Have you ever been so close to something you looked right passed it? Like holding your hand up to your face, spreading your fingers wide, and looking right through them. It’s so close you can’t see it.

During coffee with a friend, where we tend to “solve all the problems of the world,” I realized my entire life has involved travel.

As a military brat, I’ve packed and unpacked since I was six months old.

I moved 13 times before going to college, spent twenty years in the Navy, and took a train across country to get to my wedding.

I’ve seen almost every country in the pacific rim, shopped the Christmas markets in Germany, managed to get myself to the Caribbean more often than I can count, and drove across country with my daughter - twice - just because it was an adventure.

I’ve cruised through the Panama Canal and by the fjords in Norway, explored private islands in the pacific, and seen Tasmanian Devils in Hobart, Australia.

And I’m currently wrapping up a six-month adventure with my husband cruising the Inter-coastal Waterway on our North Pacific 450 trawler - Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Bar Harbor, Maine and back.

Travel isn’t something I “do” - travel is part of who I am. It’s part of the fabric.

I seek it, fold my life around it, and am either traveling or planning the next trip.

Travel for me is a necessary part of living a first class life.

Living a first class life is the ultimate adventure.

Implied in the question I ask every stranger, “How has your day been?” is an underlying curiosity about whether they are doing what they were created to do.

Are they truly, deeply happy?

Does what they currently do bring them joy?

How long are they willing to “wait for the right time” to start living like there’s no tomorrow?

Retiring from the Navy, I knew my non-negotiables going forward had to include being there for my family, not working for anyone else, and the freedom to travel at will.

Understanding what you want your life to look like includes charting out work you love that will fit into that design so you can love what you do and earn what you’re worth.

It means designing your life around your work, not the other way around.

And it means saying, “no” to opportunities in conflict with that design.

Easy? Nope.

Worth it? Absolutely.

Are you living by accident?

Consider how you got where you are today - did you just fall into your life and work because that is what circumstances allowed?

Did you follow the path of least resistance, go with the flow, and never stop to ask if you were meant for something completely different?

Or have you always known you were meant to say or do or be something distinct but have kept it hidden away because it somehow doesn’t “fit?”

Your life should make you feel alive.

Instead of working fifty weeks of the year so you can go on vacation to escape your real life, why not define what your first class life looks like and then design work that fits into that life?

Kind of like packing your essentials first then seeing what will tuck in around them.

Start with defining your non-negotiables and see where it goes from there.

I’d love to hear your ideas on this - leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

Take charge! - Ann

Like a lot of women, you may not recognize the value of the skills, experiences, and expertise you’ve gained over your lifetime.

For example, military spouses have:

• handled responsibility beyond their years

• endured hardships and long separations

• made life and death decisions

• spent lots of time alone

• navigated different cultures

• and learned a lot about people, places, and skills along the way.

It's likely you're ambitious, disciplined, adaptable, resilient, comfortable with change, and have proven yourself ready, willing, and able over and over again.

And that translates into knowledge and wisdom - the perfect combination for creating online courses.

Online learning isn't just for universities - people all over the world, just like you, can now design, create, and sell an online course.

Which can translate into a mobile and global business!

Right now, people are generating an income from online courses on topics as wide-ranging as:

• health and wellness, menu plans, recipes

• physical fitness and workout routines

• cooking, sewing, quilting, knitting, gardening

• wine-tasting, golfing, painting, jogging

• photography, party planning, sushi making

• writing, blogging, vlogging, podcasting, social media

• decorating with stencils, on a budget, with used items

• playing the guitar, piano, saxophone, harmonica

• dog-sitting, grooming, walking, breeding

• packing, moving, investing, networking, communications

• real estate, investing, stock trading

• traveling alone, with small children, on a budget, in foreign countries, on short notice

• sign language, stamp collecting, raising chickens - you name it!

Are your ideas starting to flow yet? :-)

Plus, the software now available to create an online course is easy, simple, user-friendly, and not very expensive. Some of them are even free.

All it takes is your creativity and a commitment to the process.

The top 3 places to create your own online course.

• Teachable.com

• Udemy.com

• Thinkific.com

There are others, but these three have a proven track record and are well respected.

You could easily have a course up and running (and bringing in income) by this time next month.

Creating an online course where you do the work once and get paid for it over and over is just one of the ways to create an online income and work from home part-time.

Take charge!
Ann

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Several years ago, I found myself writing my weekly e-newsletter while gazing out over the port of Belize. The cruise ship I was on had just pulled in that morning and almost everyone was off the ship - my favorite time to be on board!

As I sat writing, I noticed a few disdainful looks from other travelers who must have thought I was a workaholic who didn't know how to relax.

The idea of bringing a computer on vacation must have seemed sad and pitiful to people who didn't understand the concept of being able to work from anywhere.

Yet to me, it is this laptop lifestyle that allows me to smoothly blend work and play.

