People often imagine that a big adventure begins the moment you hop on a plane, hand in your resignation, or hit the road with a backpack.
But honestly? The real journey, the challenge, the struggle – begins long before that.
It begins in the quiet moments — the ones where you start to shift how you see your time, your money, your habits, and even yourself.
Before I ever left my 9–5, before I booked a one-way ticket, I had no idea how to even start.
I thought quests were for people who had it all figured out, or had more money, or more courage, or fewer responsibilities. But I learned something that changed everything:
You don’t have to quit your job right away to begin your quest.
But you do have to start seeing life differently.
The first quest isn’t a flight to Bali. It’s a shift in the way you move through your everyday life.
A mindset change. And it can begin today.
As for now, I would say the most important factors to rethink and take into account are:
So let’s take a look.
Mindset — Believe That It’s Possible
This is the first and biggest shift. And I know it sounds cliché, but you have to start seeing your life differently, not as something fixed, but something you can shape.
Start telling yourself a new story. Not one where you’re trapped in a job or lifestyle you didn’t choose, but one where you’re training for something bigger. Every small decision becomes part of the prelude to your quest.
Read books that make you feel something. Journal your dreams. Follow people who inspire action instead of just envy. You don’t need to have it all figured out — you just need to believe that change is possible, and that you’re capable of creating it.
You are allowed to have chains, but not to be the chains.
Many of us live with quiet resignation. We tell ourselves: “Once I have more money, more time, less responsibility… then I’ll start.” But the truth? Most people never feel fully ready. The shift begins when you decide that this isn’t “just your life” — it’s the beginning of something bigger.
If starting a big adventure is complicated,
then begin with small ones! But start.
According to adventurer and author Alastair Humphreys, most adults stop doing new things by the time they turn 30. Most humans just settle into routine, default to comfort, and let go of the spirit of exploration we had as kids. But Humphreys argues that even tiny adventures — a night sleeping under the stars, taking a new route home, or spending one evening a week screen-free — can completely shift your life.
He calls them “microadventures.”
Short, local, low-cost, high-impact experiences that fit around real life.
Why does this matter? Because when we train ourselves to seek small adventures, we expand our courage, creativity, and resilience, basically the same muscles we need for the big ones. These mini quests build confidence, rekindle our sense of wonder, and teach us that we don’t need to wait for permission to feel alive.
“You don’t need to fly to the Andes to have an adventure. Sleep on a hill behind your house and watch the sun rise. You’ll remember it far longer than a Netflix binge.” – Alastair Humphreys
Random note:
All of this is only part of a conversation while running 8KM around Utrecht, with my friend Ellimaija, where we were talking about how, as we grew up, humans change, and if not aware, we just lose “adventuring”, and how the possibility of creating adventures and quests of any side might contribute to our overall well-being. Our conclusion:
“Sometimes, life it’s not about ticking boxes, but adding boxes of things to do✨”
In a world addicted to comfort, small adventures are revolutionary. They help you break out of autopilot, start thinking differently, and prepare somehow — mentally, emotionally, and practically —
for the bigger quest you’ve been dreaming of.
What I mean by this is: you don’t need to wait for something huge to begin.
You don’t need to book a one-way ticket to Africa.
You don’t need to sign up for a three-month pilgrimage across temples in Japan.
It doesn’t have to be van life from Alaska to Patagonia.
Those things are amazing if you feel called to them — and yes, don’t get me wrong.
They’re absolutely possible.
But have in mind, big quests often require more time, money, gear, and preparation —
both physical and mental.
What people don’t always talk about is just how challenging it can be to stay on the road long-term.
What worked for me was starting right where I was,
while still going to work and university every day.
I got really honest with myself and started asking: What do I really want to do? Not just in general —
But specifically. What would my quests look like? What dreams…
So I turned one wall of my room into a whiteboard, grabbed a marker, and filled it with dreams.
I wrote it ALL down:
Small quests.
Big ideas.
Places I wanted to go, things I wanted to learn, moments I wanted to feel.
