Carpe Diem, or Seize the Day, is what it means to be a traveler, but why? Often times we only visit a place once, which means all the excuses you use while at home won’t work. There is no tomorrow, only today. There is no next time, only this time. Now, what if you could take that mindset and apply it to your daily life? While there might be limits to your audacious adventures when you are traveling, I have been curious and practicing how I can use the traveler’s mindset to unlock my days. Using this mindset, I have built a life on the road that works even if you live the 9-5 life. And the best part, it’s easy to start!
The first step is realizing what it means for you to seize the day. Maybe it is sipping Mai Tai’s on the beach, or maybe it is climbing a glaciated peak in a remote mountain range, either way, let’s make that a reality! Take out a pen and paper, jot down what you dream of doing, then walk away to grab a cup of coffee and think to yourself, “Yup, you had a sweet idea!” Now, since you are at home and probably not in Tahiti, it is time to get creative.
Let’s use the the Mai Tai on the beach example and say you live in Minnesota. How do you sip Mai Tai’s on a beach in Minnesota in the dead of winter? You fill your living room with sand, begin a quest to make the best Mai Tai in the world, turn up the heater, and live steam the sunset over the ocean. Maybe toss in some tiki lanterns for some added flare. Now, I know this may see extreme, but if you wanted to sip Mai Tai’s on a beach every day for the rest of your life, yet you live in Minnesota, wouldn’t this be a pretty comparable solution? Think of all the crazy and wild solutions you could create. All you have to do is step outside of the sand box!
The second step is to create a sense of urgency, or ephemerality. While starting was easy, I think this second step is the most difficult. When you are traveling, the reason you go see the Eiffel Tower when it is pouring rain or walk around the pyramids during a heat wave is because you don’t have another chance. However, once you are home, going to the park is old and becomes a task. Why? Because it is always there and you know it’ll be better another time. So, how do you overcome this? You create urgency by reducing the comforts you have.
For example, I love being at the ocean or in the mountains. I want my whole life to bounce between the two, catching the best swells and squeezing in weather windows. So, I packed everything I needed into a car and left the comforts for another person. While I admit I have gone to the extreme, I wake up at the base of a climb or next to a beach where I can surf every morning. If you decide to take this route, decide what you won’t give up, ask yourself why, then decide if you can live without it. Each thing you keep, make sure it adds value to your life.
The third step is to build your group of friends who motivate you. Who likes doing everything alone? At some point, pushing yourself becomes a task that is easy with a friend. There is quote that I learned while teaching in outdoor education that goes something like, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” I believe this to be a truth. When you are alone, you are responsible for everything, which means there is nobody but yourself to hold you back. However, if you build the right relationships, those which promote growth, you end up going further because you have the support you needed.
The last step is to go freak’n live your life! Yup, it is that simple. You now know what you want, you don’t have that comfortable couch whispering, you had a long day, come watch Netflix and chill, and best of all you have friends that call you to do the things you love!
We all have 24 hours in a day and you can choose to spend those hours however you wish. It does not matter if you work a 9-5 or live in a van. We are the creators of your schedules. We are the puppet master pulling our strings. Our actions are ours alone. Why not embrace the traveler’s mindset and get the most out of your 24 hours?
Good Reads to Inspire You:
Micro-Adventures by Sir Alistair Humphreys
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
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