Most of you will know we’ve been on a pretty wild ride over the last few months, thanks to the little bundle of joy above (the one on the left)…and in less than a week, we’re about to head off on our first location adventure with the littlest LIP in tow.

Like most new parents, we’re constantly amazed by each new development Mali displays – what’s amazed us the most are the things we’ve re-learned by watching her grow, adapt, evolve and feel her little way around this big wide world. Things that, over the course of time, we forget or become conditioned in such a way that we lose those natural behaviours.

Unfortunately some of those behaviours, mindsets and approaches are things that could be the key to becoming location independent…and if you no longer possess them, maybe this is a timely reminder to re-learn them:

Living in the present

I’m not sure how much of a memory young babies have – but they certainly rarely have any idea of what’s coming up in their life. Most of their time is spent living in the here and now, not worrying about what’s past nor what’s coming but simply what they’re doing right then, right now.

Takeaway lesson: It’s a great lesson to heed when it comes to creating your location independent lifestyle. No need to worry what’s past, nor what lies ahead – simply focus on where you are now and the very next step you need to take.

Focus on your circle of control

I often wonder whether it’s frustrating to be this little being with no control over where you go, what you do or when you eat/drink. There are very few things our little babe can control for herself at the moment – and she’s only just learning to control her hands enough to reach out & grasp things in her reach. She doesn’t seem to get too frustrated at this – in fact, she’s a pretty happy-go-lucky, chilled out little thing. She accepts what she can do and does it with relish. Again and again.

Takeaway lesson: There are some things you can control and many you can’t. To avoid frustration and stress, it’s only useful to focus on controlling those you can realistically and feasibly control (your income & your location for starters); and let those things be, that you can’t control (other people, the weather, a country’s internet access). If you can apply this concept to your life, you’ll likely find your quest for location independence becomes a lot less frustrating.

Learning is a game

The munchkin learns, grows and develops new skills through the games we play with her – at present her whole life probably feels like one big game. It doesn’t matter if she wins or loses (in fact, almost 100% of the time she wins in some way or another), the most important thing is that she’s having fun and constantly developing.

I’m not quite sure when learning becomes all serious for most people – probably when they hit the education system and are subject to tests, assessments and bandings. For anyone wanting to become location independent, there is usually a whole raft of new skills to be learned.

Takeaway lesson: By treating new skills development & learning as a game rather than a serious “must do” to cross off your list, you’re likely to create a far more fun and enriching experience than pressuring yourself to skill up in the shortest time possible. In fact, by treating your quest to become location independent as a game rather than an uphill battle, you may find the journey and the experience more fun than you were expecting.

Leverage your USP

Ok, so not all of us have hair which stands on end like it’s been electrified and is almost 10cm long at just 4 months old but you gotta make the most of what you’ve got! It’s the hair which sets our 4 month old apart from all others – the fact it gets us free coffees almost anywhere we go is fantastic!

Takeaway lesson: I appreciate that this is quite beyond Mali’s (or our) control but that doesn’t matter – it’s a USP and it sets her apart. When it comes to your location independent business, you’ve got to have a USP. You can’t be yet another Wordpress web designer or one of the thousands of aspiring travel writers just hoping to be noticed.

You’ve got to set yourself apart in some way in order to carve out a market and a living for yourself. You may choose to do this by being selective about the clients you serve or by packaging up your products/services differently from everyone else. However you decide to do it, make it work for you.

There’s No Such Thing As Failure

In her short time on this Earth, Mali’s become accustomed to failure. She tries & fails frequently to roll herself off her tummy when she’s had enough tummy time, she tries & fails frequently to sit up from a supine position (those mini sit-ups get her halfway there but not all the way!) – in fact, she tries & fails at multiple things a number of times a day!

But that doesn’t stop her from trying just one more time. Not yet aware of the concept of success or failure, all she knows is to keep trying – and she keeps on doing just that.

Takeaway lesson: In your quest for location independence, you’ll probably experience failure at least once if not multiple times along the way. In fact, most of you probably have already – I know we certainly have.

The trick to succeeding is to keep on trying. Imagine if you had no concept of failure – you knew only one way…to keep on trying. How powerful would that be? You literally couldn’t fail. Ever. Not a bad mindset to have, is it?

Share This...

Hide Sites