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I wrote this in my notebook two weeks ago, just before boarding my flight to Medellín, Colombia…
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My senior year of college while studying abroad in Australia, I stumbled upon an article – How to Travel the World for $418 – by a huge inspiration and friend, Steve Kamb. This article led to another article, to more articles, to more blogs, to books, etc. A few months later, my eyes were opened to a whole new world of people ‘living the dream’. They were entrepreneurs that worked from a laptop from wherever they wanted. They called themselves “lifestyle entrepreneurs”. People who built careers around their ideal lifestyles, as opposed to the other way around.
They had achieved ultimate freedom which allowed them to spend their lives however they wanted to… with loved ones, embarking on new adventures in different countries, learning new skills, etc.
From then on, I knew that this was what I wanted to do ‘when I grew up’.
For the past few months, every morning on my commute to work, Steve Jobs’ quote kept ringing in my head:
“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
My answer was no. I knew it was time to make a change. I couldn’t put it off any longer. Maybe this applies to you, to your current situation. I challenge you to ask the same question, and see what your answer is.
For me, it was time for a change. I wasn’t deeply fulfilled by my job, and I couldn’t keep looking myself in the mirror knowing this was the case. So, I decided to quit my consulting job in NYC and go all in on chasing my dream.
Soon, I’ll be boarding for my flight to Colombia, my destination of choice. I truly have no idea what to expect. I’ve never been to Colombia, never been to South America. I half-assed my high school Spanish classes, copying friend’s homework answers most of the time, winging the rest.
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I’m not really sure what is in store for me. I have an idea of what I’ll be doing, but I don’t really know. I have spent time setting goals for myself, I have “skills”, but I’m not sure which of these will end up paying the bills. I have some savings, yes, but I definitely am jumping the gun.
I just couldn’t put my dream off any longer, I couldn’t keep delaying. I, you, we, are all on a timeline. And we don’t know when that timeline will run out.
Some people have said I’m “brave” to make this move, “courageous” even. People say I’m taking a huge risk. While I appreciate their support, I’m not sure if I agree with them. I’m just a 24-year old who understands that life is short.
I understand that everyday we look ourselves in the mirror and aren’t truly satisfied or fulfilled by what we are doing is another day wasted. I think it’s brave for people to assume tomorrow is a given and to continue living a life that doesn’t excite or fulfill them.
You want to talking about taking a major risk? How about committing years and years of your life to a path that’s been carved out by someone else and assuming that you will “one day” get around to pursuing your dreams? Let’s say on your commute tomorrow morning to that admittedly miserable job you get blindsided by another distracting commuter? It’s over. Your goals, your dreams, your aspirations are just that. They are just abstract things that you never consciously pursued, because you assumed you would one day have to luxury to get around to them. That’s risky, to me.
I don’t know what to expect these next few months. In a society that expects us to know our college major by the time we enter high school and to know our career path by our senior year of college, some people surely will think I’m crazy.
But instead of this uncertainty causing anxiety, I’m embracing it.
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I challenge you to do the same, especially if you are my age. About a year ago I started asking people much more successful than myself, people who I consider my role models, one simple question: What is one piece of advice you’d offer to your 20-something self?
One quote that really resonated with me and I hope motivates you to take that first step is this quote from Sean Ogle of Location180:
Your twenties will set the stage for the rest of your life. If you spend it all wearing a suit and tie and climbing the corporate ladder, there’s a good chance that’s what you’ll be doing until retirement.
Take calculated risks. I quit my job to move to Thailand when I was 24. Worst case scenario? I run out of money, come back and get a new job. At that age (and even at 30 or later), you still have plenty of time to build up a career – and that global travel will only make your resume look better.
Best case? You live the rest of your life on your own terms.
Bottom line, your twenties are the time to take a chance on what you want to do. Your older self will thank you.
I could only sit around for so long, watch so many others living my dream and think to myself, “Why not me?”
It was time to give it a shot. Maybe you’re thinking the same thing. Well, what are you waiting for? The perfect moment? Well, the perfect moment isn’t going to come.
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A few weeks back I spoke with a middle-aged co-worker of mine. He was admittedly going through a midlife crisis. He felt that he had wasted the last few years of his life, drowning himself in work and in turn missing some major milestones in his kids’ (ages 2 and 6) lives. It was eye-opening for me, and reinforced my decision to pursue my dream.
If you’re a twenty-something like me, I challenge you to embrace your youth and get after it. Ask yourself, what are you really waiting for? What is holding you back? Most of the time it’s fear. But very rarely is this fear rooted in reality.
If you spend your twenties and thirties afraid of taking risks, you’ll spend your fourties in regret.
I’m entering my journey with an open mind and doing my best to live in the present. I’m a bit nervous, sure, but I know that these next few months will be some of the most memorable of my life. Whatever the outcome is, I will surely obtain valuable life experience that will allow me to be much more successful down the road.
Worst case scenario? I go flat broke and have to start a Kickstarter to fund my voyage home. (HA, now that would be pretty embarrassing)
Best case scenario? I live a life on my own terms, as mentioned in the above quote.
I’m not afraid of failure. I’m actually pretty good at it! But as I’ve learned and been told by many more successful individuals, failure is necessary to grow. Many have said it’s the best teacher you will ever have.
Extended story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBDV0wyfa_A
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