I wanted to tell those other travelers not to feel sorry for me - that I had actually figured it all out.

• I don't work like crazy for 50 weeks a year at a job I barely tolerate just to enjoy the other two weeks, reluctantly fitting my life in around my job.

• I have designed my work to fit in around my life.

• I have designed what I want my life to look like and then determined how to make my work support that lifestyle.

It's a fundamental mindset shift for many people and one that seems almost too risky for most.

You may not currently generate your own income.

If so, I encourage you to find a way to express your creativity or knowledge in a way that is both rewarding and profitable.

Instead of (or in addition to) trading your time for money, truly look at how you could help others by sharing what you know, and then just start small. For example:

• Selling your quilted baby blanket creations or patterns on Etsy.com

• Writing a blog that appeals to citi dwellers who’d like to grow their own herbs.

• Holding a webinar for twenty people who would like to learn how to effectively talk with their teenager.

• Creating an online course on how to play the piano without sheet music.

• Sending out a paid e-newsletter with the latest food and wine pairings for the month.

Whatever your talent or knowledge, you are gifted and blessed in a way that can help others. You don't have to be an expert either - you just have to be one or more steps ahead and have the desire to share what you know.

And consider this...

What if someone's entire life could be changed for the better just because you decided to take the risk of putting yourself out there?

There's only one way to find out :-)

You have unique gifts, talents, skills, experiences, and expertise that distinguishes you from everyone else and can be your greatest asset in designing a profitable hobby, side-gig, or full-blown work-from-home business.

Whatever you do, start now.

Don't wait until the time is "just right" (it never is) or all your material is completely ready (it never is either).

Just take the first step.

Even with all your gifts and skills, what distinguishes winners from those who "shoulda coulda woulda" isn't just that talent, it's action.

Take charge!
Ann

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It was early in the morning and the field still had a misty layer of dew clinging to the grass.

We could hear the bells as the cows made their way over to the split rail fence we were walking along on our way to the animal petting area.

My family was camping near a family farm and my daughter and I were up early, hot cocoa in hand, to see the baby lambs.

There were these two Rhode Island Red roosters scratching around in the pen and my daughter asked if it was okay to pet one. Not being a country girl, I had no idea, so she decided to give it a try.

There were painful consequences but apparently, you can indeed pet a chicken.

But you can’t milk one. (Not that we tried, that would be weird.)

Chickens aren’t mammals so they don’t produce any milk whatsoever. But think about it, how many people do you know who live their life like they’re trying to milk a chicken?

As if trying harder to love the wrong work will somehow make them happy.

Like trying to get milk from a chicken, no matter how hard you try, work that doesn’t inspire you won’t produce the fulfillment you need.

Doing work you’ve settled for is a trap.

It’s not “bad enough” to make a drastic change, but it leaves you feeling bland and unfulfilled like you’re a placeholder for the real you.

Especially if things are “good enough” and other people think you’re ungrateful or selfish and don’t understand why you’re not happy.

So you end up sleepwalking through your days, hoping it will all just get better on its own.

It’s a lot like walking around every day with a tiny pebble in your shoe. You’re aware of how uncomfortable it is, but it doesn’t hurt enough to change it. One day takes over the next day, and 12 months later, another year has passed and you’re no closer to your dream than you were a year ago.

And the thing you fear most, the thing that wakes you up in the middle of the night feeling suffocated and overwhelmed, is that you’re running out of time.

What’s the solution?

Maybe making a drastic change and heading off on a grand adventure all at once isn’t really an option for you right now.

Selling all your stuff, leaving your family to sail around the world, or joining the Peace Corps seems unlikely and probably ill-advised.

But you’ve got to do something or you’ll end up binge-watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy on the sofa at 2 a.m. every night.

Here’s how you stop trying to milk a chicken:

(1) Pick one goal that interests only you and honors your strengths.

Not something you think you should do, like run a marathon or sew quilts for blind people, but something you would like to accomplish just for yourself.

It might be an adventure (hiking the Pacific Coast Trail) or a lifestyle choice (going fishing every Wednesday afternoon).

Make it very specific and choose a deadline for when you’d like to have achieved it. For it to be a goal, you must be able to measure it. What we measure, we can track and improve.

(2) Put it on your calendar. It’s important to know the long game so enter it onto a specific date on your calendar even if doing so makes you nervous.

(3) Lastly, take one uncomfortable, imperfect step in that direction this week. It will feel awkward but not to worry, feeling vulnerable in a new situation is very, very normal.

Now, a point of clarification…

These are not goals: (not measurable and no deadline)

“I’m going to read more.”
“I’m going to get in shape”
“I plan to start my own business someday.”

These are goals:

“I will run and finish the Valentines Day 5K on February 14th.”
“I will complete this report by noon PST on Friday of this week.”
“I will launch a podcast by April 15th.”

