“Your life sounds like so much fun. You’re so lucky that you get to live an extraordinary life.”
That is something I’ve gotten pretty used to hearing as I travel full-time and get to be a digital nomad.
However, it’s not just luck.
Just a few years ago, I never thought that I would be living this life. I never thought I’d be my own boss or that I’d be traveling full-time. It’s funny how much can change in just a few short years!
For me, this is extraordinary, but everyone has a different version of what living an extraordinary life means.
And, no matter what your definition is, if you want to live an extraordinary life, you can do it!
Perhaps you want to travel, retire early, start your own business, have a homestead, volunteer more, or something else.
Having an extraordinary life can be whatever you want it to be.
All you have to do is aim for it!
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If you want to live your best life, here’s how you can start. Remember:
We have one precious life: do something extraordinary today, even if it’s tiny. A pebble starts the avalanche. ~K.A. Laity
How to live an extraordinary life:
Stop making excuses.
If you want to live an extraordinary life, then you need to stop making excuses.
These might be excuses for why things may not be going your way, excuses for why you think something isn’t possible, and so on.
Everyone is guilty of making excuses, and I know that people will continue to make them until they realize that excuses are just that- excuses.
Just think about the last time you said “That won’t work for me because (insert your excuse here).”
As a personal finance expert, I hear a lot of reasons for why a person can’t save money, pay off debt, reach retirement, and so on.
But, I also hear people making excuses for why they can’t live an extraordinary life, but this is just a disaster because you’re giving up before you’ve even begun!
There are plenty of legitimate reasons for setbacks, and sometimes the road to your dream life isn’t easy. However, before you say that something isn’t possible, you should stop and think about whether or not you are just making excuses.
Once you understand the excuses you are making, you should begin to take the steps needed in order to live an extraordinary life.
Go for your extraordinary life.
What makes you happy, excited, joyful, and motivated? That’s what you should be doing with your life! Well, as long as it’s legal.
Stop thinking about what other people want you to do and start listening to your heart. Who cares about what others think? If you spend all your time thinking about others, you will be wasting a ton of time!
- If you want to live a life of adventure – Go for it.
- If you want to start a family – Start planning one.
- If you want a better job – Get one.
- If you want to change the world – Do it.
Find what it is that you want from life and announce that dream to yourself. Making this step towards reaching your extraordinary life will help you stay focused and move that much closer to reaching your dream.
Forget about what people think.
I hear from a lot of people who think they can’t go for their dreams, such as traveling full-time, starting their own business, and more. Often, their biggest fear is that other people will judge them. Most of the time the judgements are just in the person’s head, and if they’re not, who cares what others think anyways?
I used to really care about what other people thought of me. Now that I’ve learned to let go of that, I couldn’t be happier.
Listening to the opinions and negativity of others can drag you down, control you, and affect your ability to reach your extraordinary life. Letting go and saying “Who cares!?” will help you learn to live a great life.
Just remember, everyone is different, all that should matter is what is right for you.
Welcome the unknown.
The path to your extraordinary life will probably have quite a few brand new experiences.
Some people try to avoid or ignore these experiences because they are afraid of change or fear the unknown. However, these unknowns and new experiences are usually the key to your future.
They may help shape your ideals, teach you valuable lessons, and strengthen your self confidence.
Even though these unknowns can bring about positive change, it’s important to prepare for them. This begins by making a realistic plan for what may happen once you start taking steps to reach your goal. Being prepared can take a lot of the stress out of confronting the unknown.
For example, if you are afraid of what might happen when you leave your job to try something else, you should first plan on having a well-funded emergency fund. This way, if it takes you a little longer to find your dream job or dream life, your emergency fund will be there to help ease some of the stress.
Step outside your comfort zone.
When was the last time you did something new? Living an extraordinary life means that you’ll probably have to step outside of your box and do new things.
So many people live inside their comfort zone when they actually need to branch out every now and then.
