Celebrating Freedom: Day 10...An Overview and an Announcement

The last ten days of Natalie Sisson's Freedom Plan Blog Challenge were enlightening. 

I always knew my ultimate goal, but some of the details were a bit fuzzy. 

This challenge helped me clarify some of the unknown. 

Here are links to the topics I explored over the last ten days and how I responded to each prompt. 

Day 1: Finding Your Focus

Day 2: Discovering Your Why

Day 3: Creating a Vision: The Ideal Day

Day 4: Defining Your Superpowers

Day 5: The Power of Routine 

Day 6: Finding Your Tribe

Day 7: Imperfect Action

Day 8: Choosing Adventure

Day 9: Location Independence 

And now, day ten. 

Day 10: Meaningful Takeaways

Here's what I know for sure. 

Surround yourself with people who get it. 
People who don't chase their own goals have less capacity to fully support you in your quest. When things get tough, or when you start prioritizing the steps you need to take, those in your inner circle may not understand why you have to say no or why you need to do x, y, or z. 

Find your tribe. 
Find them in person, and if that's not possible, seek them out books and virtually...through podcasts and Facebook groups. And love those around you who may not understand, but can cheer you on the way that they can. 

See it and make it happen. 
And, the more you can visualize where you want to be, the better chance you have of achieving it. 

I'm living proof. 

I'm a vision board maker...the old school kind. I save my magazines, buy poster board and a glue stick, and every year...more or less, I assess and revisit goals. 

In January, I was part of a 10 day goal setting challenge, offered through a Facebook group by a coaching friend of mine, based on Chalene Johnson's 30-Day Push Goal Challenge. I struggled with the formatting and it wasn't coming together. 

I went back again. I reworked my push goal (and the steps it would take to achieve it) until it made sense to me. And then it did.

Ask and you shall receive. 

On Friday, September 30, 2016, I will leave the traditional brick and mortar school, which I love, to become a full time virtual teacher to foreign students who are earning a United States high school diploma. This is no reflection on my current position; I love my school and the littles who have climbed into my heart. 

This is an opportunity of a lifetime; one I cannot pass by. 

My push goal has been achieved. Officially, I am location independent. 

My virtual teaching job allows me the flexibility to work anywhere in the world with a wifi signal...freedom, indeed. 

I am beyond blessed.

And now, thanks to some of the work I did in this Freedom Plan 10 Day Blog Challenge, I'm ready to see how my Freedom Plan comes to life. 

It's an exciting time, indeed. 

Source

Do you want to create a Freedom Plan of your own? 

Consider doing the 10 Day Challenge and see for yourself what your life could look like? 

Location Independence...Freedom Plan Blog Challenge...Day 9

Imagine being able to work from anywhere in the world. 

For some, it means working from home, free of the commute and hours of the traditional workplace. 

For others, it means following their ideal weather, living a nomadic life or one of slow travel, where you experience life as a local for weeks or months at a time. 

Assuming that you still have to work and fund this location independent lifestyle, how would you create a work-life balance?

This is the focus of day nine of Natalie Sisson's Freedom Plan Blog Challenge... identifying what location independence means to you. 

To me, location independence means having the ability to work anywhere in the world, be it in a job with employability anywhere in the world or as a digital nomad, working anywhere with a reliable wifi signal.

As a teacher in a traditional brick and mortar school, this is a challenge, but not impossible.

For me, location independence means the freedom to travel at will, within our financial means. It means having multiple income streams, one of which comes from an employer that is not me. Freelancing is a lovely idea, but relying on my own entrepreneurship for our livelihood is not something that interests me in a full time capacity. 

My work-life balance is detailed in the work I did to describe my ideal day on Day 2 of this challenge. My ideal day is built on location independence; it's my ultimate goal. 

How would you define location independence in your own life? Is this something that is important to you or are you happy with a more traditional work environment?

If you want to design life on your own terms and need guidance developing your own personal freedom plan, it's not too late to participate in this free Freedom Plan Blog Challenge. Sign up here. 

Choosing Adventure......Freedom Plan Blog Challenge...Day 8

Day 8 of Natalie Sisson's Freedom Plan 10-Day Blog Challenge revolves around adventure. 

