Why 'Just Take A Leap' Is The Worst Advice Ever
Humans are susceptible to believing only what pleases their ears. That means ignoring the truth and coming up with 101 justifications of why works and won't.
So when you have success stories that tell you to just 'take a leap' and just do it, of course you'd like to believe that you could be the next success nomad story.
Free picture from Pixabay
Believe it or not, if you were to study closely how those successful nomads or lifestyle entrepreneurs pull it off- you'll realise that even smart solopreneurs like Tim Ferris, Chris Guillebeau and Matthew Kepnes don't just 'take the leap.' Before they dive deep, they've already got some going in their lives.
Take Chris, for example. He's had substantial income from his early days of eCommerce and dropshipping business before taking off for world travel for his book, talks and conferences.
And Nomadic Matt (real name's Matthew Kepnes)? Well, he's heavily invested his time in affiliate marketing and digital products that earned him enough passive income for globetrotting. Heck, he even created the "budget daily guides," all for sale on his website.
Sure, once in a while, you'd heard of amazing exceptions.
Like how this one Malaysian recounted her solo experience, starting with merely $200 usd.
And if you didn't know, her trip is made possible with the help of the locals' kindness, and people's generosity. On her darker days, she has to also cope with eating leftovers, hitchhiking for free rides and sleeping by the streets.
So unless you've got a big bank to cushion you during your travels, or a plan C to get you surviving on the road- 'taking the leap' might just be asking for trouble and land you in despair.
Sure, you might deny this notion and argue that you could be an exception.
Free picture from Pixabay
My take is this- if an experienced traveller comes back from an Antartica expedition and he/she shared with you on tips and hacks to survive the gruelling experiences, would you take his/her advice? You might right? So you'd be better prepared…
These are the key lessons I draw from my experiences and also others (because learning from others' mistakes can also help you become a better person. Refer to my Antartica explorer example).
1) Take the leap if you have savings to cushion you. (Don't ever beg for people to sponsor your travels. You're not a spoilt kid)
2) Take the leap and leave the job if you know the job's not going to promote your personal, and career growth (Unless complacency is your thing)
3) Take the leap and look out for better opportunities (Refer to point number1 while you're at it. Unless you're relying on handouts or the 'father-and-mother-loan')
4) Take the leap if you're abused or mistreated (Enough said for this one. nobody needs to tolerate this nonsense.)
5) Take the leap if you're ready for it (Ignore all the rules above because your gut tells you so. Provided if your guts tell you so strongly.)
And most importantly, once you've taken the leap...
No whining, no regretting.
As Sydney J. Harris once quoted,
Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.
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Great advice!
Everyone's situation is different. Not everyone can afford to take that leap of faith without a backup plan. A solid one at that.
Thanks @branlee87 :) Yeap. I can be too careful at times, as much as a risk taker I am. I'd prefer having Plan B in case A doesn't work but I realized that some people are also much more driven by pain than risk. If it works for the person, I guess it works :)
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