What makes someone want to say ‘screw it, I’m trading my life in for a sail around the world?’ In the following video you’ll hear what made my husband and I decided to quite our ‘normal’ life, leave our financially secure set-up and head out into the unknown.
If we can do it, so can you!
Directly below you’ll find our video made over three years and 18,500 miles after we set sail. After the video, you’ll be able to read my thoughts/feelings that I jotted down BEFORE we left.
Why we sold up and sailed away video
October 7th 2013 – before we sold the house, purchased the boat and left land
Have you ever had a situation when things get so bad that you just can’t handle them anymore? You’ve toyed with making a change for years, but never did anything and then one day you feel as if you’re going to burst if something doesn’t change?
Well, I’ve been living like that for years. And ironically, I’ve made massive changes to my life, yet they haven’t been enough. Let me give you a very quick update on where I was, where I am now and how I’m finally saying screw-it. (Keep reading to find out why we sold up and sailed away – perhaps you currently feel similar to how I felt back before the big decision?!)
First I quit my job
In 2011 I quit my job because I was frustrated, exhausted, bored, unchallenged and seriously lacking fulfillment. Furthermore, my health was declining – mentally and physically. Quitting my job was a bit difficult as I owned 50% of the company I worked for, but that’s another story.
Needless to say, I quit my job and decided to find out how to live a more enjoyable journey. Up until then I had controlled, forced, cajoled, and pushed my way through life. If I wanted something I’d go get it regardless to whether the journey or the final destination was enjoyable.
If the journey isn’t good then the destination won’t be rewarding either
Thankfully I woke up and realized that if the journey isn’t good then the destination won’t be rewarding either. This whole idea of working hard until your 65 and then you can relax is a total joke. Everyone I’ve met that worked hard either dies once they retire or loses their sense of purpose and falls into deep depression. And then they wonder why they spent years being miserable!
Not for me. No way. I took a jump off the end of the rat race pier. Are you wondering what happened once I did?
I quit the rat race and then found true happiness – errrrr, not really!
Well, I’d love to say that my life become fun, enjoyable and full of great experiences but it didn’t. Just because you change the scenery YOU don’t change. The grass is not greener anywhere – no matter how hard you look! I thought that if I removed the thing that made me so miserable, my job, that I’d instantly be happy. Not the case.
It took a while, but I eventually realized that I had to change me. I had to change what I thought about me, my life, the world and my relationship with me, my life and the world. What a growth spurt. An emotional journey that lead to some low lows and some high highs. That’s another story too.
I want fulfillment with my life!
After quite some time, I eventually leveled out a bit. I understood more about who I was, what I wanted and how I wanted to go forward through the rest of my life. My main objective was to enjoy the journey – to increase my overall fulfillment of life.
Thankfully, I’ve made quite a bit of progress but it seems like the more I learn about me, the more I realize that I’m not in the right place doing the right things.
Doing the right things for the wrong reasons?
I started my company in 2004 because I wanted to get rich and I also wanted to be a writer. Rather than write a book or take up journalism I instead started my own company. I was told throughout school that I was a good writer but had no clue about grammar or spelling. I mistakenly thought that I could never be a writer. Starting my own company would allow me to write because I’d be the one who ‘okays’ it. Funny way of thinking – isn’t it?
So I end up starting a finance company. Did I mention that I’m not good a math either and as far as finance is concerned I’m really not interested in it (other than having lots of money). So – I go way out of my way to have the ability to write. After 8 years, I find myself burned out and miserable. On the positive side, the company enabled me to write everything – the website, promotional materials, guides and I even published quite a few books! That led to me writing for many popular magazines. By the time I left I’d been published in over 50 publications including the NY Times, Times and loads of magazines.
By now, I figured it all out – errrr, not really!
So you’d think that I’d quite my job and then become a writer – yes? No. I’m not a writer. I can’t really write that well…but I do love writing! So once I left my job I started a couple blogs (for fun) and then offered management consultancy and started a couple more companies. I bombed at the consultancy – couldn’t handle it. It was too much like working at my company. As for the companies I started, they were and still are interesting but there’s no real challenge. I’ve realized that just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean that you need to do it for the rest of your life.
For the past 2 years I’ve bumbled around doing this and that. For the most part, I’ve really worked on getting myself into a better place. I’ve learned so much about me. And I’ve learned to like who I am. Previously I wouldn’t even look in the mirror at myself – I was too ugly and unworthy.
Here comes the screw it part (almost)!
So, as the title suggests, I’ve finally said screw it. The pain has now become too much for me to bare. I’ve lived a life I thought I was suppose to live based on my past conditioning and now that I’ve taken time out to figure out who I am it’s time to really change.
What about sailing? Where’s that fit in?
Just a little bit more background. For fun, I love to sail. I’m not the best sailor in the world and I do get sea sick. However, for the past 15 years I’ve going on a sailing holiday most years and every time we’ve had to return home I’ve cried. In 2011 we purchased a Moody 346 yacht and I would rather be on that then doing anything else.
Stating that, sailing is fun – it’s a hobby. My dream has been to sail around the world but it’s only a dream. It’s what you tell people when they ask you what you’d do if you won the lottery. It’s not something you actually ever do – is it?
SCREW IT, SCREW IT, SCREW IT!!!
So this is where the screw it comes in. For all my life I wanted to be a writer and for a huge chunk of my life, I’ve enjoyed sailing. I’m not attached to my house (or the things in it), I think the amount of commercialism in the world is distracting us from what’s most important and I’m craving homemade food from local sources. So…logically, what should I do?
Yep – I’m selling everything I have, buying the biggest yacht I can afford and setting sail with my husband and 3 year old daughter. And although I’m not a writer, I’m going to write. I’m going to write about my adventures, my doubts, my fears, my successes, my learning lessons and even some practical tips for those that want to say ‘screw-it’ too. YIKES. I’m scared but excited but scared but excited.
I’m very scared. I’m very excited….
To read about the Captain (my husband) our Deck hand (my daughter) and me, go to The Crew.
The next article is: That’s it – I’m selling everything and sailing around the world!
Or…if you’d like to carry on reading all about our journey from selling up and sailing away, you can purchase my book, ‘Changing Lifestyles – Trading the Rat Race in For A Sail Around The World,’ (click the link to find out more…) The book will take you step by step through the blog articles. You can grab a beer, pour yourself a glass of wine or get a nice coffee/tea and curl up with a book or digital version to enjoy all in one go. Otherwise, navigating around to 300 articles can become quite a task!