Recently my bf, Erik,  pointed me to this amazing family who are taking their own approach to living the “American Dream”. The Our Open Road family is an inspiring bunch of adventure seekers who traded in their standard life for one that comfortably fits inside their Westfalia. They’ve taken themselves on the slow-road and are journeying their way through South America. They’ve been gone over 2 years now, and their trip reports are jaw-droppingly stunning, and sure to leave you wishing there was an on-screen button that would magically allow you to swap lives with them.

As I devoured their site, I looked up and surveyed my own apartment and had an epiphany. They aren’t lucky that they get to live this amazing life, they designed the life they wanted and took action to carry it out. My tiny love- and cat-filled apartment didn’t just happen to me by accident. Over the years my decisions and actions have lead me to the exact place I am now. I’m grateful for everything that I have, but it was a wonderful reminder that both YOU and I are in complete control of the life that we live. 

There’s a phrase I’ve heard before: Design Your Life and it perfectly summates how I felt in that moment. Sometimes when I look at many of the great online marketers, or business owners who are already killing it in their businesses, I get envious of the success they’ve created for themselves. Often they’ll say something like “If I can do this, you can do this.” I used to not believe them, but sitting in my apartment looking at photos of the Our Open Road family living their dream it suddenly dawned on me. I CAN DO THIS. YOU CAN DO THIS! I can design the life I want, the business I want. If they can do it, I sure as hell can do it too!

When you think of all the things you wish you were doing, or wish you had done in the past, I think it’s normal to default to feeling like you weren’t in control of how things played out. “The obligations of my life are what they are” is an excuse I’ve told myself many times to justify my inaction. But the reality is that my obligations are my obligations because I’ve CHOSEN them to be. My job is my job because I chose it. My tiny apartment is my tiny apartment because I chose it. I didn’t travel as much in the last few years because I chose to not make it a priority. I designed the life I have today, which means I also get to design the life I have tomorrow. The only difference is that I’m now more aware of how much control I have over the outcome, and I can steer my life, business, and love to play out exactly how I want.

To help getting you thinking about designing your life try this: