The Doorstep Mile

The scourge of time and money

For most people reading this, the most significant practical hurdles standing in the way will be either time or money. (I confess to finding them a bit unoriginal. They probably affect everyone except the Queen.) How you overcome these inconveniences is key to making interesting stuff happen. If you are short of both then living adventurously is, for now, going to revolve around simple ideas and your attitude rather than expensive and expansive plans.
 
How to get more money. The 4-step plan from financial guru Alastair Humphreys 
(written on my yacht in the Caribbean*) 

  1. Spend less or earn more.
  2. Sell stuff or stop buying stuff.
  3. Find a cheaper version of your dream.
  4. Put aside £20 a week then begin a grand adventure when you have saved enough (an exercise in starting small, starting today and the cumulative effect of habits).
(It is also worth putting things in perspective by having a look at where you stand on the Global Rich List. www.globalrichlist.net)
* - Actually my shed…
 
How to get more time. The 4-step plan from time-management guru Alastair Humphreys 
(written on the loo)

  1. Say 'Hell yeah, or no' when deciding what activities to commit to.
  2. Ask the 80-year-old version of yourself whether you should be spending your time on this thing.
  3. What can you cut out of your life to get more time? Quit each of your distractions for a week and notice how much free time that creates. 
  4. Turn off your phone.
Over to You:
  •  How can you spend less or earn more?
  •  How can you get more time in your life?
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What is The Doorstep Mile?

Would you like a more adventurous life?
Are you being held back by a lack of time or money? By fear, indecision, or a feeling of being selfish or an imposter?
Living adventurously is not about cycling around the world or rowing across an ocean.
Living adventurously is about the attitude you choose each day. It instils an enthusiasm to resurrect the boldness and curiosity that many of us lose as adults.
Whether at work or home, taking the first step to begin a new venture is daunting. If you dream of a big adventure, begin with a microadventure.
This is the Doorstep Mile, the hardest part of every journey.
The Doorstep Mile will reveal why you want to change direction, what’s stopping you, and how to build an adventurous spirit into your busy daily life.
Dream big, but start small.

Don’t yearn for the adventure of a lifetime. Begin a lifetime of living adventurously.
What would your future self advise you to do?
What would you do if you could not fail?
Is your to-do list urgent or important?
You will never simultaneously have enough time, money and mojo.
There are opportunities for adventure in your daily 5-to-9.
The hardest challenge is getting out the front door and beginning: the Doorstep Mile.

Alastair Humphreys, a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, cycled around the world for four years but also schedules a monthly tree climb. He has crossed the Empty Quarter desert, rowed the Atlantic, walked a lap of the M25 and busked through Spain, despite being unable to play the violin.

‘The gospel of short, perspective-shifting bursts of travel closer to home.’ New York Times
‘A life-long adventurer.’ Financial Times
‘Upend your boring routine… it doesn't take much.’ Outside Magazine

Visit www.alastairhumphreys.com to listen to Alastair's podcast, sign up to his newsletter or read his other books.
@al_humphreys