Redefining Growth: Investing in a New Future
Quitting your job to travel the world might sound crazy. We knew that doing so would require us to make a few mindset shifts! One of which included realizing that just because we were stepping into a new life, it didn’t mean our old life was ending. It didn’t mean we were throwing all our years of hard work and experiences away; instead, we were using those years to make a big investment; one on our own global experience.
Note: This post is part of a mindset shift series, click here to read the introduction to the series!
Facing Fear: Why the Unknown is Worth the Risk
Leaving behind careers, financial stability, and the security of a regular income naturally brought some fear. However, we trusted that this experience, no matter its outcome, would ultimately support our lives and careers in unexpected ways, and that we had the ability to rebuild if needed.
Many were surprised to hear about our decision to travel full time and were curious as to how and if we would make it work.
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Some of the most common questions we were asked included:
- Aren’t you afraid of quitting your careers when you’re at the peak of growth opportunities?
- Why are you willing to leave behind financial stability and switch to a lifestyle of spending instead of earning?
- Aren’t you afraid you won’t find a job in the future and will have to start over?
- What if you run out of money and have to return with nothing?
Transitioning from earning to only spending required a major mindset shift—we had to learn how to minimize expenses while maximizing experiences.
>> Learn how we deal with stressful situations while traveling here! <<
How We Navigated Fear and the Unknown of Travel
The fear of not finding a job or having to start over from scratch in the future was valid, so we made sure to assess our situation and its risk. However, we believed in our skills, drive, and backgrounds, knowing we could always find work if necessary.
Coming from immigrant families, we both were raised to understand that opportunities exist, but we must be willing to seek them out and work hard.
As for running out of money, we made sure to carefully manage our expenses and adjust spending over time. We set a budget each month based on the savings we were willing to spend and the amount of time we were planning to be gone for. Returning with zero wasn’t an option for us, so we planned around what we were comfortable with.
Example: If you have $20,000 USD and want to travel for 12 months, your monthly budget equals about $1,666 USD. If you overspend one month, your solutions are: spend less the next month or shorten the total time of travel.
Note: This does not account for the possibility of making money while traveling if that’s something you would rather do than only travel on savings.
The Learning Curve of Quitting Your Job To Travel
One thing we knew was that no matter how much we planned and forecasted, we would face a learning curve. Initially, we spent more money while traveling through Europe, but quickly learned that there were alternatives: house-sitting, volunteering, and staying in hostels. We also spent most of our time in Southeast Asia and South America, which significantly reduced our costs.
>> This is how we saved thousands of dollar while traveling <<
Adapting to that learning curve and focusing on all the ways we could make this work, ultimately allowed us to stretch our travels far beyond what we initially expected.
Tip: Make a list of your biggest fears about leaving your job to travel. Then, for each fear, write down a potential solution.
>> Watch this impactful TED talk to learn how to define your fears <<
The Resume You Didn’t Know You Were Building
About a year into our journey, a successful entrepreneur we knew asked, “What are all the things you’ve learned from being on the road so far?”
As I started sharing the big-picture lessons—that you can achieve anything you set your mind to, she stopped me and said something along the lines of:
“I get it. Those are beautiful lessons, but what I really want to know is, what are the things you learned that you didn’t know before? What are your resume builders? Because I believe you have had many.”
Until that moment, we hadn’t considered how traveling the world was also a career-enhancing experience.
How Traveling Is A Career-Enhancing Experience
From planning trips and itineraries, having global collaboration opportunities, navigating last minute changes, communicating and networking across cultures, and creating a business along the way. These were some of the invaluable skills that we gained by stepping outside our comfort zone.
Tip: Start a travel resume and write down all of the valuable skills you’ve gained along your travel journey.
Mindset Shifts to help You Take the Leap
Our values shifted— prior to taking this leap, we focused primarily on earning to build a lifestyle and a stable future. Though we always focused on enjoying life and traveling every year, this was different. In stepping into this journey, we shifted to prioritizing our freedom of time, health, and experiences NOW, instead of later.
Note: We knew that even if we had to return home, we wouldn’t be coming back with “nothing”—we’d be coming back with many experiences, lessons, and a perspective we never would have gained had we not taken the leap.
So now, I ask you:
- What mindset shifts do you need to make in order to take your next big step?
- How can you reframe your fears to support your decision rather than stop you?
- What is one resume builder you’ll attain by leaving everything behind to step into the unknown?
Ready to take the leap but not sure where to start? Shifting your mindset is key to big life changes. Join Greaterful You’s free Personal Development Book Club and connect with growth-minded individuals!
Take Action: Your First Steps Toward Change
Challenge yourself today—write down three fears and reframe them into opportunities! Share your biggest reframe with us on Instagram @thetravelerinus!
Disclaimer: All the information shared is based on our research and experiences. Please note that we are not travel consultants, tour guides, or financial advisors and are not held liable for any misinformation. We give suggestions, but advise each person to do their own research and make the decision that best suits them. This blog posts also contains affiliate links, by using the links we provide you are helping us at no additional cost to you.
