Hey guys!
This month, I am celebrating my four-year anniversary as a business owner (this is totally something to be celebrated!) and I’m coming off 2-years of travel as a digital nomad.
I thought I’d share a few tips on how to get started if this is your dream too.
I really got started as a business owner just because I wanted to work from home and to travel more.
Initially, I started working remotely for my company, but I quickly realized that what I actually wanted was to be my own boss…
So I quit the job, started freelancing, moved across country to Savannah and loved working from home, taking Tuesdays off to go to the beach and making my own rules.
Then an opportunity to join Remote Year came about.
I’d already dabbled a little with traveling a few months at a time, when I working remotely – but this was a chance to experience the world in a way that most people will never experience.
I wanted to be a digital nomad. And an entrepreneur.
And thus my coaching business was born, around the same time I kicked off 2 years of full-time travel in more than 20 countries.
It’s not been an easy journey – in fact, it’s been some of the most challenging two years of my life – but also the most rewarding.
So, if you’re thinking about starting a business, traveling as a nomad or making any other major life changes, here are a few things you can do:
Step 1 – Get Inspired
Way before Remote Year even existed, I read a book called The 4-Hour Workweek. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.
In the book, Tim outlines a process he calls “Dreamlining,” in which you think about all the things you could possibly want and what it might really take to acquire them.
Maybe thats starting a business, maybe that’s using your salary to take private jets, maybe that’s retiring at 30.
The idea is the same – learn to optimize your life and business – like cutting out meetings you don’t need, decisions you shouldn’t have to deal with, etc. – in order to maximize your results.
Do the 20% of stuff you really NEED to do, in order to get 80% of the results you WANT.
It’s a great book (that and Vagabonding by Rolf Potts have basically become “Nomad Bibles”), not so much for the realism of starting a business and working 4-hours a week (not likely for many early on), but because Tim opened a lot of eyes to what was POSSIBLE.
Being INSPIRED to what you COULD have, is a great way to decide what you really want.
So, start visualizing your life the way you’d really like it.
What does your day look like? Your week? Your house? Do want to find a great job, or are you keen on starting a business? Where do you work?
Pretend you’re in Kindergarten and daydream for a bit.
Believe it or not, creating a vision for your life (and/or business) is actually a really powerful tool.
I encourage to to spend a few moments thinking about what you really want to manifest for yourself this year. Then look at your current life.
How far away are you from what you want? What’s a simple thing you could do today to get a little closer to your dream?
Do it or schedule it.
Step 2 – Decide & Prioritize
Want to change your life?
Start by making a decision, committing to making it happen and then doing the work.
It really is as simple as that.
You already thought about what you wanted, now it’s time to COMMIT.
You’ve been dreaming about starting a business so you can travel or have more time?
Great! A lot of people do.
But are you ready to commit?
Are you willing to work everyday to turn your dream into a goal?
Are you prepared to say no to anything that is going to take your attention and energy away from that goal?
Think about it long and hard.
And if the answer still is yes…
Congratulations! You’ve made it to Step One of starting a business!
This seems stupid simple, but it’s actually the hardest step that most people never take.
Which is why so many people are living live by default – working their 9-to-5 til they are all wrinkly, looking back at opportunities lost and regretting they were too scared to actually make a decision.
Step 3 – Take Action & Figure It Out As You Go
Once you’ve figured out what you wanted, made your decision and committed to making it happen – it’s time to ACT.
When I decided I wanted to travel more, I committed to taking at least 1 international trip per year and a couple domestic trips, and I knew I would somehow use my experience to inspire other people to change their lives.
I didn’t know exactly what that would look like, but I started taking action anyway.
I started a blog. I started a freelance business. I started sharing more. I started planning trips when I had extra money. I started minimizing my “stuff” and cutting expenses so that I could travel even more. I decided to start another business. I hired a business coach. I started reading a book a week… yada yada yada.
Less than two years later I was living out of a suitcase, traveling the world as nomad and working as coach.
All because I made a decision, committed to working my butt off, and took action.
And I continue to do that every.damn.day.
So, what do you want?
Make a commitment to making it happen. Do something about it today – no more excuses.
You’ve got this!
XOXO,
P.S. If starting a freelance business that’ll let you travel the world is on YOUR manifest list this year, I want to invite you to check out my Ebook that covers what you need to know to put your plan into action.