While some who are participating in this challenge may have spent the day seeking adventure in their own backyard, I chose to spend this day exactly as I wanted. 

And that felt like freedom too. 

Every day need not be filled with adventure of epic proportion in order to feel free. 

Life on your own terms is freedom. 

Today, after catching up on some mileage-related car service, I opted for a quiet afternoon at home...just me, my dog, and Pablo Escobar. 

When the Señor came home from teaching his class, we opted for an at-home date night, with pizza, wine, and movies. 

Tomorrow is Sunday, and we'll enjoy our Sunday coffee date...and some extra cuddling, I'm sure. 

Globetrotting adventure, it was not, but it was life by design. And it was wonderful. 

Did adventure find you this weekend? Do you plan your weekends with intent or do you see where the time takes you?

It's not too late...you can still join Natalie's free Freedom Plan Blog Challenge. 

Sign up here and begin your own freedom plan as you see fit. 

And if you do, please come back and share a link. I would love to see what you wrote. 

Imperfect Action......Freedom Plan Blog Challenge...Day 7

We've all been there...that feeling of overwhelm with too many ideas or to-do items on a list that grows longer by the minute. 

We don't know where to start, so we put it off and before long, we forget about it, relegating it to the realm of impossible or something that wouldn't have worked anyway. 

Natalie Sisson, of the Suitcase Entrepreneur, says that procrastination can be the result of a fear of failure...or a fear of success, if you can believe it. 

Perfection becomes the enemy of progress; it leads to procrastination, and in some cases, inaction. 

Today's work focuses on strategies for moving beyond that panicked state of inaction. These strategies revolve around small, daily actions you can take to move closer to your own freedom plan or big, scary goal, whatever it may be. 

Imperfect action is better than no action. 

For me, one imperfect action I can take is committing to write every day. It need not be published, but it needs to be written. 

I can commit to my 15,000 steps every day.

I can commit to my personal development every day. 

Finishing does not mean it's perfect. Finished means I kept a commitment to myself. 

I'm worth it, and so are you. 

What about you? What imperfect action can you take today?

Have you joined Natalie's free Freedom Plan Blog Challenge yet? Sign up here.  

Finding Your Tribe...Freedom Plan Blog Challenge...Day 6

When you have a big scary goal, you want the people around you to be supportive, but at times, those closest to you don't understand your journey because it differs from their own. It's not that they want to be unsupportive, but fear of the unknown can overpower a try and see more adventurous mindset. 

And even if those closest to you are supportive of your hopes and dreams, you still may need or want those who, already, have walked your path to shepherd you on your own journey. 

This is the power of your tribe, and this is the focus of Suitcase Entrepreneur, Natalie Sisson's, Freedom Plan's Day 6. 

Your tribe can consist of mentors, like the elders of your tribe or warriors who have forged the way for others to follow. 

Your tribe can consist of like minded folks who are going after their own hopes and dreams. Maybe you share a common vision or a common mindset. 

And you can have cheerleaders in your tribe, who may not fully understand your journey, but cheer you on, reminding you of why you started when things get tough. 

So, how do you build your tribe? 

Look around you? Who are your helpers? Your cheerleaders? Who are the leaders in your field? Who has done what you want to do and done it well? Who is forging their own way and documenting their victories and their challenges?

In today's focus, Natalie challenges us to identify our mentors and why their work is significant to us and what questions we would ask, if given the chance. 

One person I would love to have as a mentor is Beth Santos, from Wanderful. Beth is a entrepreneur who created a community for women interested travel and global understanding. Beth found the sweet spot that we talked about in day four of this ten day challenge...freedom at the intersection of skills and passion. The community has grown to include regional events and an annual national conference, the Women in Travel Summit. 

Another person I would love to have as a mentor is Mara Koefed, from A Blog about Love. Mara's and her husband, Danny's blog was one of the first blogs I ever started reading regularly. For many reasons that have nothing to do with business, I was drawn to their style, their mission, and their story. I would love to sit with a cup of tea and chat about so many things, business and otherwise. 

How about you? 

Who are the mentors you would love to add to your tribe? Why are they inspiring to you? What questions would you ask them, if you had the chance?

Share in the comments, and better yet, join Natalie's free Freedom Plan Blog Challenge? Sign up here.  

