A year ago I decided to get on a boat and travel the world in search of a different more fullfilling life. I never had a gap year when i was young but choose to step right into the traditional world of work. Now I crave the opportunity to unravel the traditional mindset of corporate business and do it my way. I wanted to wake up everyday with the sweet feeling of freedom and yet connected.
If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done.
I certainly have not been everywhere but it is on my list and travel has opened my eyes to whats possible.
For me, having a clear purpose in my life has been essential. But it was something I had to think long and hard about before I understood it.
We are all told, “live your life to the fullest”; I am here to do just that, but how will we achieve it? My husband and I sold our house to get the show on the road but that is not going to fund us for long. We agreed the first year would be our gap year allowing us time to adjust to the lifestyle.
We understand this life we have choosen more intimately now. For sure everything takes longer. Laundry takes 3hours minimum at self serve laundrettes, provisioning without a car is a hike and often a dinghy ride, removing non essential packaging before going back to the boat is a pain. Finding recycling bins and shipping it back and forth is a challenge. Managing the electricity and water supplies so you can work and be comfortable takes effort and is a very different approach than living on land. Fixing diesel engines mid passage at sea and dealing with black water issues is not glamorous but I wouldn't change it! Well except for a hot bath when I am cold and tired. We live simple to work less but we still need to earn a crust.
Due to circumstances outside of our control our cruising ground has been the UK and is likely to be the same next year. Therefore working more in the winter is a no brainer and dare I say I quite like that idea.
Supporting others to find that spark and aiding them to fulfill their potential is my passion. Leadership Coaching has been my background for many years and in todays market it fits perfectly into remote working criteria. It can take place anywhere as long as you have an internet connection and power. This year has taught us alot about those two resources and we have only once this year been without signal and that was in Loch Boisdale in the outer Hebrides. Power has never been an issue due to having 800 watts of solar on the boat and the fact Scotland has been blessed with a good summer. We have also learned to plan our marina berths around these two essentials. If I have a big project then we head to a marina with an unlimited supply of electricity for a couple of days. Sometimes I even hop off the boat and go do some face to face delivery which is a brilliant feeling and adds to my travel experience.
As a successful business woman, wife, mum and friend I recognise that regardless of who you are, many of the challenges we face in life today are daunting. My clients are varied in their reasons for seeking a coach some are nervous sailors, a parent, business executives, team players and or the next generation of entrepreneurs. All of my clients are just people with one thing in common - the desire to achieve more. So why tell you this , well I am human and I too have fears and dreams and by sharing my perspective in this blog article I hope to inspire others to live the life they want to, not the one expected. That does not mean sell up and sail away but just gain clarity on your goals, focus on the key steps to getting there. Solve the problems as you go and making the solution stick.
I am not an experienced sailor you understand, but I do have a dream of seeing more of the world and living the nomadic lifestyle. Maybe I just don't want to grow up.
Waiting for the time I can retire is too late to embark on this adventurous lifestyle as my knees will be weak and my mind maybe muddled. Quite simply said, there is no time like the present and waiting for tomorrow is nuts! Life is demanding and we never have enough time nor energy to reflect on what makes life all worth while. So here I am mixing it up and balancing the tight rope of traveling as I work. It will not make me rich but it will make me richer in life!
My mum died this year and that has been a real leveller. My mum was going through Chemo and had 3 things on her bucket list which everyone, medical staff included believed she had plenty of time to achieve and bless her she died of a totally unrelated thing 3 months after been first diagnosed. Not one of the 3 things did she achieve and that breaks my heart. Life is cruel and short.
Many others living this lifestyle embrace casual hospitality work, writing, boat services, virtual assistant and the list goes on. I am really looking forward to exploring options and embracing opportunity this winter. In fact a mix of work could be energising.
I love working. I spend my time on projects that I find interesting and that supports people doing great things.
But it’s still work just in an area where dolphins can swin under my bed!
Hope you enjoyed this insight into our world and I wish you happy times, fair winds and great adventure.
Comments