How to design your dream life?

What is Lifestyle Design?

I’d like to say that I think the answer to this question is pretty obvious, but I do feel that it needs some clarity. The concept of Lifestyle Design is that you essentially design a life that allows you to live the way you want. Pretty simple really.

But in reality, it isn’t that easy.

We all live in a world where there are societal norms. You know the ones where you are expected to go to school, graduate, get a job that leads to a successful career, get married, have kids and the whole white picket fence.

Let’s just say that this particular path is not one that you can imagine doing. The idea of doing the same job for the rest of your life scares the life out of you. You despise the thought of having to sit in a cubicle from 9 – 5 any longer. Or perhaps you just need a change of scenery and actually enjoy office life.

Enter Lifestyle Design – it’s a fairly new term that is being adopted by many entrepreneurs around the world wide web.

You can do a simple google search of the term ‘ Lifestyle Design’ and find numerous articles. Most reference the concept of becoming an entrepreneur and building a new business in order to create the life of your dreams.

For me this isn’t the case.

Lifestyle design is simply finding out what you love in life and making sure that you are doing it. No matter what.

Whether that’s creating freedom and time, travelling, spending time with friends and family, working on a new hobby etc.

Whatever you want to be doing, you make essential life decisions to ensure that these things are prioritised. Like your number one priority.

For some that could be simple life changes, for others that could be life-changing decisions. The route will be unconventional and take some outside of the box thinking, but creating your dream life was never meant to be easy.

Can I ask you a question?

How do you imagine retirement?

Do you see yourself with more time and freedom? Do you feel relaxed and can see your friends and family whenever you want? Or maybe you have taken up new hobbies and are travelling the world?

Don’t wait for retirement, design a life you can enjoy right now.

The idea that we have to work for 40+ years in order to enjoy retirement is crazy to me. Just because society said so. Spending your whole life working just so you can relax once you are past your prime, for me, isn’t a life.

Now imagine you won the lottery, how does that look?

Maybe you are relaxing in your mansion, sipping cocktails on the daily whilst hopping on and off your superyacht. Maybe you are travelling around the world.

But how about this…

“People don’t want to be millionaires — they want to experience what they believe only millions can buy. Ski chalets, butlers, and exotic travel often enter the picture. Perhaps rubbing cocoa butter on your belly in a hammock while you listen to waves rhythmically lapping against the deck of your thatched-roof bungalow? Sounds nice.

$1,000,000 in the bank isn’t the fantasy. The fantasy is the lifestyle of complete freedom it supposedly allows. The question is then, how can one achieve the millionaire lifestyle of complete freedom without first having $1,000,000?”

4 Hour Work Week – Tim Ferris

The New Rich

Tim Ferris called this the ” New Rich”, where the currency you create is time and mobility. The ultimate goal that it all boils down to; we all want freedom.

Is Lifestyle Design for you?

I also think that a lot of people simply think that it is going to cost too much money to make the changes they desire in their lives. Society norms don’t make it easy to think any different. But this isn’t the case.

Yes you may want a brand new house or a new car, but think about it. Are these things actually going to bring you joy? Things won’t give you freedom or time, they won’t give you memories or experiences. They won’t fulfil you or support you. They are just things.

And your idea of success will be soo different to someone else’s, it could mean cutting ties with friends that hold you back or quitting a job that leaves you tired and lifeless at the end of the day. Whatever dream you have, you can make it happen.

I feel like Phil and I have done a pretty great job of this so far. We didn’t create a new business empire or win the lottery. But we did make unconventional decisions to allow us to live our dream life when we wanted. And isn’t that the goal, doing what you want, when you want without having to wait until you are retired to do so.

If you want a little background on how we have lived our dream life so far, check out my about me page and this blog post – how to make money travelling the world.

How to implement Lifestyle Design

If you are wanting to stop climbing the corporate ladder and exchange it for a life you are passionate about or need that push to follow your dreams, here are some great tips to get you started with your lifestyle design.

Create a Moodboard

Get creative and start to compile ideas that sum up what your ideal life looks like. Cut up magazines and make a mood board filled with inspiring images and words. Feel like doing a digital version, hop on to Pinterest and start pinning. Seeing your dream life in front of you on a daily basis can put a real pep in your step.

Daydream

Where does your head go when you daydream? Keep a daydream journal and note all the things you find yourself dreaming about. I often find that when you start procrastinating it is because you aren’t doing something at the time that you are passionate about. Life is short people, fill it with passion!

Books and Podcasts

These are some of my favourite books and podcasts that get me super motivated and inspired for designing my dream life.

4 Hour Work Week – Tim Ferris

Anything by Tony Robbins, Gary V or Dean Graziosi

Her Life by Design Podcast by Christina Galbato

Make New Friends

If you know people who have lives that you admire, ask them about it. Make friends with those who have the same thing in common, it’s crazy how much more passionate you can become when you share goals with one another. Plus you will often find that everyone brings something different to the table and your ideal life may just come a little quicker. When you surround yourself with people who just don’t get your ‘dream’ you are doing yourself a disservice. Find your tribe!

Say Yes

I often find that the main reason people don’t follow through with their dreams is because of fear. It’s the risk factor. If you say yes to opportunities that scare you, you will quickly realise that most things work out, and if they don’t it’s not the end of the world.

For us as an example, we have flown to the other side of the world on one-way tickets with no job prospects on the other side. Did we let the fear of it not working out get in our way? Hell no. I can’t even imagine what our lives would look like now if we hadn’t taken those leaps of faith. Was it scary – erm yeah. But not having had the experiences it led to would be even worse.

So if you find yourself questioning the normal work ethic that exists in our society, it’s time to re-evaluate your life and make some changes. Really is there a better time than right now whilst we are all quarantining at home? Because good things are coming your way – I can feel it!

If you want to discuss this topic further, I am an open book. I am so passionate about this topic and I am happy to help encourage others so feel free to email me, leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram @everthewanderer.

Don’t forget to save for Later – Pin to Pinterest