Call it an almost mid-life crisis.
Five years ago, I was approaching my 42nd birthday, and I had been practical for way too long.
I drove fuel-efficient cars. I socked money away in a 401k. I had a good, salaried job with benefits. I hadn’t been on a fun trip abroad in ten years. (For the record, I was, and am happily married, so it wasn’t that kind of mid-life crisis.)
Then in 2008 I did three things I had wanted to do for a long time:
- Traveled to South America for the first time (to Buenos Aires)
- Bought a truck
- Became a writer
I threw caution to the wind and went after what I wanted.
Whether you’re 25, 45, 65, somewhere in between or even older, the simple message I want to tell you today is:
It’s never too late to become the person you’ve always wanted to be.
Are you looking to start a new chapter of your life?
This is a great time to do it, and I’d love to help you. I’ve worked out a lot of the bugs of starting anew. I’ll reveal everything soon in my book, Seven Bright Strategies for Overcoming the Dark Side of Freelancing: Insider Tips You Won’t Hear Anywhere Else.
Until then, just three general pieces of advice: Be bold. Live large. Have fun.
And if you’re wondering how my 2008 decisions panned out, the writing thing has turned out pretty well, and keeps getting better. I’ve kept up a torrid travel pace with no plans to slow down anytime soon.
The truck? I sold it two years later and went back to a practical 5-speed Honda Civic that got twice as many miles to the gallon as the Tacoma. It gets worse – last year I bought a minivan. Now my wife and I both have one.
Dumb, boring, practical move. At least I still have my writing and traveling.
So … what do you want to be when you grow up? Leave a comment below.
