How to Move Past Fear and Create the Exciting Life You’ve Always Dreamed Of

Hey guys!

I’m home! Last night I flew in to PDX from a week long vacation in L.A. and San Diego. I gotta say, It. Was. Beautiful. I seriously can’t wait to go back (maybe next month?). California has been getting huge amounts of rain in the last year, and new ‘superblooms’ have been popping up all over.

I hadn’t heard of a superbloom before, but it turns out that they are huge fields of wildflowers all over the state that have taken advantage of the water and bloomed en masse. So beautiful!

So there is something on my brain today that I feel is really important, and I wanted to share it with you.

Today I want to talk about living an exciting, adventurous life. Specifically, how to do it and how to get out of a rut if you are in one.

I’ve been fortunate enough to create a very exciting life for myself in the last few years. I’ve been self employed, which gives me the flexibility to go on adventures, control my income, and take days off when I need to. I’ve traveled all over the world, and will continue to explore new places for the rest of my life. I paid off all of my debt a couple years ago and have saved a sizeable nest egg that gives me wiggle room to live adventurously.

Here’s the thing. I definitely don’t say any of this to brag. My biggest goal through this blog is to inspire and encourage you to define the exciting, beautiful life you want to live, and then go after it with every bit of energy you’ve got.

I’m not rich, and I never was. I didn’t come from a wealthy upbringing, I have no trust fund, heck I never even finished university! And I’m here to tell you that you don’t need these things either. Living a life where you feel like jumping out of bed every morning is all about attitude and the willingness to be unconventional.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say that they feel bored with life, stuck in a rut, doing the same routine day after day, well… I could probably buy an electric toothbrush or something (ha!)

So many people are afraid to live differently than the norm. Are you willing to be different? Even if people look at you funny for it? Even if your parents or friends pressure you? Even if you’re scared to go another way?

Hey, it’s okay. We all get scared sometimes. We’ve all caved to the pressure of how we’re “supposed” to live. I’ve definitely done it a number of times. But if you can shut off the noise for just a few moments and listen to that voice in your heart telling you what it really wants, and promise to follow it no matter what, you will have found the courage to create a life for yourself that is just as exciting as the movies you love to watch.

How to Begin Creating an Exciting, Adventure Filled Life

Okay, so now that we’ve covered that, let’s dive into some practical tips to get you off to a strong start.

One thing to keep in mind as you read through the following tips and ideas: Try your best to shut off the fearful voice in your head that tells you these things are unreasonable, impossible, unrealistic, or “for other people”. Open your mind. Realize that you are just as capable as everyone else on this planet, and the only one holding you back is your own crazy brain!

Ask yourself, what does your ideal unconventional life look like?

Okay, I’m going to make you think here. If your parents and friends and society seriously didn’t care at all what you did with your life, what would you do? What would your day look like? Where would you go and how would you provide value to others in a way that made you feel fulfilled and inspired?

Think of one thing you have been wanting to do for years, and then do it.

Ideally, you should have a date by which you will have accomplished this goal, and it should be soon. Don’t pick something that you will supposedly do in a year or two! Choose a fun adventure that you can realistically do in the next 30-60 days. Then, make your arrangements THIS WEEK! Don’t leave time on the table for you to give yourself an out. Book the flight, schedule the date, call the right person- whatever you have to do to get yourself set up, do it by the end of the week.

Recognize which parts of your dream life scare the crap out of you.

Maybe you’re afraid that quitting your miserable job will leave you completely broke. Or that your parents will be angry if you decide not to have children. Maybe you’re terrified that you if you put yourself out on the line and write that book or start that blog or jump into that new business, that you’ll look like a fool and people will call you out.

What is the single biggest fear you have about changing your life into the one you’d do anything to live? Grab that nasty skeleton, drag him out of the dark, and make him face the light. Then realize that these fears are simply there because a mechanism in your brain is trying to “protect” you from imaginary boogeymen in life.

Sunshine for days in Carlsbad, California. The cliffs are beautiful and I definitely got sunburned right away!

Make a promise to yourself that you will no longer settle.

Settling for comfort and security at the expense of your happiness and fulfillment is the worst thing you can do with your life. Promise yourself that you will stop being okay with mediocrity. Shoot for the best case scenario!

Imagine in your life in 5, 10, and 20 years if you stay on the path you are on now…

Guys, if you only answer ONE of the questions I’ve asked you in this blog post, this is the one to pay attention to. Give yourself at least 20 minutes in peace and quiet, without interruption, and IMAGINE what your life is going to look like if you keep living how you are living.

What does five years from now look like? Ten years? Twenty years? Think about this in painstaking detail. What does your daily routine look like? How do you feel? What is the best part of your life? What is the worst? Would you go back to today and change things?

Imagine your future life if you set aside your fear and create an adventurous life.

What does life look like in 5 or 10 years if you do the things you’ve always wanted to do? How do you feel? Following the last exercise, try to imagine your new and inspiring life as if you made changes today. Consider what your daily routine looks like, who is in your life, what you do for work, how you relax, and where you live. What is the picture or movie of your life that you see in your head?

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What is the biggest hurdle you are facing in regards to creating an exciting life? Let me know in the comments below!