It’s an all-too-familiar rhythm of life: That feeling of dread that creeps in come Sunday evening; the reluctance with which you drag your body out of bed and onto your commute on Monday morning; and the regularity with which you count the hours until the weekend, or the days until your next vacation.
The problem with this current state of affairs is that it creates a couple of paradoxes and, unfortunately, may lead to some pretty strong feelings of regret further down the line:
- You plan expensive vacations and buy nice things to compensate for the stressful and unfulfilling (but well paid) work that you do;
- You become trapped in a cycle of spending money to feel better about your life and then needing the money that you are earning to sustain that spending; and
- You essentially end up putting off ‘life’ until later, once you’ve earned x amount, once you’ve got the promotion, once you’ve retired…
You have essentially create a set of golden (that are maybe not-so-golden) handcuffs, a cage, from which you see no way out.
But what would it be like to create a life you don’t need a vacation from?
Let’s take a closer look at what this even means.
What does a life you don’t need a vacation from look like?
Well, it’s going to be very individual to you – this is why I always talk about the importance of defining what success means *to you*. However, I think we can all agree on a few things. A life you don’t need a vacation from means…
- Feeling excited to start your week every Monday morning and not counting the hours until the weekend
- Having a clear sense of purpose and finding meaning in the work that you do
- Doing what you love and loving what you do (at least, more often than not)
- Having the time and energy to spend with the people who matter most
- Feeling that you’re doing exactly what you want to be doing right now
How does that sound? What does such a life look like for you? How would it feel to be living this life, right here, right now?
If you’re like most people, that sounds pretty damn amazing. And yet, if you’re like most people, you’re doing nothing to actually make that life your reality.
So what’s stopping you?
In my experience, you’ll fit into one of these three categories:
- You’ve lost touch with what you love to do and don’t really know what would be meaningful and fulfilling work for you
- You may know what you want but it seems so far off that you have no idea how you’re going to get there
- You know what you want and you even know what you’d need to do but you’re still not taking any action
Which one of these reflects your situation? If you’re honest with yourself, what are your reasons for not taking action?
Understanding what’s blocking you is the first step towards being able to overcome that block and to start moving towards that dream life of yours.
Start creating a life you don’t need a vacation from
So how can you get started? Well, let me give you a few pointers to begin with – each one corresponding to one of the three blocks above:
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Figure out what makes you happy
Yes, it is that simple. Or, at least, it is incredibly important. In order to create a life you don’t need a vacation from, you’re going to need to know what that life would look like for you! What do you most enjoy doing? When are you in that state of ‘flow’? What excites you? What would an ‘ideal day’ look like for you? Creating a clear vision for what this kind of life could mean has to be the first step before you work out a plan to get there.
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Stop thinking in black and white
If you know what you want but it feels too unrealistic, too much of a fantasy, then you’re never going to do anything about it. What’s the point? But this binary thinking isn’t helpful. The truth is that there is a whole spectrum of nuances between the stark reality of where you are today and the land of unicorns and rainbows you want to get to. How can you bring elements of that dream into your life already today? How can you start moving in the right direction?
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Take action
Finally, if you find yourself not taking action, well, the best medicine is to take action! I know it’s hard, it’s uncomfortable and scary – but try it. Take a teeny tiny baby step and see what happens. If the world doesn’t end, and maybe you enjoy it just a little bit, you can try taking another step. And another. Taking that ‘one step’ will build your confidence, increase your motivation and create momentum so that before you know it you will have arrived in that land of rainbows after all!
If you’d like to start creating a life you don’t need a vacation from, let me help!
–> Subscribe to my YouTube channel for quick tips and longer training sessions
–> Join me in the Facebook group where I’m answering questions and creating content for you
–> Book a call with me to discuss how I can mentor you and hold you accountable along the way
3 Responses
Thank you Anna for yet another great post which will help anyone who feels like they are not quite on the right path at the moment.
I’m choosing my career now and the main thing that is preventing me from committing to the path that I think I would find fulfilling is fear. I have the guarantee of a stable grad scheme with a fair salary, or I can go into a competive industry I know nothing about (sustainability) and hope that I will find a job that I like.
Hi Lucy,
You said something interesting there: an industry you “know nothing about” where you “hope” you will find a job that you like. I’m curious as to what it is about sustainability, in that case, that appeals to you? I would definitely recommend researching the industry and jobs available to get more clarity on if they might be a good fit for you. I would also recommend that you try to move beyond the black-and-white / binary thinking of these two options – what might be the other options available to you?
You might also be interested in this article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/money-first-meaning-later-choosing-right-career-path-anna-lundberg/
Hope that helps!
Anna