Like a Bucket list + A vision board + all the ways to escape…
Every morning, that list was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. I would carry it with me,
in my head, in the bus going to work, at every free time I could have, in the bus going to university,
and on the way back home, I will do it again. For years.
Eventually, what started with small adventures on that list turned into bigger ones.
If I had asked someone really back then, 10 years ago, “Do you think I can live any of this?”
They probably would have laughed. They would’ve said I was dreaming too big —
Probably that it was impossible. That life doesn’t work that way.
Go for your dreams my friend.
Dreams That Move:
It’s Not Just Wishing, It’s Doing
Now we have a dreaming mindset with vision — but don’t stop there.
Dreaming alone isn’t the goal. It’s the fuel. And it only matters if you’re willing to act on it.
In 2015, Heineken launched a campaign called The Dream Island, where they explored why so many dreams stay just that — dreams. They ran a study and discovered something striking: most people shared their boldest dreams in bars, pubs, and casual hangouts — “One day, I’ll learn to surf.” “When I have the money, I’ll go to Prague.” “Someday, I’ll quit my job and see the world.”
But the truth?
Most of those dreams never made it out the door.
They stayed in the bar — floating in conversation, never crossing into action.
That’s exactly where many get stuck. Waiting for the perfect moment.
The right finances. More time. A sign.
But dreams don’t need perfect conditions — they need commitment.
They need the courage to take small steps now, with whatever you’ve got.
So let’s not just talk about the dream, let’s build around it.
What could you do, learn, or shift this week that opens a new door?
What habits, skills, or systems can start making your dream more possible…
This is where your mindset, time, money, health, and energy all come into play. Not to weigh you down — but to lift you up in the right direction.
Dreaming is powerful. But dreaming paired with action? That’s when the quest truly begins.
“Don’t let your dreams die”
Random curious fact:
I discovered this campaign at work because I was working there at the time. Funny enough, it became a second tipping point for me, right after discovering Sir Ken Robinson’s work on Finding Your Element years ago at my previous work (which I talk about in my first post ).
“Don’t Let Your Dreams Die” stuck with me deeply and still echoes in my mind today.
An eye-opener, take action, a reminder that even when you’re far from your dream, life has a strange way of moving you towards it — often through the most unexpected jobs, places, or people.
So if you’re not there yet, don’t worry. That doesn’t mean you’re not on the way.
Sometimes, your current reality is already planting seeds for the path ahead.
You just have to stay open enough to notice. 😉
Time — Reclaim the Bits You Thought You Didn’t Have
“I don’t have time.”
It’s one of the most believable lies we tell ourselves. But more often than not, what we really mean is:
“I haven’t made this a priority yet.”
That doesn’t mean you’re lazy — it means you’re human. Most of us get caught in the loop of survival mode: wake up, commute, work, scroll, crash, repeat. Our days become a blur, our dreams a distant “someday.”
And I know the frustration of feeling in a time-prison-loop, (For a while, I did have time time-consuming 9-to-5 parallel to 5 days of University at night), the feeling is crushing, If you are working a 9-to-5, chances are your free time feels almost non-existent. And ironically, it is exactly this what effectively keeps you trapped in your current position. Unless you fight to carve it out.
Often, the time is there — just scattered in tiny pockets, waiting to be claimed.
People often underestimate what small pockets of time can do, especially when used with purpose.
Most People Waste Their Time — Don’t Be One of Them
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
A huge percentage of people waste their best years in distraction.
Mindless scrolling. Partying every weekend. Binge watching stuff.
Spending hours numbing out from a life they’re not in love with — instead of building one they are.
Ask yourself:
How many weekends in a row have passed where I didn’t grow, even 1%?
How much time do I spend every week on things that don’t move me closer to the life I want?
The truth is, when you start using your time with intention, everything else begins to shift —
And I mean everything. Suddenly, you have more space to dream, to plan, to figure out how to earn extra income, or to train mentally and physically. Time is a connective thread that runs through every other part of your transformation. Use it well, and you’re no longer just surviving — you’re building.
The hardest part? Admitting we might actually have the time… we’re just not using it wisely. It’s easy to say we’re busy — but how many hours slip away to party weekends, binge-watching three seasons in one sitting, or endless scrolling on TikTok or Instagram?