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The Power of Routine...Freedom Plan Blog Challenge...Day 5

Anyone who knows me knows that I love personal development. 

Last year, I read The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, publisher of Success magazine. 

The cornerstone of The Compound Effect lies in the belief that it is the choices you make every day over time that yield the greatest results, for better or for worse. 

For example, a daily commitment to nutrition and fitness can yield great wellness results over time, but inconsistent nutrition and fitness over time can result in disaster...poor health and overall malaise. 

Frugal spending over time can result in big savings, but absent-mined spending over time can result in big debt. 

It all adds up...for better or for worse. 

The focus of today's work is in creating habits that build a foundation for success. If creating a freedom plan is a priority, it will take time and consistency.

In Day 5 of the Freedom Plan Blog Challenge, Natalie Sisson challenges us to create a daily success plan for work that moves us closer to achieving our goals. 

For increased productivity, Natalie suggests using a time box method, like the Pomodoro Technique, in which work intervals are organized into 25 minute increments, using a timer, like the famous Pomodoro tomato timer. 

When the 25 minutes are complete, you take a break. Then, you do another 25 minute session. The idea is that your productivity increases with shorter deadlines and shorter, more intense work sessions. With a shorter work session, there are fewer distractions and a better chance of accomplishing the task.   

When it comes to work and productivity, I thrive on routine; it takes the guess work out of the mundane and I have more creative energy to dedicate to my work. 

My three Most Important Actions (MIAs) of every work day are

1. 30 minutes of personal development 
2. Three hours of "office hours" dedicated to communication and paperwork 
3. One hour of writing time

After my work is complete, the rest of my ideal day, which I described on Day 3 of the challenge, is mine.

How about you? 

In your ideal day, what would your success plan look like? 

How would you break up your most important daily actions? 

Have you used a time box method, like the Pomodoro Technique?

Share in the comments, and better yet, join Natalie's free Freedom Plan Blog Challenge? Sign up here. 

Defining Your Superpowers...Freedom Plan Blog Challenge...Day 4

They say that the sweet spot of personal success can be found in the intersection of your skills and your passion. It's here that you unlock your own personal super powers. 

Unleashing your super powers for financial gain makes sense, but it can take some excavation.

The focus of today's work is self assessment...what are your skills and what do you love doing? It is here that you can define your super powers.

Now is not the time to be humble says, Natalie Sisson, of The Suitcase Entrepreneur. If you're not sure, ask those who know you. Often others see what we, ourselves, cannot see, and if it comes easily, you mistakenly may not consider it a true talent. 

For me, my skills involve: 

• teaching and working with kids
• building and maintaining relationships
• planning and organizing
• brainstorming and idea creation
• adaptability and spontaneity 
• financial frugality
• writing for a purpose
• public speaking 
• motivating others

I enjoy  

• traveling
• cooking and all things food
• taking pictures
• talking with people
• reading and writing
• outside activity
• inspiring others
• setting and achieving goals
• coaching

I'm sure that there is some opportunity for a business somewhere at the junction of skill and pleasure, but for now, I'm unsure as to where that lies, and consequently, I'm still not sure as to how I would define my own super power. 

This will take more work. 

How about you? 

Have you discovered your super powers? 

Share in the comments, and better yet, join Natalie's free Freedom Plan Blog Challenge? Sign up here. 

Creating the Vision...Freedom Plan Blog Challenge...Day 3

Many of us have ideas of what our perfect life looks like, peppered with big dreams and what ifs. 

In Day 3 of the Freedom Plan Blog Challenge, the Suitcase Entrepreneur, Natalie Sisson, charges us with the task of creating a vision of our perfect day. 

This takes some thought, because the challenge restricts us from using generalizations and requires that we visualize this perfect day in the present tense. 

The more specific the vision, coupled with a sincere belief in our ability to achieve it,  the better chance we have of it becoming a reality.  This eliminates improbable goals, encouraging more realistic, measurable SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Boxed).  

Here is my vision of an ideal day in my location independent life. 

A day at home...

• I am awake by 7:00 a.m.. I make mental notes of my goals for the day and set my intention. 
• Morning...Señor, coffee, Gracie, local news, breakfast. 
• Gym and/or yoga. 
• Focused work and task/daily goal completion. 
• Lunch, followed by a short siesta/quiet time...am I becoming culturally Spanish?
• Walk outside, errands, exploration, play with Gracie
• Afternoon coffee date with the Señor
• Dinner 
• Netflix or TV, Gracie time
• Bed

A day on the road...

