We don’t do so many things simply because we think we need permission for it.
We are a bit confused when it comes to doing unusual things due to what others might think about it. Society wants us to do everything in a certain way, and anything outside that trajectory gets attention that doesn’t feel comfortable.
You might be judged, seen as unprofessional, considered crazy (most of the people who changed the world were thought to be insane though), or else. All are unpleasant emotions, but at the cost of living the life you want and are meant to live.
When I thought about this a bit more, I realized we don’t actually need permission for anything, but there is a certain mental barrier we need to destroy.
It all begins during childhood and in school when anything unusual you do is weird or actually gets you punished. You are expected to block your creativity and stop doing what feels right. You then start feeling guilty about anything bigger you might want to do with your life because you feel like you aren’t given permission for it.
Well, turns out that’s all in our head. You can do and have anything you feel like, and people will actually look up to you for your courage, although they wouldn’t do the same. They lack the guts and imagination, but you don’t need to fall into that trap.
If you feel like living an extraordinary life, go for it.
Some of the most beautiful and enjoyable things in life are stuff we don’t need permission for. I wanna remind you of them with this post, and maybe even encourage you to go achieve one of them pretty soon.
7 Things You Can Do in Life Without Asking for Permission
1. Write a book.
So many people have whole books in their heads but think they don’t have the expertise or just aren’t ready to write one. Maybe you won’t follow through or won’t make any sales. But none of that matters.
If you feel like writing, go ahead and write something. If you feel like it’s worth reading, publish it. Ask friends and followers to read it, get paid for it. It’s not about the money. It’s about following the right path for you.
Even if you’re not a writer by nature, and think others will laugh at you, you have something to say and there are others out there willing to read it.
So open a doc on your laptop and start typing. Don’t think about editing, or what comes next. You’ll figure it out.
In fact, you can write and self-publish your book in less than 30 days. No experience necessary.
2. Skip college.
I didn’t do it and graduated from uni, but said my final Goodbye to formal education when it was time for a master’s degree. That didn’t mean anything in my case, and yet everyone around me expected me to do it.
I never learned anything in university simply because I didn’t want to. However, at the same time, I was dedicating tens of hours weekly, for years, to learn the ins and outs of the Internet, the publishing world, the blogging scene, the digital marketing industry. That education paid better in my case!
I won’t make you do that if you’re studying Law or Medicine. Others just attend college and pay a fortune to go into a business school just because they don’t know what else they can do and follow the advice of experts.
But Josh Kaufman didn’t write the bestseller titled The Personal MBA for no reason. No. He knows we can all skip business school and learn the same, even more, and in a smarter way, ourselves.
Save tens of thousands of dollars, and invest a year of your life to self-education. It might be the smartest thing you’ll ever do.
When I say don’t continue your education, though, I don’t mean to spend your family’s money, sit on the couch all day, or else.
No. I say do stuff all the time. Build skills. Network. Meet people. Learn all you can about the industry of your choice. Start building an online business. Write and create stuff.
3. Travel to the other corner of the world.
I know people who think it’s impossible to go to a country far away just like that and spend some time there. I think it is.
I worked my ass off to get my time and freedom back, to be free from location, fixed hours, bosses, relatives even. All that in order to live in another country and travel to other continents when I want to.
That’s not how you need to do it. And I’m not saying you should become a world traveler either. I just wanna remind you that to turn your life around, you might need to just buy a ticket to a place far away right now.
There are many things you might need to do before that, but the ticket will make it real.
Some people like to spend all their savings to travel Asia for a few months. Others take a gap year and live in another country for a while. Some quit their jobs to travel the world, or just take an unexpected trip to a destination far, far away.
In any case, you don’t need permission to do it. If you don’t have your own money to cover it, that would be a problem. But a reminder again: you don’t need as much as you think if you’re headed to a cheap country like those in South East Asia, are a life hacker by nature, and are about to be making some bucks online.
If you’ve never left home, your parents will worry, yes. They wouldn’t want their kid to be somewhere where there’s no signal and not hear from you for days. But that’s what you need to grow up, see what life is all about, and finally, let go of the zone of comfort that your home place is.
So please, do a quick research now, learn more about the people who just said ‘f*ck it’ to reality and bought a one-way ticket, and who never looked back because they’ve been having the time of their lives ever since.
Also read: The Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year Before College
4. Build an online business.
I’m shocked by the number of people who think this isn’t possible, and for the hundreds of excuses I’ve heard around me over the years. Wow!
Truth is, everyone trying to build something on their own feel like they will be judged. Like they leave less free time to do others things. That they are too different from what others around them are saying and don’t fit in anymore, so maybe they should stop it and go back to reality.
No. Instead, do this:
- Keep building stuff.
- Make your first dollars online as a freelancer.
- Build your personal brand and have an online presence.
- Connect with people online.
- Read about successful entrepreneurs and how they began.
- Listen to podcasts on online business and entrepreneurship.
- Have a website.
- Start a blog and keep it updated.
- Create a newsletter and start asking people to subscribe to it to build your audience.
- Be on social media and be active there too.
- Join new platforms and create different types of content, such as audio and video.
All that, when you stay consistent, is the foundation of not just your future career where you’ll be your own boss, but also a life of freedom and independence.
And you don’t need permission to do it. In fact, you don’t need to tell anyone about it until there are some results to show (by which time you won’t care about what they have to say).
5. End a relationship.
No one should stay in a bad relationship. Both parties involved are miserable when that happens, and you make the world a worse place.
Some people do this because they’ve been together long enough and it just takes too much effort to start all over again. Others don’t want to hurt the other person.
But you owe it to yourself and to him/her to end the relationship on good terms and move on. No questions asked, no explanation needed, no guilt involved.
6. Buy something expensive.
If you’ve earned the money yourself, and regardless of your financial situation or where in life you are, you can spend them how you like it.
Tynan bought an island, before that a Bentley. But he’s a frugal guy, who’s selective with his money, time and attention.
I’m just reminding you now that if you planned a trip that seems unreasonably expensive (and maybe it is), or you want a new gadget that you’ll enjoy so much, you don’t need to ask for permission.
You just go and buy it. And suffer the consequences, of course, without complaining. But sometimes that’s the price we pay for freedom.
7. Move away.
If you feel stuck in the city where you’ve been your whole life and where everyone you know is, it’s time to get away.
There will be sad faces, tears, broken hearts, and guilt. But it’s okay to give another place a try and see how it goes. It’s also okay to never come back.
Love knows no distance and family comes first. But it’s also true that your path is different and they play a role only in the first few stages of your life. In fact, it’s necessary for your personal growth to move away as soon as possible and do things on your own.
Conclusion
I can continue the list with tens of more items, but I think you get the point. I wanted to unlock the part in your brain where you realize you don’t need permission and can simply go do stuff and enjoy it all. After all, it’s one life we got, right?
Your turn now 🙂