your boss may be a lot more understanding than you think, your lack of time may be easily remedied, and so on.

But let’s assume your villain is as dangerous and difficult to topple as you imagine. Let’s assume this is going to be one hell of an adventure. It’s always better to be over-prepared, anyways.

So, now that you’ve identified The Beast, the next step is…

Gather The Troops

In the movie, each boy plays a different but very important role. They lean on each other to accomplish their adventure. They’ve got a mix of personalities and talents that keep ideas fresh and spirits high.

In real life, it takes a village to do most anything worthwhile. One of my favorite quotes is by Jim Rohn, which says:

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Bringing down The Beast in your life is going to be much easier if you tackle it alongside a group.

Benny the Jet, the fastest runner and self-proclaimed leader of the group of friends has a particular way of motivating the guys around him. He means business. When the rest of the guys complain, he tells them:

“Anyone who wants to be a can’t-hack-it pantywaist who wears their mama’s bra, raise your hand.”

That’s probably the role I play in most groups I’m a part of. Just ask my friends. They say I’m “intense” — I hope that’s a good thing?

Whatever role you play, you will always benefit from gathering around a well-rounded group to lend you a helping hand. For example, when you have a group to count on, you can:

• Learn from their expertise
• Lean on them for support
• Ask them questions you need help with
• Skip all the mistakes they’ve made
• Commiserate about your experiences, both good and bad

But above all…

A group lends encouragement to keep going.

When you’re facing The Beast — whatever that may be in your life right now — gather people around you who will help keep you motivated and strong. Adventures aren’t easy, but they’re much more fun when you’ve got your gang around you.

Keep Your Intentions & Purpose At Heart

In the movie, the boys play many games of baseball — under the burning summer sun and later under the Fourth of July fireworks. Their love of the game and Babe Ruth is what keeps them battling The Beast time and time again. Their goal was clear: save the beautiful baseball signed by the best player that ever lived!

After identifying what The Beast is in our own lives, it’s difficult to keep focus on our struggles. As Tony Robbins shares:

[Fear of failure] is what keeps people from taking the very action that could move them to accomplish their goals. Too many people want to avoid any hint of a problem. But overcoming obstacles is what gives us psychological strength—it’s the very thing that forms character.

Our fear of failure is incredibly effective. Instead of going after our dreams, fear of failing holds us back more times than not. I say, screw that!

In our lives, we often doubt ourselves more than we help ourselves. Whether we’re aware of it or not, our doubts play over and over again in our minds:

“Am I doing the right thing?

“Can I really pull this off?”

“Should I be doing more?”

Instead of focusing on the possibility of failure, focus on the possibility of succeeding. What would it be like to cross that finish line triumphant? How would it feel to throw your arms up in the air with pride?

It would feel freaking awesome, and you know it.

Changing your focus means you have to become aware of your thoughts and emotions first — a tough piece of homework. To help get it done, try any one of these:

• Print your goal on a piece of paper, and hang it where you’ll always see it. Or draw a picture of you succeeding, and keep it next to your laptop.
• Whenever you’re feeling down, call one of your troops to pick you back up. Let them know beforehand that their role is to remind you of succeeding.
• Make time each night to dedicate efforts to achieving your goal. The habit will keep you focused on your progress forward.

I believe strongly in the fact that your purpose is the best motivator to keep you going. By overcoming The Beast, you’ll be that much closer to achieving your dreams. Remember that. Now, remember that again.

Lace Up Your Shoes

At the end of The Sandlot, the time to face The Beast has come, and Benny the Jet brings in the big guns to take him down.

Benny buys a new pair of shoes called PF Flyers to help him jump over a tall fence into The Beast’s backyard and jump back out again — quickly enough to pick up the baseball signed by Babe Ruth and not be eaten by the monster dog.

There comes a time when there’s nothing left to do but take action.

In the words of Thomas Edison:

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

When it’s time for you to take action, please remember:

• You need to know the Beast you are tackling in order to take it down.
• It takes a village to do anything worthwhile. Gather your troops to make the adventure bearable — and more fun.
• Fight the fear of failure! Instead of focusing on the possibility of failure, focus on the possibility of succeeding.
• When it comes time to take action, don’t hesitate — lace up your shoes and jump!

Your fear is proof that you are going in the right direction.

And if all else fails, this community of Adventurers will come fight the good fight alongside you.

Ready, Set, Jump

Your beast may seem scary from this side of the fence, but you’ll only know the truth once jump over and meet it face-to-face.

