1) Think back to your latest fond memory of a vacation. This vacation could be an international excursion, a weekend getaway, or an adventure in your local town.

2) Now, think back to your latest purchase that you spent on yourself which cost more than $100.00.

Chances are that your mind was in a much more pleasant state recalling the first point.

Your Collection

• Which do you prefer collecting: things that are useful or decorative around the house or photo albums?

Material objects bring joy and help make life easier or simply just look pretty; but life shouldn’t be about collecting furnishings upon furnishings in your house. Very few biographies describe the household amenities a person bought during his or her lifetime.

Also, if you’ve experienced an estate sale, someone’s own collection of furnishings becomes another man’s treasure as the surviving family has no desire to keep the items. Now ask yourself this question:

• If your place was on fire and all of your loved ones and pets were safe and you could run into your place to grab only one item, what would you grab?

A sad realization is that every item in your house is susceptible to becoming ashes which makes it even more important to not get attached to material possessions so you can emotionally prepare for a potential disaster.

Your Memory Collection

My father often expresses the sentiment “the point of life is to create memories” and these words stuck with me from a young age. As I grow older, I find the most enjoyable conversations consist of people recalling memories.

• Unusual experiences lead to better stories

The easiest way to have an experience is to do something out of your routine. Take a risk or take a vacation. According to a 2014 Oxford Economics analysis, an American who earns paid vacation days leaves an average of 8.1 earned vacation days unused annually, totaling around 429 million days per year. If you earn vacation time, take advantage of this benefit for you! Don’t feel pressured to work 365 days a year and don’t feel obligated to RSVP “yes” to every wedding invitation. Take a vacation for you!

What’s Keeping You?

Don’t break the bank or be reckless with your experiences. There’s a reason why society rolls its eyes when hearing the phrase Y.O.L.O (You Only Live Once). Work towards your experiences and prepare for these adventures. The self-gratification from saving up for the experience will mean so much more because you know that you earned the vacation. And you’ll also have the memories for your lifetime.

A trick to help you financially save for a vacation is to get into the habit when you’re shopping to say, “Do I need it?” This habit decreases your impulse purchases and helps you save for your future adventures.

Spend Your Days Like they All Add Up

One Republic’s song “I Lived” inspires me to take more adventures. While writing this post, I brought up the YouTube video of this song. The music didn’t start right away which caught my attention. I found my eyes glued to the video from start to finish. Check out the music video below to see what I’m talking about for your own inspiration.

To learn more about Bryan Warnecke’s story, just click this link: Bryan Warnecke

My Challenge to You

Go out and take a risk. Experience something new. There’s likely a goal, vacation, or something ambitious that’s been on your mind. Forget your routine and your comfortable lifestyle for a moment. I dare you to take a risk to create a memory. Here’s your first step:

• Schedule a future adventure, mark it on your calendar… in pen!

Writing it down triggers your mind to start planning to accomplish whatever you need to do. Let the countdown begin until the first day of your next memory creating adventure!

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