“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain
Visions of the future: formulating my one year road map
Digital Nomad
For those who do not know, I am part of Cody McKibben’s Digital Nomad Academy which is a virtual university helping those who want to create a business that enables them to live and work anywhere. He gave us an assignment as students to develop a one year road map for ourselves because as Lincoln once said, “A goal set is halfway reached.” I also felt that if I posted my plans and visions on my site, it makes it more likely that I will actually do it. Then I can prove one to day I can walk the walk.
In One Year..
In one year, where do I see myself? I will be doing what I love and am sure of this. I will also be living I love to travel and write, so incorporating these things in my work is essential. Hopefully, I can achieve this in LESS than a year. In the mean time, I will take it one day at time. Right now, I create blog contributions for iExplore.com as an intern which involves travel destinations and tips all over the world. I would do this for free for the rest of my life, so if I got paid to do it, I would die a very happy woman. I also would like to live a location-independent lifestyle meaning I will be able to live and work anywhere. This may not happen right away, but it IS the ultimate goal.
In one year, I want to be surrounded with like-minded people. I believe it is important to surround yourself with those who will take you higher. At this point, I work with many individuals who are miserable and accept their given circumstances as if they have no other choice. This is an EXTREMELY undesirable work environment, so I have to continue to block them out to stay positive. Unfortunately, as I work toward my chosen lifestyle, I have to pay back loans I accumulated after my years in college and of course feed myself which is what this job of mine supplies. How do I stay positive? I consider myself to be a driven and motivated individual and continue to research and surround myself with resources which aid me with my quest for world domination. Seeing those who are much older than I who look back on a life full of regret is also a wonderful motivator. DON’T BE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE! (Important note to self and anyone who reads this).
My whole life I have had an extreme desire to see the world which is a common desire. I decided to make this dream a reality when I studied abroad in Australia for 6 months my senior year of college. When you are opened up to a whole new world for the first time, you start questioning whether or not you have been living under a rock your whole life. Well folks, here is my proclamation that I no longer want to live a sheltered or ignorant life. There is so much in this world which I need to explore and discover. In order to fullfill my desire, I need to create an income which will enable me to live anywhere.
How will I get there?
All of the things I have said so far sounds all fine and dandy but how the heck am I going to get there? Well, my best friend Erinn and I have already decided we are moving to a country in Southeast Asia next year because cost of living is cheap. We have been looking into teaching English and Au Pair jobs, and I have also been looking up freelance writing projects. I am not sure if teaching English is for me, but I keep an open-mind. What I do know for certain, is I’m getting out of here, and finally really LIVE. It’s good to tell people your ideas even if they think you’re crazy, which I am starting to get used to.
Tell the world what you want to do, take action, do what you love and eventually things will fall into place.
Sooo Why Don’t You Just Do it NOW?
Unfortunately, the only thing stopping me right now is money. I am tracking my expenses each day to see how much money I need to make to maintain my lifestyle and also build up savings. This means less nights out and buying things I really do not need. Once I get to a fairly solid financial base, I will be ready. In the mean time, I will stay healthy and positive and review my goals everyday. I’m going to also update my road map to be more specific with dates and such.
Since I can clearly see it in my mind, I will hold it in my hand in the near future.
Books which have helped motivate me:
The 4-Hour Workweek
Think and Grow Rich
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Illusions:The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah
Twitter Updates
Surrounding yourself with like-minded people is something that I should have done more when I spend 4 months living in Chiang Mai. I was so busy with just work and work, that I barely met new people there.
My friends back home, they don’t think i’m crazy, but they do have a very different plan for their lives then I do. They are into buying houses, and settling down while I don’t see myself buy a house for at least another 5 years and want to travel around as much as I can.
It would have been great if I would have met some people in person that share the same views and goals on how to live your life and build an location independent business
You should consider joining or following the Yakezie Network.
They make $1-5,000/month easy b/c of their collaboration.
Hey Molly,
I studied abroad in Spain my junior year for a semester and while I was there I taught conversational English to some really cute pre-teens. I had no idea what to expect, but I had a blast. It was so much fun connecting with these cute young teens and I was also able to learn a lot about their culture from them, which was a mix of Spanish, Galician and Catalan culture.
Recently, I’ve been helping my sister teach English to native Spanish speakers in my home town in California. Their age range is late 20s to late 60s, and although teaching them is a very different experience, it’s also very much the same in that they are both fun and rewarding experiences.
I wouldn’t list teaching English as one of my passions, but it surprised me that it felt so fulfilling. I think a part of it is the language barrier. When you can’t necessarily connect with someone through words, you have to connect with them via body language, your energy, from actively listening, from facial expressions, etc. It helps create this cool bond where you let your guard down, relax and open up to make the person you’re teaching feel comfortable and at home.
What kind of freelance writing projects do you want to pick up?