How to stay positive and achieve your dream of travelling

You may find that you are frequently having to overcome negativity as a full-time traveller because following a less conventional path in life is not always easily accepted. Although similar to any challenge in life, whether it be saving up enough money to follow your dream of travelling abroad or getting a job on a safari, you can overcome each and every one of them. Unfortunately, ‘people obstacles’ can be extremely persistent and like to repeatedly knock you down.

Constantly having to deal with negative opinions can start to feel difficult. Not all families and friends are supportive of the travel lifestyle. And over time this negativity can make it difficult to maintain belief in your ability to keep following your dream of travel. Hence, this article will advise you on the best ways to overcome negativity as a solo traveller and stay motivated and focused on your love for travel when experiencing negativity from people who don’t understand your lifestyle as a full-time traveller.

How to overcome negativity with positivity

First, remember you are either aiming to live your dream lifestyle or are already doing so, while most people only dream of achieving this. This is something to be proud of, not something to feel bad about. The dream is yours and yours alone so when someone does not understand that then it doesn’t matter.

After all, it doesn’t matter if you understand and accept their lifestyle, does it? Just because your way of life doesn’t fit in with their expectations of what a ‘normal’ way of life is, does not make it any less achievable. But for moments when others succeed in making you feel like your dream of travelling is a completely unrealistic long-term plan, creating positive surroundings is super useful. Think of this as a positivity challenge! Follow each step and you will start to find that overcoming negativity becomes easier.

Fill a vision board of places you dream of travelling to!

A vision board will remind you of why it is you’re choosing to live this way of life. It will help motivate you to keep your dream of travelling alive. Simply gather photos and quotes from magazines or websites and compile these together in a sort of collage.

Suggestions to add to said vision board –

• The place you plan to visit
• Local cuisine
• National animals
• Language basics
• Traditions
• Local culture
• Activities
• Travel quotes

You want this board to be a vision of your future plans to inspire you to keep following your dream. This inspiration will hugely help you to overcome criticism that others dish out. You will feel more able to stand firm in the belief that you are more than capable of maintaining a full-time travel lifestyle.

You can either make a digital vision board your desktop photo or if you make a physical vision board then place it somewhere you can easily access it. A daily reminder of what future places you plan to visit is a great motivational tool. If you can do both then even better! So when someone makes you feel like the digital nomad life is unrealistic then take a look at your vision board and it will help you to stay motivated.

Have belief in yourself to follow your dream of travelling!

The most important but easiest thing to forget is to believe in yourself! The more you believe in your ability to follow your dream of travelling the easier this will be. If you truly believe in your ability to achieve a full-time travel lifestyle then you will eventually not feel as bothered by others negative comments. You will find that with your newfound self-belief you are able to overcome negativity quite easily.

How to overcome negativity with positive statements

Another way on how to overcome negativity is to practise saying positive affirmations to yourself. Tell yourself things such as how you are brave to be following your dream. Remember you are strong and can do anything you wish. Positive thinking is a powerful tool when it comes to manifesting positivity in one’s life. Yes, you can’t just simply think away negativity but it definitely helps. We believe negative thoughts about ourselves often enough don’t we? So what’s to say that positive thoughts can’t be believed too? Give it a go!

Positive affirmations for success in overcoming negativity –

I am capable of becoming whatever I want to be.
I feel positive about the future.
Other people’s negativity towards my dream is only their opinion, it is not fact.
I am proud of myself for following my dream.
I am able to overcome any criticism and remain positive about my dream.

Of course, belief in yourself is not always easy especially with negativity from others about your lifestyle choice. Imagine this though, if someone told you their plan was to travel full-time, your opinion doesn’t matter. So try your best to ignore the criticism, it is coming from people who don’t understand the full-time travelling way of life. The only person whose opinion truly matters is you.

Social media can be a force for good

You can fight against all the negativity coming your way by surrounding yourself with positivity about all things travel. Each step mentioned so far is a step towards this. However, what you may be missing in your life is people who are in support of your dream.

Tip – Start a social media account about your plans! You will soon discover many other people who are following the digital nomad dream or are already living it! You will start to feel that your plans are accepted and loved. Having this support available at the touch of a fingertip anytime day or night can be a huge morale booster.

On Facebook, in particular, there are a lot of supportive groups for travellers looking to connect with each other. You will find that many of the members struggle with self-belief due to criticism from others or low confidence in their ability to their dream of travelling. So not only will you gain support, but you can also support others as well. By telling other people that they are more than capable of living the full-time travel life, you will quickly start to believe more in your own ability. If they can do then why can’t you!?