Yes, stepping outside of your box can be tough, but what if it completely opened your eyes and changed your whole outlook on life?
Wouldn’t that be amazing?
If you want to learn how to live an extraordinary life, this is something you need to do every now and then. You could even set a goal to try something new each day, each week, or each month.
Improve your confidence.
To live your extraordinary life, you will have to be more confident.
A lack of confidence may:
- Prevent you from believing in yourself.
- You may be too shy to do what you want or need.
- Force yourself to do things you hate.
- Cause you to ruin a meeting, job possibility, and so on.
- Lead to unhappiness.
On the flip side, confidence can open many doors for you.
It can lead to getting the job you want, making more money, reaching your dreams, meeting new people, networking, traveling the world, and more.
Success isn’t easy. If it were easy, then everyone would be extremely successful, meaning that word wouldn’t even exist.
To take control of your life and live it to the fullest, you need to start believing in yourself and stop making excuses.
Next time you think “That’s not possible for me because of (your excuse),” you should think about how you can make your goal a reality.
You need to admit that you are making excuses, and believe that you can accomplish your goals.
Yes, it may be a little difficult to change your mindset in the beginning, but as time passes, you’ll realize that your excuses were just a waste of time and thought. Because, if you really want something, you can find ways to make it a reality.
Read more at Be More Confident And Get What You Want In Life.
Failure is a part of life.
Okay, that may sound extremely negative, but it’s true. Instead of thinking of failure as an end, you should think of failure as a learning experience.
If you’re taking risks or trying new things, there is a chance that you may fail at the task you are attempting.
But, that’s completely okay!
You won’t know if something will work or not unless you try it, and sometimes failure is just a part of the learning process.
Part of living a great life is failing every now and then. Accept that fate now, and you’ll be better prepared when it happens again.
Don’t let life pass you by.
It can be really easy to let life pass you by. Before you know it, years or even decades may be gone.
Too many people have the mindset of “Oh, in 10 years life will be so much better because of such and such.” And then, they just let their lives go by without ever thinking about the present.
Well, what about now?!
10 years is a long time!
Reaching a goal is great, but you should always make sure you are living life to the fullest (on a realistic budget, of course).
Realize that you’ll have to make sacrifices.
To live an extraordinary life, you may have to make sacrifices. In fact, sacrifices are definitely something you will have to make.
You may have to work long hours, pay off debt, skip an expensive purchase, and more. However, if it’s truly a dream of yours, just keep your eye on the end goal! If your idea of an extraordinary life is worthwhile to you, then the sacrifices will be worthwhile as well.
Do you want to live an extraordinary life? What does an extraordinary life mean to you?
Leave a Reply
This post really resonates with me. The list basically sums up my greatest hurdles in life. I spend the majority of my time researching, researching, researching. Any time I want to try something new or step out of my comfort zone, I start be doing research. Now, this is probably fine in small doses, but I’m starting to realize I do this as an excuse to actually get out there and take action! I’ve been devouring all sorts of content on starting a blog, making positive changes in my financial situations, and other things, but I haven’t actually done anything! I’ve been using the excuse that I don’t know enough to start anything knew instead of applying the knowledge I do have!
This post is enlightening and it’s a kick in the rear-end to stop passively living and to start taking action. I’ve been a long-time lurker and this is the first time I am taking that step outside and putting myself out there, and it really is a very freeing experience!
Thank you so much for the motivation and the inspiration!
I totally agree with what you’ve said here. I was just thinking the same things. I’m a great procrastinator and too scared of losing the comfortable income I have to grab the life I want. Research and dreaming and planning is great but at some stage you have to take that leap of faith and get started.
Great post Michelle. Thanks.
YESS!
Yes! I am the same way, but I am getting better 🙂
Absolutely great post Michelle ! I have been following your journey for the last 3 years and you are truly an inspiration to people like me. I am part-time with my blog still but will move to blogging full-time in the near future.