Having a specific and measurable goal helps you outwit procrastination and lets your mind settle by focusing on something productive and creative. It moves the nonsense and frustration over to the side and gives your mindset some traction and movement.

By building a little momentum for a new adventure, you will expand the margins in your day. And that’s a great way to ensure you don’t run out of time to accomplish that crazy, wacky, wonderful thing you just can’t seem to stop thinking about!

Originally published at The Startup

Learn 3 ways to Discover Your Passion and uncover the creator in you at https://www.annvertel.com/discover-your-passion

What is Authenticity?

In my work as an entrepreneur mindset speaker, trainer, and consultant, I help many business builders overcome fear and advance their careers. I’ve discovered they all share a single, defining characteristic that became a turning point in their success.

Once they embraced their natural gifts and true identity, their businesses took off.

For some, this meant they came to terms with long-lost passions and decided pursuing them was more fulfilling than playing it safe.

Some had to untangle tightly-woven relationships and let go of people they’ve collected over the years — people who no longer enhanced their lives, or who created drama, turmoil, and chaos.

But in every case, once they aligned their identity, image, actions, and values — who they are, how they appear, and how they behave — they achieved greatness.

Authenticity is the willingness to be seen.

Most of us have spent a lifetime developing psychological armor to protect ourselves from the slings and arrows of our critics.

Perhaps we’ve become “people pleasers,” chiding ourselves each time we hesitate, and consistently waiting for permission. Maybe we started to believe being accepted by a group — any group — is better than being alone.

• “If only I had the guts to say what I really think, and do what I really want.”

• “I just wish I didn’t care so much about what everyone thought.”

Letting it all hang out?

Authenticity doesn’t mean you have no standards — it’s not about showing your worst self, or being crude, crass, impolite, vulgar, or unpolished.

It means being true to what you value and showing up as your best self, appropriate for the occasion.

For example. I live in southern California and we wear flip-flops. A lot.

Even if I’m walking the dog wearing a parka, I’ll probably still have on flip-flops. But I’m not going to wear them to a business meeting.

Not because I’m being inauthentic, but because it’s just not appropriate to the occasion.

To be authentic, you must be willing to be vulnerable.

And that can be scarier than almost anything else but it’s also the way you’ll stop feeling like an imposter and create some of your most powerful connections.

Despite what you may believe about vulnerability, it is the birthplace of your greatest strength. It is not weakness — it is an emotional risk and that in itself is a form of true courage.

It lets you stop trying to impress someone and start to connect with them.

Risking exposure of our real identity means we allow ourselves to be seen.

In so doing, we give others a way to relate to us in a way that is meaningful. Others can identify with us and that allows them to know they are not alone.

Why bother?

When you embrace who you really are, you will find a new sense of freedom, boundless energy, and the opportunity to maximize your potential.

But the most important reason to release your attachment to pleasing others is that not being “true to you” keeps you stifled, causes you to play small, and holds you back from fulfilling your greatest potential.

But Isn’t it Risky to be Authentic?

Of course, it is — to be authentic, you must deliberately choose to go against the accepted norm. Because of that, you will be judged, ridiculed, and mocked. You may experience loss, including people you think you value but who are keeping you trapped in a charade.

It’s a basic human need to want to “fit in,” just think back to the cliques in school. But when we try to fit in with the wrong group we become nothing more than a persona — it’s a charade, a trap, and it is exhausting.

The Right Fit

If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t fit in, you were probably trying to belong to a group of people whose interests and values were unlike your own. To feel at home, you must do two things:

• Gravitate toward those people who already share your true interests and values.

• Define the center of your own group and attract others to it.

I belong to a Facebook group about birds. That’s not for everyone (and certainly wasn’t for me back in my 20’s!) but it is for me now and I love it. The people in the group are clever, intelligent, upbeat, and make me smile. We share a love of birds and so the group is a “fit” for me.

If you like stamp collecting, square dancing, woodworking, mystery novels, microbreweries, skeet shooting, antiques, horticulture, studying the genome or anything else the mean girls might mock, go find the other people that love that stuff too.

You’re not wrong, you’re just with people who can’t appreciate you. It’s exhilarating to be others who value you for exactly who you are and what you like.

How will you know?

You’ll know you found others who value the same things you do when

• you feel like you can exhale

• you don’t have to be on your guard

• your thoughts, opinion, humor, ideas, and interests are applauded, not demeaned.

Take Some Time to Reflect

List 5 people you are trying (or still trying!) to please or whose approval you continue to seek.

• What would your life be like if they were no longer in your life?

• What would be different or better?

• What would you change?

• What interests, work, hobbies, or habits would you pursue?

• What would you no longer be afraid to try or to tell people?

Note: Not quite sure what you really want to do with all that talent? These three (unusual) exercises can help you discover your true passion.

Originally published on The Startup at Medium.com