It’s a tough but necessary question: Do I really need to do “X” every weekend?
Let me be transparent-real with you. There was a time when I felt completely stuck and deeply unhappy
and I couldn’t fully understand why until much later. It was only after stepping out of some unhealthy cycles that I saw the pattern. I was living in a loop. Hating what was supposed to be life, Week after week, a nonsensical race for money until dying with a weekend reward system where I was drinking, socializing in circles that didn’t fit what or why I was trying to escape, just numbing myself from the discomfort of feeling inside of… The traditional corp life, buy & talk to impress society, networking-trying-to-grow-fast office, while being geographically restricted and projecting living in a loop for 50 years of selling lifetime for money. (Yeah, you can see I wasn’t a fan of it)
And even if I started early, grew fast, got promoted, and raised towards “good money”, “good benefits”.
It just was not for me…
I felt exactly as I was part of the short film: “Happiness” by Steve Cutts.
Which basically portray humans as literal rats in an endless loop (rat race), symbolizing how society chases false promises of happiness, material goods, and distractions they believe will bring them joy. Depicting all the consumerism, addiction, and how a never-ending competition culture submits/traps individuals in cycles of dissatisfaction.
It’s only 4 minutes long. You can take a quick look here:
That’s exactly how I felt.
However, Things began to shift when I chose to spend more time alone —
not isolating, but intentionally reflecting. I asked myself what I really wanted. What I needed for that —
in terms of skills, knowledge, resources, etc. And I started carving out pockets of time,
part of the weekend or even just 15–30 minutes to focus on small ways I could grow.
And here’s the wild part: I started to see progress. Fast.
Clear Mindset, Dreams on, but now actually using Time.
And I wasn’t just saving time. As a chain effect, I was saving money. Improving my health. Building better habits. Gaining clarity. And all of it was helping me move closer to the life I actually wanted…
What I can recommend for carving out time:
- Reclaim the weekends!
- Try to reduce time-wasters (parties, over-socializing, Netflix, social media, video games)
- Plan your days and use even the small pockets.
- If you really want out, you can try waking up earlier.
Whether your dream is a remote year in Asia, hiking the Andes, getting a remote job that allows you to move, learning to surf in Portugal, or simply living on your own terms —
Your future is being shaped by how you spend your time right now.
So reclaim it.
One moment. One weekend. One hour at a time.
EVERY SECOND COUNTS
Money — Rethink What You Really Need
One of the most persistent myths about breaking free from the 9-to-5 is that you need a fortune saved up before you start. And yes — money matters. But the role it plays is often misunderstood.
It can build your runway to freedom or become the very chain that keeps you grounded.
Here’s the trap:
Many people stay in jobs they hate, telling themselves they’re “playing it safe” for the paycheck, the benefits, the comfort, plus it’s easy to follow “what you are systematically supposed to be doing”.
But comfort has a sneaky way of becoming a cage.
And a common slip is sometimes the more people earn, the more your expenses quietly expand to match or surpass it — It’s the credit card, the nicer apartment, the daily takeout, the spontaneous Amazon buys.
Suddenly, you’re not just working to live — you’re working to keep up a lifestyle you built without noticing.
First, I have to say the most important thing is a self-assessment / self-awareness evaluation,
because everybody’s scenario and conditions are completely different from each other.
Ask yourself:
- Do you have savings?
- Are you able to save money?
- Are you able to create another income?
- Do you have credit cards or debts?
- Are you able to work online?
- Do you have extra skills or ideas that can help you make money or exchange for X?
- Do you know helpful pathways, platforms, systems, apps or opportunities that can help you reduce expenses?
Based on your answers, you can then figure out your “system”, is how you will manage incomes and expenses on the road. For example:
If you have savings or can save money towards a goal, then you would be able to calculate how long that realistically will sustain you.
If you are able to create side hustles or get a remote job, then basically, you can make money on the go.
If you are able to set-up a passive income, which means you create one thing that can be sell forever, potentially giving you the ability to make money while you sleep.
