Guest LIP Writers
LIP Dreams: Still A Long Way To Go
After a few of years of drifting through life in a small London flat and a corporate job Claudia and I made the decision to leave London for our first LIP year abroad.
When we finally made the decision it was as if a new lease of life flowed into our bodies. A burden had been [...]
After a few of years of drifting through life in a small London flat and a corporate job Claudia and I made the decision to leave London for our first LIP year abroad.
When we finally made the decision it was as if a new lease of life flowed into our bodies. A burden had been lifted off our shoulders and our perception of life has changed dramatically. With the help of Lea’s “X marks the spot” book our lists of action points grew, a little disconcertingly, long!!
Suddenly, time is flying by and the pressure to meet our targets is brewing. Our deadline to be on a flight to New Zealand in the first week of February 2008 seemed to be way off in the distance but now feels like it could be next week!
Our main concern is not where we will be but how long we can afford to stay in our favourite places. We’ve worked out that we need £2000 per month to comfortably afford all the places we want to see and live in them throughout the year. That means I need to find more clients than I currently have. I estimate I will need at least 12 clients on my three or six month wellbeing programme (and a few on my upcoming coaching programme) by the time February comes round.
Am I worried? Yes, a little. Claudia is concerned that she is too institutionalised to suddenly drop her job in publishing and work for herself, particularly as she hasn’t worked out how she is going to make money on a monthly basis whilst she writes fiction for teenagers.
Will we still go if I don’t have the minimum 12 clients? Well, we’ve made our decision. What would you do? Would you take the risk?
LIP Books: What to leave behind
A little while ago I wrote about change and what that means to your comfort zone. One of my creature comforts, and claudia’s for that matter, is being surrounded by plenty of books. We have a lot of them!
As we plan our forthcoming year abroad the obvious question that springs to mind is which books [...]
A little while ago I wrote about change and what that means to your comfort zone. One of my creature comforts, and claudia’s for that matter, is being surrounded by plenty of books. We have a lot of them!
As we plan our forthcoming year abroad the obvious question that springs to mind is which books to leave behind? We can’t take them all! In fact, we will probably be limited to three or four each. Now for a person that has worked (me) and is currently working (claudia) for a publishing house that is like asking Mariah Carey to reduce the number of her entourage to single figures or John Travolta his fleet of planes. It’s all very unsettling!!
Surely I could get by with only using the internet? Yes, I could get by but LIPliving is not about getting by. I want to feel something tangible in my hands. I prefer to flick through rather than click and scroll down sometimes. Don’t you feel the same?
So, in effect this exercise will be one of distilling the quantity down to the very best quality that will suit my needs, which are factual reference for my business and a bit of light-hearted fiction for my down time. As I think I’ve got a lot of very good books this is a difficult task! Read the rest of this entry
LIP vs Traveller: Friends or Foes?
“So, when do you start your year travelling around the world?” is a question I’ve been asked quite often by the select few who know about our LIP plans.
I’ve been quick to point out (sometimes too hastily) that we’re not just travelling to places such as New Zealand and Brazil but we’re also creating a [...]
“So, when do you start your year travelling around the world?” is a question I’ve been asked quite often by the select few who know about our LIP plans.
I’ve been quick to point out (sometimes too hastily) that we’re not just travelling to places such as New Zealand and Brazil but we’re also creating a viable and sustainable online business that will give us the monthly income to enjoy more than just a backpacker lifestyle but a LIP lifestyle!
It’s not that we have anything against travelling in itself or the image of a traveller. Indeed, being able to afford to travel the world without having to work sounds like bliss to me! My perception is that even travelling in itself is short term in nature…perhaps ranging from 4 weeks to 18 months. Traditional thinking dictates that it’s something you do in between school and university or in between jobs. It means that “normal” life will always be somthing that you come back to after your travels have been completed.
Claudia and I are aiming to make living in fantastic locations and working on projects we love doing at our own pace our “normal” lives. Which means that there are no “promotion-risking career breaks” or “must-do travelling before the kids arrive” or “I wish I had the time to go there but…”.
On the face of it, what I’m writing may seem like wishful thinking, even fool hardy, to those who aren’t aware that a LIP lifestyle is not only possible but sustainable as a life choice.
However, I do believe that when people hear about and see with their own eyes that friends, colleagues and family members are choosing to live their own personalised LIP dreams mindsets may change!
LIP dreams And A Leap Of Faith
I often feel that when a big change comes along that it’s human nature to hold on to the things that keep you physically and emotionally in your comfort zone.
I’ve started to watch more of my favourite tv shows and going to my favourite coffee shops (found a new brazilian juice bar in putney!) when [...]
I often feel that when a big change comes along that it’s human nature to hold on to the things that keep you physically and emotionally in your comfort zone.
I’ve started to watch more of my favourite tv shows and going to my favourite coffee shops (found a new brazilian juice bar in putney!) when I should be carrying on researching and planning our flat and registration in Zurich.
But I’ve kinda realised that I don’t really like doing all that research so we’ve got hold of a virtual assistant who will hopefully come up with the goods. If he can find anything close to what my Swiss friend lara now lives in with her Brazilian husband ( 2 bed apartment near the old town in Zurich for £550 per month) then I’ll be really happy!!
I’ve decided that we almost need to sabotage some of our life in London in order to force us away by a certain date. Ok, sabotage may be a bit strong but taking calculated risks such as giving notice on our flat and cancelling subscriptions and memberships will, I think, narrow our comfort zone considerably and will force us to keep on track.
I don’t know if we’ll be ready by the time we need to leave our flat but we’ve calculated that we should be. It’s not definite but we’re trusting the universe that if we take the steps now and put things in motion it will turn ok.
A leap of faith is not enough, in practical terms, to achieve your LIP dreams. But faith in yourself, your abilities and that everything will turn out just right will provide you with the comfort you need when the doubts creep in.
