9 Ways to Live an Extraordinary Life

“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…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: May 16, 2025

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“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?


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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. Nikki@India Business Solution

    You explain this thing very well, there are many people who just look for a perfect answer so that they can have their life in peace. They are in such a mess that if someone just help them to sort things. I was saying this because in the past, I am myself in a situation like this and I don’t get guidance at right time. So, you are doing something different and something that people forget in their busy life.

  2. Michael Murray

    “Forgetting about what other People think.” – Nailed it years ago. It still amazes me how
    bothered they are, when they know, You don’t really care what they think. And by the same
    token, don’t join in with the gossip crowd, in talking about others. You have far better things
    to do with Your time.

    “Don’t be afraid to fail.” – It happens. Take the lesson and move on. even though the talkers
    love to watch You fall down. Get back up, dust Yourself off and smile at them. But by all
    means, keep moving forward.

    One of the greatest things I ever heard, regarding what “Others Think”, is that it really is
    none of Your business, WHAT they think of You. The only option of You that truly matters,
    is the one You have of Yourself. 🙂

  3. Oliver @ Appreneurinvestor.com

    Regarding the last tip, you have to ask yourself before you spend: “Do I need it or just want it?” Being debt-free and a wise shopper would lead to an extraordinary life.

  4. Rachel P

    I am currently working on the first one. Letting got of excuses. I am guilty of failing before I even start and that is sad. But I guess the first step is recognizing it. Only then can one change.

  5. Liesbeth

    Hi Michelle,

    I am following your blog and I love the way you are writing, with that pitch of humor. I would like some advice from you. I am a Dutch psychologist, 61 now, yes time flies and I want to start my own blog about psychology in daily life, mixed with my own experiences. Shall I write in Dutch or English? And could you give me some examples how to start? I have been writing on LinkedIn and I have 1048 followers now. My goal is to pay off some debts, then start to live in my house on Bozcaada (a tiny island at the west coast of Turkey), writing about this basic life too. I hope you will give me that push. You already opened my eyes with this article. Time has come what I am telling my clients to go for it, like you do.

  6. Mia

    This is such a helpful list! I love the quote by KA Laity. It’s the little things in life 🙂 Thanks for being such an inspiration of what’s possible, Michelle! 🙂

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Thanks!