Have you ever had the fantasy of just dropping all your s*** at work, walking out and going as far as humanly possible from all the BS in your life? I know I certainly did. Two years ago, I thought it would be crazy to be doing what I loved while living and traveling on the other side of the world.

It was always a dream of mine, but how many people do we know that actually get to live their dream? My dream was freedom – freedom to travel, freedom to work when and how I wanted to, and freedom to create every detail of my life the way I wanted it to be. I’ve been able to do that and live that – and you can too.

People often say they’re unable to accomplish their dream because of kids, lack of time, lack of money, lack of skill /experience, but all of these are false – it’s just programming that doesn’t let our minds find a way to a solution. If we can open up our minds and see clearly, there are so many ways to what you really want. While it’s true that our responsibilities will create a different road for all of us, freedom is still an option for anyone willing to put the time into investing in themselves.

“People are chasing cash, not happiness. When you chase money, you’re going to lose. You are just going to. Even if you do get the money, you are not going to be happy.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

It starts with being able to see it as a possibility – this starts the shift in focus from can’t happen to at least maybe it could. Often behind our excuses are fear, insecurity, lack of self-worth, and blame but at the end of the day, our life is our own creation. You owe it to yourself not to let past hurts hold you back from the life you dream of living.

You have to put yourself, your happiness, and your dream before your job. I get it, we all need money and enjoy the safety of a paycheck. Some of us really love our career for the validation of a job well done. But even if you love your career, creating something of your own is always more gratifying. This is your time on this earth to experience your life as you and nothing is more fulfilling than that.

Here are 4 great ways to overcome the roadblocks to your freedom:

1. Spend one hour a day on yourself

If you can give eight hours a day to your job, then you can give one hour per day to yourself living the way you want to. If you can spend an hour a day building the life you want, you’ll make tremendous progress. One hour per day is 365 hours per year. And the cool thing is, once you get going, it gets easier and easier and you don’t want to stop! If you’re short on time, just take 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there. There is always a way. 

One hour a day is what created the freedom for me starting out. I was working a normal job and my mentor forced me to spend one hour per day doing something – anything – toward my goal. After two weeks, I was pretty shocked by how much progress I had made by that time. My first sixty dollars I made for myself felt like a thousand compared to working for someone else. 

2. Find a mentor

Find five people who have done what you’re setting out to do (or the closest thing to it) and contact them. When you do, remember to give value first before asking for anything. Mentors have a funny way of pushing you to do five times more than you would do on your own.

3. Reaffirm daily what your objective is

Write down your goals and read them every day. Burn your goals into your mind. Filling your brain with thoughts of where you want to be, will get you there faster. Plus, the more you’re thinking about your goals, the more solutions can occur to you. The clearer the essence of your goals, the clearer the solution. 

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do… Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs

4. Get help

Whether you need a cheerleading squad or a therapist, getting help is a great idea. It ranges from finding people to help with your mindset and letting go of doubt or insecurity to someone to bounce ideas off of. Personal assistants that help out for a few hours a week can surprisingly be a lot of help! (This can be as little as two hundred dollars a month).

It’s so easy to read this and think we will passively apply these but most people will just forget it tomorrow. You can be the person who takes these steps and lives the kind of life that most people will never experience. And I hope you do. Go and live your best life ever!