It was simple, really (or so I thought)… The life I wanted was to be able to work from anywhere with my husband and dog (update: we now have a son added into the mix!). It was what I would dream about as I was looking out my boss's office window from my cubicle. More freedom, more flexibility, and less running around like crazy from one building to the next. 

I no longer wanted to worry about rationing the PTO time we took off from work for vacations and visiting family or constantly taking turns running home on lunch breaks to let the dog out every day (i.e. the American rat race we all know of). The PTO we each had was just 15 days a YEAR which doesn't really get you far when you have to spread that between family trips, reunions, weddings, and then maybe getting to do a vacation.

We wanted to be digital nomads I suppose - using technology to our advantage to work remotely from anywhere in the world. I firmly believe you cold do great work from anywhere and I was bound to prove it. 

Mind you, all of this was around 2016 and was prior to the pandemic which led to remote work being more of the norm. It was definitely NOT during this time and folks thought we were nutso.

When Jeff and I decided to make this remote lifestyle a reality, there was a lot of work we had to do to make the transition from our corporate lives. This also involved us changing our home base of where we lived because we figured if we can work from anywhere, we can choose where we truly want to be.

In fact, it took us an entire YEAR of preparation to make all the changes we needed to. We both changed careers, we moved in with my parents to save up for this adventure, we sold our vehicles and purchased two others to be a better fit for the new state of Colorado we would be in, we moved to a new state (without knowing anyone), and a lot of other smaller things that had to happen too.

It took time and work to get where we are now and we learned A LOT of things along the way.

Here is what we learned:
 

1. COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT

• Run your ideas and dreams by the people who know you the best and listen to their thoughts. Choose your people wisely though. Sometimes the people who truly know you aren’t family members (even though that may be your initial thought). Take some time to really think about the people who encourage you and be willing to receive constructive criticism and feedback. Having someone else's perspective could help.

2. SOAK UP AS MUCH WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY

• Read books (below are the ones I read and gained a lot insight from)
  • The 4 Hour Workweek
  • The Crossroads of Should and Must
  • Make It Happen
  • Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
  • The More of Less
  • Extreme Ownership
  • Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms
• Listen to podcasts
• Meet with people who have done something similar, ask a ton of questions, and learn from them!
• Understand the “Gulf of Disapproval”

3. MAKE DETAILED PLANS AND TAKE SMALL STEPS TO REACH YOUR GOAL

• Even though it can be tempting to just go for it, make a plan. You’re changing your life around so take a significant amount of time to think about what you really want, what you need, and how to get there.
  • Write out your goals and make action items for what needs to happen to get you from where you currently are to where you want to be.
    • I put this down on paper then put it on a Trello board (a great tool to use that helps you keep on track)
  • Take baby steps
    • It can seem overwhelming to tackle something big so take small, intentional steps to get where you want to be. You don’t have to do everything all at once, you’ll get there. Slow and steady wins the race, remember?

4. SOME PEOPLE WON’T GET IT

• I’ve learned that some people just won’t understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Rather than try to make them understand, just know it’s okay if they don’t. (Even if it’s family)
• You can’t please everyone (it’s true!) so be thoughtful of others, but ultimately, you do you.

5. COMPROMISE AND PATIENCE

• If you’re married or doing this with a partner, figuring out what you both want as individuals and then together as a couple is important. There’s a ton of value in doing both and you may have to make some compromises along the way.
• Again if you're married, have patience with your partner because odds are you may move at different speeds.

6. FOLLOW YOUR CALLING

• We have a limited amount of time on this Earth and life is way too short to not be living the life you want.
• If you’re not sure what your calling is, here is a little formula I’ve found helpful: your gifts/skills/strengths + your passions + an opportunity = your calling!
  • Basically, it’s where your strengths and passions intersect. Find that, and cultivate it!