Why This Works

When you step outside your familiar surroundings, you often break free from unnoticed ruts in your routine. A change in scenery can trigger a transformation, forcing you to adapt to new environments, neighborhoods, workout facilities, time zones, and even culinary options.

By stepping outside your comfort zone, you gain valuable insights into your life. You discover what aspects of home you miss and what you’re ready to leave behind. It’s akin to gaining a broader perspective on your identity—you become more aware of yourself!

Nearly a decade ago, I took a significant step by addressing my struggles with bulimia. While travel alone didn’t resolve my issues, removing myself from my familiar environment and daily habits allowed me to go six months without reverting to unhealthy behaviors. I found a place where I could redefine myself and choose which parts of my identity to carry forward.

On Your Business:

Apply this mindset to identify stagnation in your work routines. Reflect on how you allocate your time and your feelings about your tasks. For instance, last December, my partner and I were fully immersed in sales calls for long hours, making our days blend together. However, we weren’t dedicating time to what truly inspired us: creating content for individuals like you.

Our trip to Thailand from January to March necessitated a shift in our schedule, allowing us to either stay up all night or reduce our sales calls. We chose the latter and found joy in our new routine, prioritizing content creation and fitness over sales calls.

We often remain oblivious to how stuck we are until a change compels us to reassess. Traveling catalyzes this un-sticking process.

To genuinely enjoy the freedom to travel, it’s advisable to receive compensation based on results rather than hours worked. Being paid for outcomes provides the flexibility to choose when you work.

On Your Productivity:

Traveling affords you a natural escape from your usual commitments. At home, distractions abound—social events, family gatherings, and daily responsibilities. However, when you’re traveling, you can easily prioritize your own goals without feeling guilty.

It’s akin to stepping into a time-bending chamber: you enter, and time feels different. You gain significant opportunity to focus on what truly matters to you. As we planned our trip to Thailand, we were excited about two months of concentrating on our business, gym goals, and enjoying new experiences together.

Changing your surroundings can facilitate the formation of new habits.

Handling Travel Expenses

To ensure that travel doesn’t become a financial burden, here are some strategies we’ve adopted:

• My partner and I operate our online business, which allows us to generate income from anywhere without needing time off. We started a social media marketing agency to help small businesses grow their customer base online. During our time in Thailand from January to March 2024, we continued running our business remotely.
• Keep monthly expenses to around 30% of your income. While we could upgrade our lifestyle, we prioritize allocating funds for travel instead. A useful tip we learned from The Dave Ramsey Show is to avoid letting expenses consume the bulk of your earnings. It’s common for individuals to increase spending as their income rises, leaving them perplexed about stagnant savings. By limiting expenses to 30%, we budget effectively for travel.
• Treat travel as a business expense. If you utilize your travel time for meetings, networking, or content creation, you may be able to write off those costs. For example, we attended the Funnel Hacking Live event in the fall of 2023 and were able to deduct most of the trip as a business expense. Always consult with your accountant regarding local tax laws.

Productivity Tips

Choose accommodations that combine your workspace, fitness center, and relaxation area. Streamlining your environment can simplify achieving your daily objectives. Hotels and rentals often provide discounts for extended stays, so leverage this to secure an inspiring location conducive to productivity.

For instance, here’s the place we stayed in Thailand, which provided ample opportunity for work, exercise, and creative thought. Our month there cost less than our typical monthly expenses at home.

Final Thoughts

Travel doesn’t have to be perceived as an extravagant expense that derails your plans or drains your finances. Instead, I view travel as a powerful tool for personal growth, productivity enhancement, building networks, and evolving into a better version of ourselves.

By selecting appropriate accommodations, earning income remotely, and managing expenses wisely, immersing yourself in diverse cultures can seamlessly integrate into your everyday life.

In the video "Use a Travel Agent? Know What They DO NOT Do!" learn about the common misconceptions of travel agents and how they can truly support your travel planning.

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