Reading · Explore to Thrive Newsletter

As I begin my fitness journey to remain healthy for the future I am building, I find myself dealing with two new different situations at once.

First, there is the adjustment phase where I am really struggling to balance my time.

Between my fitness routine, family days, the family rental property business, the Substack community, making content for Explore to Thrive, and keeping up with WanderInEurope, my whole routine is a total mess.

On top of that, I am also making adjustments to where I work.

I decided that my workspace for my online business needs to be near the gym. It should be within walking distance. That way, I can save time and not waste a second stuck in traffic or waiting for a ride.

And speaking of places to work, my previous letter mention that I have been working in a coffee shop. Now, this is a setup I want to change or improve.

Lately, I realized that I need to reduce my coffee intake to support this lifestyle upgrade. I decided that I should allocate my funds toward investments with better returns, like a gym membership. Coffee remains in my budget, but I plan to spend less money on it.

To be honest, I cannot give up coffee. That is what a big part of me says. After years of having coffee in my daily routine, my mouth craves that bitter, nutty, and milky taste the moment I start typing.

I feel like I can only get things done with coffee. And as someone who values “freedom,” that concerns me.

An entrepreneur should not let anything have control over them. A creator should know how to spark creativity without depending on stimulants.

Anyway, other than this adjustment period, I find myself “walking” two paths at once. They are completely different, yet they complement each other well.

I’m talking about bodybuilding and building a business.

Completely different?

The first aims to benefit only myself, while the latter aims to help others. The first uses physical strength to do work, whereas the latter needs brainpower to get things done.

The first relies on repeating the same movements to improve, while the latter relies on testing different ideas and frameworks to grow. The first is about the physical world, but the latter happens online.

They complement each other?

Yes. Both will help you practice delayed gratification and master discipline. They will push you to your limits, demand consistency, build your resilience, and bring out the best in you.

And indeed, despite their different natures, bodybuilding and building a business are very much aligned.

This makes me think that if you are building a business, it is a great idea to have a workout plan as well. These two combined create the ultimate form of self development.

While bodybuilding and building a business are effective ways to improve ourselves, they might not do much IF you are working WITHOUT a direction or an ultimate goal. I like to consider this your long term goal as well.

I’ve discussed why having an ultimate goal is important and how you can find your own in my previous newsletters.

In summary, an ultimate goal helps you focus on what matters, saving your time, money, attention, and energy. As a creator, it is the key to a sustainable online business and building an audience that you can grow with.

In my experience, having an ultimate goal gave me the clarity and convenience I really needed. And honestly, it is a huge weight off my shoulders because I no longer have to deal with the problems I used to face.

For example, figuring out the next steps for my blog or niche site.

There was a time when I worked full time at WanderInEurope and struggled to pick my next travel destination to write about.

After finishing all the places I wanted to visit in Switzerland, I had no clear direction for my website. I had to figure it out as I went, which took up so much time.

I had to research whether a topic was oversaturated, see if people actually wanted to read about it, and decide if I was even interested in covering those topics for weeks or months.

Compare that to if I had a goal back then. I could have picked a topic in a heartbeat.

Because essentially, if I had a goal, I would already have a set of instructions for myself. Like:

Choose this destination as your main topic because it offers plenty of evergreen content to help build your blog sustainably.
Avoid writing about trendy or overhyped destinations because interest fades after a year or two. That makes it a waste of effort.
Or, save these travel destinations for later because they fit best during the latter part of your journey. Timing is everything.

Anyway, all of this serves as a lesson, which is why an ultimate goal is one of the first things I established when I started building Explore to Thrive.

Here is the thing, though.

While having an ultimate goal is a game changer, it does NOT guarantee your journey will be easy.

From my experience building Explore to Thrive, making that commitment brings its own set of challenges. All the obstacles you run into while mapping out your path and planning to reach your goal are only the beginning.

As I mentioned in the beginning, you will also definitely be making adjustments in your personal life. Expect changes in how you spend your day, the people you interact with most, and where you stay as you optimize your routine.

For me, I also had to undergo a transformation because my old habits and attitude were not helping me reach my goals. Impatient. Impulsive. Reckless or a little “too adventurous.”

Honestly, keeping myself from falling back into those habits and behaviors is work in itself.

These days, I have almost removed those bad habits from my system. But I still catch myself slipping back into them on occasion. Journaling helps me stay on track, though.

Yes, chasing our ultimate goal won’t be easy.

It will test your grit, your commitment, and the values you stand for. Most of the time, you will be misunderstood. There will be people who call you crazy or delusional, even encouraging you to give up. There may also be times when you feel deeply lonely because you cannot find anyone around you pursuing the same path.

Despite all this, your journey does not have to be frustrating or disheartening. We cannot control what others say or the problems that come our way, BUT we can always control our thoughts and mindset. That changes everything.

Setbacks? They are the lessons we need to learn to become unbeatable.

Loneliness? This is our motivation to succeed, so we eventually have the money to travel and the time to find our tribe.

People’s opinions? This is proof that we are making progress. People will not notice us if we are not doing anything. So when people criticize you or give unsolicited advice, congratulations!

Isn’t it true? The ability to put a positive twist on everything is the superpower we all need to master.

Optimism.

A better perspective and a more positive outlook help us keep enjoying the journey. They are what will help us reach our goals no matter how long, how difficult, or how crazy the journey gets.

But if there is one thing we need to keep in mind, it is what I realized this year: the journey is more valuable than the goal or what is waiting for us there.

This is where optimism comes in handy. It helps you enjoy the journey.

But do not get me wrong. I am not saying a goal is not important. Goals matter. It’s just the journey matters more.

If we think about it, we are more concerned about our journey in this life all along. That is why we set a goal. With a goal, we know our journey becomes more meaningful, fruitful, and fulfilling.

Ultimately, it is not the prize of our goal that brings profound fulfillment. Instead, it is the journey, the ups, the downs, and the challenges we overcame.

When our moment comes, after surviving and thriving, the trophy matters less. It is those great things we did along the way that will make us say:

Yes, I did it all.

I truly lived.

P.S. This letter draws inspiration from the songs I Lived by One Republic and The Pilgrim by Luke Spehar. Check the links and Spotify widget below.

The Journey Building an Online Business

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