I’ve faced many Beasts in my life, but only a few of them were as difficult to face as I had imagined. If you’re thinking about making a change in your life and facing your Beast, try preparing for the big day. Gather your team of supporters to get their feedback and encouragement. Aim for the skies, always with the best, most positive intentions. Take some time each night to learn the skills you need to finally make the jump.

Like Benny the Jet, it’s your turn to jump over the fence to face The Beast. The time to prepare is now.

I’d love to hear from you:

Do you know what Beast you need to face in your life?

Have you tried making the jump? How did it go?

If you’re afraid of making the jump, what concerns you?

Leave your ideas and stories in the comments! Or you can find detailed discussion on any of these topics in our community of Adventurers.

Wishing you awesomeness,

PS – If you’re interested in learning more, you can try my free 30-day course on creating an awesome blog AND receive an excerpt from my upcoming book by clicking here.

Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Films

The post Adventurous & Determined: What The Sandlot Taught Me About Life appeared first on The Perpetual Vacation.

With over 30,000 readers and a growing community, I bet you thought I was making a bundle off of this website.

Homeslice, I wish!

My side business pays the bills.

Making all the money you need from your passion is tough at first. I’m still in the middle of the process, hoping to one day rely financially off my true passion —  writing books and helping all of you.

I’ve written about my entrepreneurial financials in the past, and it’s not my intention to go into depth of how much money I make (or don’t make). That’s not the point.

This is meant to be a guide for anyone who dreams of breaking free but wonders about the money, about paying the bills, about convincing family members that it won’t be financial suicide.

If you’re thinking about jumping off the cliff of your established career, which of these would you choose:

1. To jump empty-handed and hopeful
2. To jump with a small parachute in hand

Following your passion and jumping into entrepreneurship can be scary. Let’s discuss how to do it without taking on so much risk.

1. Know Your Ideal

According to a Chinese proverb, “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. ”

Last year, I came across a simple question that changed my life — and what I expected out of it. The question is the following:

What is your ideal day?

Such a simple concept, but one I had never let myself consider before. (I go more in depth about our ideal versions of the world in my upcoming book.) Through answering this question, I got to know myself better — and I charted my quest to an awesome life.

Hint: My ideal day consists of spending time with that handsome dude over there ➜

Would you want to be the fool that doesn’t know what you’re aiming for?

Here are two questions for you to consider:

1. How much money do you want (or need) to make?
2. How do you want your day to feel?

The two questions are very related. They depend on each other. If you’ve ever not been able to pay the rent, you know what I’m talking about. Also, if you’ve ever landed a huge client for many dollar signs, you know what I’m talking about.

Money matters. Your emotions matter. Let’s figure them out.

When in doubt, use an hourly rate.

You may not like charging clients per hour, but just hear me out on this:

Using an hourly rate is probably the best way to figure out: A) how much you want to make per month, and B) how to go about it.

My go-to resource for this is Your Rate. It’s incredibly simple to use, and I love that it factors in some elements we may not think about at first: vacation time and taxes.

Later on, you can charge clients however you’d like (per project or per hour), but you will know what you are aiming toward.

Think about your ideal day.

When opening Your Rate, you’ll see that your ideal day plays a big part in calculating just how much money you need to be making. The system asks you straight up how many hours you want to work per week. You’ll notice that your hours per week will make your financial goal more difficult or more attainable.

Once you know your ideal money and workday situation, the next step is to make it happen.

2. Establish A Slightly Profitable Idea

One high school summer, I interned with a web design company. I enjoyed it and learned interesting concepts — but it wasn’t my burning passion. Almost ten years later, I run my own successful web design company.

I never thought this would be what pays the bills, but it worked out that way — probably because I had the experience to pull it off.

Here’s my biggest advice:

Transferable skills are the easiest way to make a side business work.

Whatever you’ve learned in the past can serve you in setting up your side business. No skill or expertise is too small.

Over my career, I’ve managed a team, run online marketing for a non-profit, created web presences of my own, and worked as a user experience consultant. Put that all together, and web design sounds logical.

What are you good at? Look through this list of transferable skills, if you’re not sure.

Pro tip: Ask your friends and family what you’re good at. They might have oddball answers that you never thought of before.

You can mishmash your experiences and skills into a side business of your choosing.

The trick is to keep it a side business.

Your side business doesn’t necessarily have to be your burning passion. It’s just what you do on the side to pay the bills while you go after your dreams. The perfect formula is the following:

Freedom to pursue your dreams = high pay + few hours

To give you a few ideas, here are some examples that I’ve seen work for some of my friends:

1. Web designer
2. SEO and PPC consultant
3. Photographer
4. Fitness trainer
5. Executive coach
6. Online store via drop shipping
7. Motivational speaker

Hint: The majority of these involve teaching. But there are hundreds of other side businesses you could set up, if you don’t like teaching. If you can think of any more, I’d love to learn from you in the comments.

3. Chart Your Path to Awesomeness

Once you know your ideal day and you’re using your skills to pay the bills, it’s time for the most important piece of the puzzle:

It’s time to achieve your dreams.

My dream is to spend my entire day creating content for all of you. That implies financially supporting myself through that. (PS. Many people ask if I sell ads on my sites. NEVER.) That’s why I’m working so hard on my upcoming book. Maybe in a few years, books and other projects like that will be enough to support my lifestyle.

Your case might be a bit different. To figure out how to chart your path to awesomeness, you must know:

1. How long can you wait before fading out of your side business?
2. How much will your dream cost?
3. What you are willing to do to get there?

A side business that makes money can help you gain more freedom in your career. Especially if you are hoping to quit your job. It can grant you more time to dedicate to achieving your dreams.

With your ideal day in mind (and if you haven’t thought about it yet, re-read this article from the top), you won’t be able to stop until that ideal day is achieved.

But what if I’m scared?

A tricky thing, fear is.

The one thing you need to understand right now is this: fear is the indication that you are on the right path — unless you are putting your life in danger. (Please don’t put your life in danger. That would make me sad.)

Fear is an indicator that you are stretching — and stretching leads to growth. But I want to let you in on a little secret that may make feeling scared a bit easier to swallow:

The hardest thing about fear is not feeling it or facing it. The hardest thing about fear is mentally grappling with it.

Dealing with fear — mentally — will allow you to use certain tactics and strategies to override it. (This is another topic I will discuss at length in my upcoming book.)

You are afraid of losing money.

I hate the word “bootstrapping”. It’s become jargon, something people say to sound smart. All it really means it this: how can I spend less money? Also known as, how can I decrease my risk?

To spend less money, how about you spend less money?

Let’s look at some ways you won’t end up scared, broke, and alone, like Pepper over here. ➜

Business doesn’t need to be very complicated. Before you start racking up the bills, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you need to work with a full-time staff? Try starting with freelancers or contractors.
2. Do you need to spend on communication with your team? Try free services like Asana or Dispatch.io.
3. Do you need a physical office? Try visiting a café or a coworking space. Internet may be all you need.
4. Do you need to travel to visit clients? Try starting off with Skype calls.

Keeping expenses low also keeps stress levels low. There’s nothing like knowing you have no immediate risk or debt — even if you don’t sell a dime next month!

When you have nothing to lose, what’s stopping you?

Is it really like riding a rollercoaster?

Absolutely.

Some days will be amazing, and others will be incredibly trying. Your nightmare clients may actually end up in your nightmares — I’m speaking from experience. For good or bad, things happen — and pass.

To share some of my own experiences: I’ve had someone steal my entire business model, which was yucky (and pitiful). I’ve also learned more about accounting than I did from graduate school, and it feels incredibly empowering.

The benefits of trying out your own side business are limitless.

In summary, my main suggestions are these:

1. Know what you are aiming toward in terms of your lifestyle and finances.
2. You can turn your past experiences and skills into a side business.
3. Keep cash in your pocket as much as possible.
4. When the tough get’s going — and it will — focus on how close you are to your ideal day.

Are You Looking to Try It?

I often find that those who are overly fearful of starting an independent project have never actually given it a shot, nor tested for themselves how successfully their ideas can come to life.

If you a have a burning desire to break free, try taking some steps to achieve it. Put in some time each night to build a side business. Brainstorm what kind of transferable skills you’ve picked up. Talk to potential customers and ask what they need help with.

Your dream life is out there waiting for you — but it’s getting impatient. The time is now.

I’d love to hear from you:

What are your thoughts on starting your own project?

Have you tried it? What were your results?

If you’re afraid of breaking free, what worries you?

Leave your ideas and stories in the comments! Or you can find detailed discussion on any of these topics in our community of Adventurers.

Wishing you awesomeness,

PS – If you’re interested in learning more, you can try my free 30-day course on creating an awesome blog AND receive an excerpt from my upcoming book by clicking here

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