If you use volunteering platforms like Workaway, Worldpackers, Hostelgigs, you then might be able to save some money on accommodation and/or food, occasionally even getting paid. I’ve done about 14 volunteering experiences with Workaway, most of the experiences being really good ones.
So it’s about how to create your system, based on who you are.
In case of my mix, I pretty much saved some money to have a backup money, and started working remotely before leaving my 9 to 5, and intermittently did Workaway to then save some money on the road.
I go deeper with details about that in here:
“From Saving Pennies to Full-Time Travel: What It Really Takes”.
Money is a very important factor, but probably the one with the most variables of all. Each person’s scenario is completely different, and not only have I tried different ways, but I’ve learned from people from all over the world. Each person, with diverse backgrounds, in their own quest, structures different methods and ways of saving or making money.
There’s no universally correct way, but you’ll find your way. Be open to learning from the methods of street artists and older people who learned to invest in the stock market, from hostel owners and the young person who just came of age, everyone!… Anyone can give you the information that will become part of your system. It’s a constant learning process.
You need to get honest about your spending, your habits, and what truly matters.
Start with the small stuff. What if you skipped drinks for a month and put that money toward a travel fund? What if you stopped chasing convenience and started building intention?
Track your expenses. Learn how much things cost in the lifestyle you want. Start seeing your daily coffee or your streaming subscriptions as choices — not rules.
Freedom often starts with subtraction.
Health — Your true wealth
Travel — especially long-term or off-the-beaten-path travel — takes energy.
You don’t need to be an athlete, but your body needs to be your ally.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. You can’t travel the world, build a business, or even think clearly about your future if your health is falling apart.
When I say “health,” I don’t just mean abs and green smoothies. I mean the daily fuel your body and mind need to carry you through change.
Think of it like this: escaping the 9-to-5 is a marathon disguised as a leap. You’ll face challenges — mentally, physically, emotionally. And if your energy levels are shot, every step feels heavier.
Here’s the trap I fell into (and maybe you’re in it too):
Long workdays fueled by coffee, skipped meals, late nights scrolling, weekend hangovers… repeat.
My body was running on fumes, my mind foggy, and my stress levels always in the red. And yet, I was asking myself to create a better life from that state.
Health became my anchor. When I started eating real food, sleeping like it mattered, and moving my body daily, even if it was just 20 minutes, everything else got easier.
My thinking got sharper. My mood lifted. My resilience doubled.
You don’t need to overhaul your whole lifestyle overnight. Start with the small, non-negotiable basics:
7–8 hours of real sleep —
no more “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”Move daily, even if it’s a short walk.
Hydrate like your life depends on it — because it does.
Feed your brain with learning, not just content consumption.
Try improve what you eat, and how you eat.
I know it can feel challenging, but health is the most priceless factor of all.
In the end, everything else—your goals, your freedom, your adventures—relies on it.
Your energy is your real currency. And unlike money, you can’t borrow or print more of it.
Treat it like the most valuable thing you’ll ever own—because it is.
Build yourself as the strongest foundation for your quest.
If your daily choices feed your escape plan, you’ll move forward almost without realizing it.
If they feed the life you’re trying to leave, you’ll stay stuck.
Your Identity —
Let Go of Who You Had to Be
This might be the most powerful shift of all.
Let Go of Who You Were Told to Be
Before a quest, we often feel tied to identities that no longer serve us — the overworker, the perfectionist, the reliable one, the “sensible” version of ourselves.
But your quest isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about becoming more you.
And that begins with allowing yourself to evolve, little by little.
One of the hardest (and most liberating) parts of starting your quest is shedding the identity others expect you to carry.
You might be “the responsible one,” the overachiever, the caregiver, the stable one.
Or maybe you’ve just never seen yourself as someone who “does stuff like that.”
But you can rewrite that story.
You can be the one who goes. The one who grows. The one who takes risks, starts over, makes art, writes, explores, and reinvents.
Your quest isn’t about becoming someone else — it’s about finally becoming yourself.
Thanks for joining, Thanks for reading! See you soon
– And go for it!
Peace
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