Escape the Mundane + Experience the Remarkable

5 Simple Tips to Separate Work from Personal Life

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Digital Nomad

Separating Personal Life from Work Life

I spent the past weekend with this view. It was gorgeous!

But this view came with a cost more important to me than money…

It was deep in the woods of Northern Wisconsin. Which meant there was no Internet and no cell phone coverage.

No Internet! What the hell am I thinking!?!

If you’re like me, the thought of no connection to the outside world for a couple days is torturous. But I knew the weekend would be fun and it would be a great opportunity to get away. So I joined a group of my buddies at a lake cabin.

And at first it was nice.

Unfortunately, though, it got depressing fast. Because it made me realize how dependent I am on being constantly connected to the world. And rightfully so. This is after all the essence of being a digital nomad. The ability to work anywhere at anytime is essential for this lifestyle design.

However, after I got through the moments of wondering what I should do with my life, I realized that no Internet connection didn’t matter.

We all need a break from work!

Luckily, it doesn’t take travelling to the middle of the woods to escape work for a while.

By using the following five strategies, you’ll be able to easily separate work from your personal life:
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The Scariest Time of My Life: The Story of the Day I Quit My Job

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Perspective

It’s a warm autumn evening in 2008. I’m 22 years old. And I just quit my great job at a Fortune 500 company.

My hands are shaking as I struggle to find my mass transit card amongst a bag of papers and desk momentos.

The line of commuters behind me clearly display their displeasure as I’ve taken a few extra seconds to search for the card in my bag.

I’m at the Quincy station of Chicago’s iconic “L” subway system, surrounded by hundreds of people in suits and business casual garb.

By the time I find the card, swipe it, and go through the turn-style, the line has diverted to the other gates. And rightfully so, had it been the day before, I would have been in a rush too.

But not today.
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How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed and Get Your Stuff Done

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Mentality

Jar, Rocks, Pebbles & Sand

Have you ever had one of those days? You know, those days that kept you active from 8 in the morning til 6 at night. You were super busy. But looking back at the day, it was filled with mundane tasks. And while you felt eventful, in reality you didn’t accomplish anything.

I’ve had these types of days. I’m assuming you have too.

I call this, working for work’s sake. And it’s the murderer of an enjoyable life.

Learning from Rocks, Pebbles, & Sand

Before we start this visualization, list your tasks from most to least important. Then associate these with rocks, pebbles, and sand. The biggest rock being the most important task. And sand being the minutiae. Also, let’s imagine a jar as your day, timeframe, or project timeline.

Now let’s craft these two scenarios:
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Traveling for Business? How to Never Carry a Receipt Again

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Digital Nomad
Receipts from one day while traveling

My receipts from one weekend while traveling!

If you’re like me, I bet you wish you could throw your receipts away while traveling for business?

If you’ve ever traveled a lot for business you unfortunately know this scenario:

You’re meeting a client while on the road, and having just paid $50 for the meal at a restaurant, you need to keep the receipt for expense and tax purposes. You briefly scribble down the meeting details and fold the receipt into your pocket. Easy right?

But later that day as you empty your pockets for the night, you realize that you cannot find the receipt anywhere. Unknowingly, you had dropped it while at a store.

And with no receipt, there’s no deduction, no reimbursement, no nothing. You are without proof of a $50 expense.

There’s got to be a better way!?!

Thankfully, there is!

How to Instantly Throw Receipts Away

The other day I found an amazing strategy for combating the never ending nightmare of receipts piling up while traveling.

The Overview: By integrating two free software offerings together and using the camera on your phone, you can instantly snap a picture of your receipt, click a couple buttons, and instantly throw your receipt away!
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Connecting the Dots: How Steve Jobs Changed My Life

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Perspective

Steve Jobs

The greatest mentor in my life, whom I had never met, died yesterday. And it deeply saddens me.

Steve Jobs, creator of the Apple II, Macintosh, Pixar, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and countless other innovations, touched millions of lives. Including mine.

I have always admired Mr. Jobs. His mentality towards creating products has been the guiding light for nearly all of my business decisions. I owe him dearly.

But this post isn’t to mourn him.

Steve wouldn’t want that. He is famously known for wanting us to not miss a beat. That we must continue striving to change the world. My consulting and speaking career has been based around Steve’s innovative mindset. In fact, just yesterday, I published a post about the evolution of technology. And no one more than Steve understood this.

We must embrace change.

And Steve Changed My Life…

About 3 years ago I had watched a remarkable speech on YouTube given by Steve Jobs in 2005. And it changed my life forever. If you haven’t seen it, please watch this:
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