Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

One of the most important things in lifestyle design is being realistic with who you are, what your skills are, and what your qualities are. There is nothing wrong with aspiring to improve, but at some point you have to take into consideration what you can really accomplish.

You have to be clear on what you really want to get out of your life. Lifestyle design partially means adjusting and modifying your current lifestyle habits and actions to eventually create your dream life. And although this may sound a bit out of tune with the typical optimistic approach, being realistic is the better and more practical way to do this.

In no way does lifestyle design mean copying the habits of others. There is nothing wrong with that, but unless  the lifestyle habits that you are inserting into your life fit you, you may not actually get the desired results. I think this is something that people should consider. Our lives are unique to us and to our personality. By copying someone else’s routine or life just for the sake of change isn’t really all that helpful.

Because what this does, is puts you in a rhythm that you didn’t actually make for yourself. There is  nothing wrong with copying others, but they may be doing those things for reasons that are not in line with your dreams and ambitions. Every lifestyle design method is unique to every individual.

Just remember that lifestyle design simply means that you create the life that you want, and not what others want. By being ourselves in planning and executing, you can easily reach your intended goals and dreams in no time.  Be realistic in assessing what possible changes you can implement in your life.

Another thing to remember is to take your time in designing your life. All good things take time to create. Like a painter creating his or her masterpiece, it takes patience and vision to turn a dull canvass into a work of art. Every layer and color of the painting is first planned out, with intricate details on where to put the accents of each stroke. And it may look unclear at first, but eventually, once you have followed the right order and sequence of translating your vision onto the canvass, you might surprise yourself with the quality of work you produce.  And like every work of art, the methods applied will be fundamentally the same, such as creating the colors on the palette (similar to planning out your intended activities), applying the colors to the canvass (integrating them into your life), and finally creating a work of art ( achieving your vision and dreams for your life).

I hope that you were able to get a couple of tips that you can use to help in figuring out what you want in your life. It may take some time to achieve, but with patience you will eventually get there.

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1. Start Designing Your Lifestyle
2. Why Become Location Independent
3. Negative Aspects of Wandering

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

Are you truly happy with your life and the direction you are going?  Your current lifestyle is a result of your past decisions, efforts and achievements.  Accomplishing your goals just part of life, sometimes you stumble and unfortunately may get lost under various complexities that arise.

The best way to solve this is to step back and reassess your goals and actions.  Determine if they are in accordance with accomplishing what you truly want in your life. It is easy for most of us to set goals in our lives but how many of us really accomplish them or even have the focus to persevere despite the odds being stacked against us.

The cards that life deals to us may not be exactly what we want.  Unfortunately, we are forced to play with what we have in our hands; one is not born with sleeves to put aces up. There are some obligations and other commitments that you cannot walk away from.

I firmly believe that the best way to implement a lifestyle design plan is by doing small changes over time. I am sure that there are self-help books that promise change in 7 days or less, but in that time frame, things can actually go from bad to worse. Taking small steps is the better route towards successful lifestyle design because there is more margin for error.  You will stumble but hopefully regain your balance and proceed onward

FOUR LIFESTYLE DESIGN FACTORS

When taking on this huge step in your life step back and analyze all the different elements that make your life unique and if those factors contribute to the accomplishment of your goals.

1. DAILY HABITS

Your day-to-day activities are usually dictated by countless repetitions of different actions. Though you may not realize this most of us do the same thing everyday for many years and are comfortable with the routine like taking care of personal habits such as hair straightening with curling irons or hair dryers.  Use the best travel clothes possible.

The main purpose of lifestyle design is to live the life you want. You must discern the philosophy that drives you and determine what your major purpose is.  Most of our lives are scheduled, implemented and maintained by routine; we float like plankton caught within the current of life with no control over our path or destination. By taking a different approach to your daily activities, this alternative opens up opportunities you may not be aware of with your present routine.

I suggest that you examine the different habits that you have that may be hindering you from experiencing the life you want. Assess which activities are monotonous and routine that can be changed for the better.

2. SOCIAL LIFE

The friends that you have and the social circle that you revolve around have a considerable impact of your life. For the most part, we are creatures of habit and we tend to gravitate towards people with the same attitudes, mindset and expectations. Though there is nothing wrong with hanging out with the same friends all the time, you can actually be limited by the circle you associate with.

If possible, try to meet new people and join groups that you are unfamiliar with. This experience will open new friendships, habits and ultimately help you out in creating a varied social structure in your life.

3. JOB AND WORK ETHIC

Since work is something that we will constantly do to earn a living, having a job that we love is the most important part in attaining a happy life. Of course, the next factor is how much you are getting paid for the job. If you are in a job that pays well but think that you should be doing something else for more inner satisfaction then that is a definite sign for you to do what you really want.

To avoid potentially large financial costs or inconvenience implementing lifestyle design should be done slowly and not abrupt. You can start by having small changes in your work, streamline and automate the processes you can and you should eventually begin to identify tasks to outsource. Work towards making your income location independent.  All it takes are baby steps in doing this; little by little you will get the lifestyle you aspire for. And keep in mind that a career change, no matter what your age is, can sometimes lead you to better things and experiences.

