Lesson

Easy Ways to Avoid Living Your Life on Someone Else’s Terms

Please don’t take advice from almost anyone.

“If you don’t build your dreams, someone will hire you to help build theirs”

Be in autopilot every day is a dangerous habit — the most dangerous one. The consequences of that will reduce the most precious value you have in life — Your time.

Have you ever make a pause to see if you are in the right place, doing the right things that you always wanted to do. In those times, when everyone barely has time to listen, being busy is the way to live.

If you stop for a moment and think deeply, you will realize that almost all of us are making the other’s dream come true. But what about you? Do you have a dream?

I really believe that a man without a dream just exists instead of living. You need to be conscious that you are helping people’s dreams come true, but you need to think about yours too.

If you are aware of it is amazing, and you keep working in your regular job while in your free time, developing a new skill or making a plan of action to achieve your dreams is brilliant. But if you are not and just expecting to live all your life building others’ dreams, then that is a problem.

Recently, I asked my friend he is a good economist with a high income. If he never thinks to open an office from him and started a business aside. He responded, I am happy like this, making good money living in a nice apartment and traveling twice a year. I just heard.

Back home I commented to my wife about it. I am totally sure he can have so much freedom if he can start building a new income on the side instead to be busy almost all day long. She responded there are people that are happy like this. Don’t bother him.

To be honest. I barely disagree with my wife, but this time I did.

It is a dangerous place when you are in your comfort zone, moreover making good money working for others without the responsibility that takes to run your own business. People are not ready to commit to it. They don’t know what is behind that boundary of your comfort zone. And never try.

We all should stop building somebody’s else dreams and start building your own goals, and here is how.

1.Stop watching commercials

Whether it is the TV commercial that breaks into our favorite program, or the telemarketing phone call that disrupts a family dinner, traditional advertising is based on the hope of snatching our attention away from whatever we are doing. Seth Godin calls this “Interruption Marketing”, and, as companies are discovering, it no longer works.

Let’s be honest there is zero value in all the advertising you watch from tv. What you are doing there is just wasting your time and money with things you don’t need at all.

2. Don’t take advice from almost anyone

We love advice to people. But think in this way, the experiences of others, even if the outcome was positive, doesn’t mean it would help you. You can take a piece of advice, but the unique person who knows what is beneficial for you is only — nobody else.

Everyone advises according to their past experiences that are different than yours.

3. Instead of entertainment and distraction, choose learning and growing

I used to wake up and watch the news before going to my job; then I realize that I was consuming zero value from it. Just worry and anxious were carrying to my job. Then I decided to switch instead to watch new I started to watch Ted talk videos of admirable people and achieve their goals in life.

That small change I made in my routine open my vision to many new things. The information is there ready to pick up if you decide to take it.

5. Don’t watch the news

As I said above, zero value on this. Only worry and anxiety was the outcome by watching the news. I removed my tv from my bedroom and cut off tv from home. If I want to watch youtube videos or a movie which you can find some value on, it will be a choice.

6. Don’t look at social media

This is a hard one. But if you don’t have a business running your social media and what you are doing is just to see beautiful people picture, it is a big sign you are wasting the most precious things in the world, your time.

Suppose you are scrolling your phone to watch people’s lives and get envy for that. And doing nothing productive to improve your life, you have to think twice. And stop or reducing time on it.

7. Read as much as you can

If you are thinking of starting a new business or having no idea what to do, make this habit in your daily routine. You can even imagine how many good ideas you can get just reading books. I try to read as much as I can. At least two books a month. There re is always a time when you make that habit a priority in your life.

I listen to audiobooks when I am running or working out. I read at least ten minutes before and after sleep a regular book. You always find time to read if you make it a priority.

8. Don’t rely on just one income

You have to ingrain this in your mind. Indeed, it can be a big problem if you rely just on one income. Suppose you have a regular job. What are you doing after? You can start investing a little bit in the stock market or sharping a new skill to make money on the side as a freelance — a concept of diversification in simple words.

Be ready to don’t make a mistake to put all your golden eggs in only one basket. If something happened, you already developed a skill that you can take advantage of and improve and make a living out of it.

9. Don’t buy what everyone else buys

Don’t follow the crowd just for the sake of being like them. Be different; ask yourself if you really need that or just wanted. It is a big difference, be aware of it.

You will realize that you need only an essential thing to live an amazing life.

10. Learn as if you would live forever

This is a must. Learn every day, something new, listen more, just the fact to listen will change everything. You can read books that can help you to improve your skills. I will borrow a Tim Sanders quote to remind this.

“Education without application is just entertainment.”

Apply everything you learn in your life, not just keep in your mind.

12. Learn to say NO to almost everything

This is crucial to say no was hard at the beginning for me, but now I am ready to say no to everything that is not aligned to my values and goals. You can ask this question every day to see if it is aligned with your goals.

Is these actions will make the boat run faster? You have the answer and the freedom to decide.

People respect you more when you know when to say NO.

14. Mind your environment

Be around people who know and support your goals. If you want to do something big in life, be around people that you can share your goals and support each other instead of pessimist people who don’t believe in you or don’t want you to grow.

The sad part of this is these people are everywhere, even can be your loved ones. You have to let them know your priorities and never advise. They will learn more, looking at your actions.

15. Instruct yourself in finance education

This is essential. People don’t know how money works and how we can manage it. I keep learning about it. Nowadays, there is a lot of resources, books which we can take advantage of it. One of my favorites is “The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind” by T. Harv Eker.

16. Start from this, your health is a priority

Everything starts with this; your health is the most important asset you have. And you know it. Just be aware of it. Mind how you sleep, what you eat every day in your life.

Remember that everything starts with your dreams, so go to sleep.

If you want more stories like this or different topics, let me know here!

Godofredo Rojas is a writer, chef, and constant learner from Peru. He studied in Le Cordon Bleu in Lima, Peru. He moved to New York in March 2011. You can find him on Facebook and Twiter.