I LOVE LOVE the part about excuses. These days I don’t even talk about my experiences as a blogger to certain people who know me in real life because of all the comments, excuses and subtle negativity.
I sat in a coffee shop today and talked about my blog and the life it is affording me to a friend today and she was amazed. All I could think was “Yes, blogging DOES allow me to live this incredible life”.
Thanks for sharing this post.
Thank you 🙂
I also love the part about excuses! It’s a great reminder for me that I need to be constantly aware of what I’m saying to myself–am I holding myself back by making excuses that I don’t even realize are excuses?
Exactly true for me as well! Getting past the expectations of society and friends and family in general is a huge one.
I love the positivity and energy Michelle!
It’s all about taking that plunge. It took me a couple of years out of college to realize that corporate life is no longer for me thus I am transitioning to take that plunge!
You are definitely an inspiration to look up too.
Thank you 🙂
I agree, worrying about what people think is surely a waste of precious time. They will think what they want anyway so go for what you want and need to succeed.
LOVE this, and just emailed you about something very similar, strangely before I even read this post. My favorite part about this post is when you say “Find what it is that you want from life and announce that dream to yourself.” THIS is what I’m trying to do at the moment to be sure I’m pushing myself in the right direction. Too long, just as someone else said, I’ve been working towards what other people think I should be working towards. I’ve had some “a-ha” moments lately and am finally starting to say out loud what MY dreams are for my life. Great post!!!
I struggle with living intentionally, not just with money, but with other areas of my life. If I’m not careful I look up after a few weeks of mindless consumption (money, food, etc.) and I get the feeling life is passing me by.
I find unplugging from the daily grind and getting close to nature (camping, hiking, just a quick walk in the woods) helps to reset things for me.
We have to stop and smell the roses from time to time.
Love this article. Life is way to short to not live out each and every day to the fullest.
“Failure is a part of life” This post is highly inspiring and motivating
This is such great advice! Sometimes you have to just go for what you want in life. Stop asking for permission or looking for someone else to make it happen for you. I also love what you said about sacrifice. People may look at others and envy what they have, never realizing the personal sacrifice and commitment it took to get there. Love your blog. Keep inspiring!
I think the biggest obstacles most people encounter about living an extraordinary life is the errant belief that’s for other people and the fear of taking the plunge.
But sometimes you’ve got to bite the bullet and simply start. Get rid of the expectations and focus on today. Making today better and the next and every one which follows.
That’s how we get there. These daily appointments with ourselves. Honoring our personal promises until we reach our sweetspot.
Kudos to you for persevering. It’s easier said than done. Happy sails! 🙂
Ms. Michelle,
I enjoy reading your posts so much. Thank you for all of this great information that you share. Reading your material makes me so excited about my life and all the possibilities.
I am taking the first step in trying to live my extraordinary life. This includes starting my blog and online business thanks to the motivation from you and from Ms. Sarah Titus and her great blog.
I can’t wait to see what my life will become.
Thank you again and may life continue to bring many blessings to you.
🙂
I always like to remember to not place too much importance on others judgements and opinions because I can’t pay my bills with them! One way I’ve bettered myself is getting into a regular exercise habit. It’s done wonders for my happiness and relieving some of my anxiety.
Agree,, sometimes is necessary to stop and think that pleasing others is hurting you is necessary became a little bit selfish (ibut not posh and nasty) be positive smile and be kindle but never forgettig yourself…find time for yourself…little steps big results on longterms!!!
These points are so spot on!
I’m definitely guilty of making excuses – I’m tired, I’ve worked 2 hours of overtime, I’m emotional… you think of the excuse, I’ll have used it! But I definitely need to stop making the excuses and also stop thinking about what people think of me, which I think definitely ties in with my confidence!
I figure once I start improving my confidence, I will be less inclined to care what people think about myself because I will be self-assured enough not to be concerned with their thoughts… it’s something I’m working on every day but I have determination to get to where I want to be.