Photo credit: viZZZual.com
Editors Note: This is a guest post from Haidn Foster of Reach Altitude. I decided to post this article because I believe these four things are absolutely essential to succeeding in creating a unique lifestyle. It isn’t hard to do, its just a matter of overcoming the uncertainties that you’ve been trained to build up in your mind. Stay tuned for a big update from New York City on Thursday!
The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. – Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
Jetting from Bali to Thailand to Portland sounds terrific, but in reality it’s a lifestyle many of us can only dream about. Normal people can’t really do that sort of stuff: it’s ridiculous to think about it.
Sound familiar? Those are your friends talking, or your boss, or your parents. Deep down, that’s you talking.
Now I understand that some of you may not have location independence as one of your goals in life—you might be happy where you are, living your life, traveling vicariously through blogs like this one. But I’m willing to bet that most of you who aren’t location-independent yet would like to be, and pronto.
I also understand how hard that sort of life change can be to make, which is why I wanted to share the lessons I’ve learned for how to overcome life’s barriers and finally make the sort of radical changes so many of us desire but can’t seem to carry out.
- Demolishing internalized doubts. The first area you need to get handled when attempting a true life change is your own fear. Fear is a powerful weapon that can cripple your chances at ever making meaningful transitions in your life, and it’s very likely the biggest reason you aren’t living the life you want right now. Accept that all great change comes with doubts, that sometimes they might even be well-founded, but that ultimately your goals are worth the risk. The right mindset coupled with positive action will always get you where you want to go—even Bali.
- Overcoming real obstacles. Your own insecurities won’t always be the only barriers along the path to achieving your dreams: sometimes there are real obstacles in the way. I’m working towards location independence myself, but first I have to pay down thousands of dollars in loans I had to take out when a client I used to work for bailed out of their contract. Sure travel can be cheap, but I refuse to spend any extra money until I’ve gotten that debt paid off. Once I’m back in the black, though, I’ll bet you the two nickels in my pocket that you’ll find me at the nearest airport. Find the things weighing you down, and address them. Got a mortgage? Sell the house and find a nice apartment to stay in until the big day. Too much stuff to travel? I can’t even list all of the people I know who’ve pared down their belongings to under 100 items, and are now living comfortably wherever they want. There is no barrier too high to scale, given time and determination.
- Dealing with naysayers. Remember your own doubts? Well those doubts aren’t exclusive to you: others will probably share your concerns and even bring a few extra to the table. Embrace this. You are on the verge of making a profound life change, and the people who care for you will sometimes express their love by voicing their apprehensions. Hopefully now that you’ve handled all of the real obstacles keeping you from your goals, these concerns will be fairly easy to assuage. Regardless of the reactions, however, stick to your guns. You have to live life your own way, not everyone—or anyone—else’s.
- Keeping on the path. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single airplane ticket. And then with the resolve to not buy another one going right back home. Every significant transition in life requires not only initial resolve but the perseverance to sustain that change over the long haul.
Make your life your own, then don’t look back.
Haidn Foster helps people achieve their extraordinary goals through enlightened personal development at his new site, Reach Altitude. You can also subscribe here to receive free updates.
Join The Discussion
This is great advice and the 4 points are well taken. One thing I am learning about fear is that it can be both a dream killer and an intense motivator. It’s how we react to the fear that determines which of these directions we will go. I have an intense fear of flying. It scares me to death. And yet I’ve overcome that fear and traveled around the world. I did so because the fear of missing out on seeing parts of the world I had only dreamed about was greater than my fear of flying. I love this quote by Fulton Oursler – “Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves – regret for the past and fear of the future.”
I would say the biggest obstacle for me out of those you listed is demolishing doubts. In my pursuit of establishing several businesses and income streams I often wonder whether I’ve taken the right steps. Sure there are affirmations here and there, but the slow progression towards a goal that you have no certainty of attaining can be incredibly frustrating. Yes we’re all told failure is a part of life, but it doesn’t change the fact that it still sucks when it happens
@Matt: A good quote–kind of a mixed metaphor, but the point is well-taken. Also, congrats on overcoming your “bad” fears and living the life you deserve!
@Mike: True, the failure to achieve something can be painful, and the fear of failing can be a big source of doubt and stress. However, remember that “most people give up just before succeeding.” I don’t remember the source of the quote, but it’s a good one to remember, especially in the online business arena.
Best,
Haidn
I think Matt brings up a really good point, in that fear can work both for you or against you. If you don’t have the right mindset it can ruin even the most well intentioned, goal oriented people. You just have to figure out how to embrace changes and good things will start to happen.
Mike I agree failure totally sucks, but at the same time, when is something qualified as a failure? It could often be that you’ve just had a lull before things start to take off. I think persistence and mindset are really important things to keep in mind.
Comments on this entry are closed.