Facebook group recommendations –

• TourNation | Facebook
• Campfire: Remote Workers, Nomads, & World Citizens | Groups | Facebook
• Solo Travellers | Groups | Facebook
• Single Nomads | Groups | Facebook
• Photography & Travel Around The Globe | Groups | Facebook

Cut people out who don’t support your dream of travelling

To further remove yourself from negativity, if possible, cut loose any negative influences from your life. Nobody needs extra unnecessary weight dragging them down!

Of course, removing someone from your life is not just like tearing a plaster off but it can be done. Truly think about whether they are negatively impacting you. If they are then try to lessen contact until eventually, all contact ceases. Think about this ‘would I feel better without this person in my life?’. Friends helping friends is what we want, so get rid of any unsupportive friendships.

Watch, read and listen to positive travel influences

Some of the steps so far are easier said than done but this one is easily achieved! The next time you’re choosing a film why not choose one that’s related to travel. Read books about travel and self-discovery. Or try out some travel backpacking documentaries. There are even travel podcasts and travel radio shows available too! Quite often the things you read and watch inspire your travels without you even realising. They can be as factual as Michael Palin’s travels or as fictional as Doctor Who. Check out wanderlust travel quotes as well! There are endless choices out there so get watching, listening and reading all things travel!

Celebrate accomplishments

Each time you accomplish something related to your dream of travelling you should celebrate it! Whether this is landing a remote job or simply booking some accommodation in your dream country. Each little milestone is a victory as it is leading you towards either starting or continuing your full-time travel lifestyle. This is certainly something to be celebrated. If your friend or family member had an achievement in relation to their work this would be celebrated. So just because your way of life is less ‘typical’ this does not mean achievements should be celebrated any less.

However, we understand that many people won’t view things such as booking flights or starting a website as accomplishments. Therefore, you need to make sure you take time on your own to realise how far you have come. Realise though that just deciding to follow your dream is a celebration within itself. You can have a full-on celebration or simply take time to relax. Even better if others in your life realise your accomplishments for what they are but if not, then still remember to celebrate yourself! Maybe make a note of these accomplishments and when feeling in need of a motivational boost, take a look at them to remind yourself of how far you’ve come.

Even if reading this article is the first step in your journey to following your dream of travel, then that is more than worth feeling proud of. Because as I’ve mentioned following your dream is brave so acknowledge that. Then as you progress through your journey allow yourself to feel a sense of accomplishment with each passing milestone.

Organise a plan for money and places to see

Make travel plans

If possible then an excellent tip is to book future plans. Therefore, when friends or family members start throwing doubt at your ability to follow your travel dreams, you can feel confident in explaining what you have so far organised.

Whether you dream of travelling abroad to several different countries or simply dream of backpacking Jordan while in Western Asia, making plans will give you something positive to focus on. Knowing you have invested in future nomadic plans will keep you motivated to continue following your dream of travelling. This is particularly important in times such as these when travel is currently not possible for most people. A plan will help to keep your passion for travel alive.

If you can’t afford to book plans just yet then still plan out your future adventure anyway as much as you possibly can.

Create a budget

A useful thing to do to help get you on the road as soon as possible is to make a budget. It will be surprising what you can save when you really put your mind to it. If you don’t have regular paid work at first, then maintain this budget while travelling to keep your lifestyle going. Even if this does not reduce doubt from others, you will at least feel more confident within yourself about your dream lifestyle being achievable.

Basic budget tips –

• Look at how much money you have coming in versus how much you have going out.
• Look at where you could make cutbacks. For example, maybe you could cut down on takeaways and start cooking at home more often.
• Make enough cutbacks so that your out goings are eventually less than your incomings.
• Stick to this budget and you will soon see a little nest egg developing!

Make a plan for earning while on the road

Oganise a plan for how you will earn money while travelling. This is particularly useful for if you intend to travel full-time. Making travel plans and figuring out a plan for work as well as sticking to a budget will show yourself and others that you have thought everything through.

My main travel job recommendations –

• Find jobs with free room and board in exchange for work
• Apply to jobs looking for house and pet sitters
• Teach on Cambly or teach English abroad
• Start a travel blog
• Become a freelancer

Go follow your dream of travelling abroad!

Whether you have had to return home, are working towards full-time travel or are already on the road then bear each of these points in mind throughout your journey. After all, even while on the road, we understand the family phone call for many can carry with it a ‘so when are you coming back and getting a real job’ tone of voice. So, follow these steps and you full soon be surrounded with as much positivity as is possible for whatever travel situation you are currently in. Try your best to overcome criticism and to not let the negativity get to you.

If you want to do something then go out there and try it! It’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t work out or if you change your mind. Whereas many people act as if once you decide this way of life that it’s a dangerous life-altering decision forever affecting the rest of your life. This isn’t the case though, you can travel while working for as little or as long as you wish. So believe in yourself!