• My day is similar, except that the Señor and I are exploring. My focused work time depends on the time zone.  

It's a work in progress. It's hard to visualize what you've never had, but if you don't know what it looks like, how do you know when you have achieved it? 

The reality is, your needs and preferences may change over time; however, I believe in the power of vision...it really does work. I may not know what my ideal day looks like down to the minute, but I have an idea of what it looks like as a big picture. 

It's a start. 

Do you want to design life on your own terms and need guidance developing your own personal freedom plan. It's not too late to participate in this free Freedom Plan Blog Challenge? Sign up here. 

Discovering Your Why: Freedom Plan Blog Challenge...Day 2

What is on your Someday, I will.. list?

What gives you the fire of excitement in your belly?  

What makes you smile just thinking about it?

Why do you want to achieve the stuff of vision boards and push goals?

What is your why? What is the purpose for wanting what you want?

This is the focus of Day 2 of the Natalie Sisson Freedom Plan Blog Challenge.

For me, the line between why and results was blurred, until I started this exercise and really began asking questions about why and how. 

Is travel and exploration my why, or is it a result? 

Is freedom to make my own choices and live life on my own terms my why, or is it a result?

And after round after round of something akin to the chicken or the egg scenario, voila...the blur became clear. 

For me, life by design is my why and location independence is my how. 

Life by design allows me the freedom to pursue my passions and hobbies. 

It allows me the freedom to explore curiosities and ask questions and find out more information. 

For me, my why...life by design can be achieved by my how...location independence. 

My why is clear. My how is clear. 

How to achieve the how is what must come next. 



Do you know your why? What drives you? 


It's not too late to participate in this free Freedom Plan Blog Challenge? Sign up here. 

Finding Your Focus...Natalie Sisson's Freedom Plan Blog Challenge: Day 1

I first heard Natalie Sisson's name after listening to a podcast with Warren and Betsy Talbot, of An Uncluttered Life (formerly Married with Luggage). The idea of a Suitcase Entrepreneur was intriguing for someone hopelessly and happily infected with wanderlust, like me, and luckily, the Señor. I began listening to her podcast and learning from her experience and that of her guests as they designed their lives on their own terms. 

Since then, I have done quite a bit of personal development in lifestyle design and location independence. I have joined online communities of like-minded people who support and encourage each other and who share their challenges and victories as they pursue their own life by design. 

When Brittany of Living Unconditionally, one such online community, mentioned that she was participating in Natalie's 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge, I thought this was the perfect opportunity for some clarification on what our life would look like when we achieved our own push goals.

So here we are...day one. Today's focus is on what holds us back.

Interestingly, when your goals become clear, you want success to happen overnight. Suddenly, motivation is in abundance...that is, until you hit your first roadblock and the motivation train derails into a ditch. 

Drilling down to what holds us back can be difficult to name. 

Is it procrastination, self doubt, imposter syndrome? 

If we keep digging, it seems that the root of all road blocks, at least for me, is fear. 

Fear blocks progress. Fear tells us we're not good enough or that what we're doing will fail. 

Fear keeps us from taking risks and learning from our mistakes. 

Fear makes bumps in the road seem like ravines from which we can never emerge. 

Fear is what takes the wheel and drives our motivation train into the ditch. 

And that is certainly true for me. 

Fear tells me I can't. 

Fear asks me, "Who do you think you are?" and "Who are you kidding?"

and asks, "Why bother?"

Fear says, "I told you so," when things don't go as planned. 

and "Let it go," when I think about giving up. 

Sometimes Fear gets the best of me. 

It manifests as procrastination to the point of inaction and at times, it's a battle fought one day at a time. 

So, what's the solution? 

Acknowledge fear for what it is and do what you want anyway. 

Easier said than done, I'm sure, but what's the alternative?

In her book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert wrote...

That seems reasonable. 



How about you? Is anything holding you back from living the life you want?

Do you want to participate in this free Freedom Plan Blog Challenge? Sign up here. Here's Natalie with the information on Day 1.