4. THE BIG PICTURE

Looking at our lives and what our daily experiences are is an important aspect of lifestyle design.  Customizing your experiences in life depends on the opportunities that may arise anytime. Assessing your strengths, skills and expectations on how to face new challenges can help you improve your current state.

Your life and the experiences that you will have should center on the kind of life that you want. And the best way to do this is by following all things that you feel passionate about. Because in the end, you are responsible for how you live your life.

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1. How The Wealthy Think About Time
2. Lifestyle Design Tips
3. Why Become Location Independent

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

If you have ever desired to live life to the fullest and are fed up with all the monotonous activity of staying in one place, one job and in one community then becoming a location independent is the right path for you.  Okay, so what exactly is a location independent professional?

A location independent professional is someone that can travel the world living their life while still being able to pay their bills. These individuals or couples are using available resources such as the Internet and other passive income earning strategies to fund their lifestyle. It is easy and works out for them.

Of course, I am sure you are thinking that if this is true then how come you have not heard of this lifestyle or even know people who live it.  The answer is hidden in plain sight.  Location Independent professionals are out there in everyday life wandering through countries, visiting historical places, soaking up the sun on a beach in a tropical island and NOT working inside the cubicle or office space next to you.  They are already living their life independent of any particular location.

Well, for many of us who are still stuck in the rut of going through an 8 to 5 job to pay bills and mortgages the idea of packing up all our things to travel and enjoy the world is not an option.  And most would imagine that in order to travel and do whatever they love doing an individual has to constantly toil for a number of years to accumulate enough savings.

For some people, being a location independent professional means that they prefer to live life the way they want while enjoying their sense of freedom without having to join the rest of the population in postponing their dream job or lifestyle until after retirement.

Though a lot of people have already invested in putting money for their 401k’s for retirement benefits, why do most of us have to wait for 20 to 30 years until we live life the way we want?  Because you choose it.  That is how you have designed your lifestyle, either intentionally or, more likely, inadvertently.

Is the location independent lifestyle right for you?

Well, the first thing you need to do is to examine what you REAL goals and dreams in life are.  This is harder than you may think.  It is important for you to figure out what it is that really motivates your daily activities.

You have to block out all external factors that usually influence your decision making process.  Only think about yourself. No pressure from bosses, spouses, parents and friends. This is your life so take a few moments to analyze and examine what is really worth the time. What is the philosophy that drives you? A shrink that charges by the hour will not really help you answer that question or HOW to LIVE your life.

KNOW YOURSELF

Now, if you have spent a considerable amount of time in finding your inner voice regarding your goals then here are couple questions to ask yourself to determine if being a location independent professional and its lifestyle is right for you:

1.     Have you ever wanted to travel the world and experience different cultures?

2.     Can you adapt to unfamiliar environments and communities?

3.     Do you know other languages aside from your own?

4.     Is living in one place boring?

5.     Can you leave your ‘stuff’?

6.     Do you welcome challenges and look forward to unexpected outcomes?

Now, if you have answered “yes” to question lined up, then you know that an independent location lifestyle is for you. This lifestyle is not for everyone. I know that some people prefer to have a daily routine and structure to their life.

This includes individuals that prefer to have their organizer next to them at all times, eat the same food at the same place all the time and must watch their favorite TV show daily at the same time.  There is nothing wrong with that lifestyle and many people live and enjoy it.  But some people are freer birds preferring to float like plankton through the ocean of life while experiencing the vast diversity of humanity.

I cannot stress the importance of living your ideal life. The idea of living elsewhere can really sound enticing and appealing to your adventurous side but if your personal long term goals do not coincide with what location independent offers then you may suddenly find yourself stuck in another country wondering why you started this journey.  The real goal is to find joy in the journey of life whatever path you choose and lifestyle you design.

FINANCIAL SAFETY NET

Another important factor that dictates how you will go about this is money. Money is the main ingredient in making sure that you pay for what you want.  We all want to have a financial safety net in case something happens that require our immediate attention, like hospital bills, travel insurance, dinner, etc.

Having entrepreneurial skills can help alleviate some of the financial pressures. If you have an operating business that can function without your constant physical attention at a specific location then you will not have a significant problem from this aspect in redesigning your lifestyle.

If you are working within a limited budget then try to save at least 6 to 12 months of expenses.  You can find additional revenue generating activities.  There are many online opportunities that can provide location independent income. This includes blogging, Internet marketing, affiliate marketing, selling stock photos, and etc.

PERKS OF LOCATION INDEPENDENCE

There are countless stories of individuals and couples that have uprooted their life for the open road or sea.  They are living their dreams of learning to dance tango in Argentina, strolling through ancient cities in Europe or eating who-knows-what in Asia.  They are experiencing different cultures and simply enjoying what their designed lifestyle has to offer. These individuals all had the notion that staying in one place would not satisfy them and that life was too short to miss experiencing the world.

As for you, the journey for this kind of life begins now. There are many resources available like The Four Hour Work Week that can get you started.  Get started on actively designing your lifestyle.  Remember, we do not beat the Reaper by living long but by living well.

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1. Start Designing Your Lifestyle
2. Negative Aspects of Wandering
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