How To Live Like Casey Neistat

You don’t need to be a YouTuber, and you don’t need to live in New York City. What you need is a willingness to do the thing everyone around you says cannot be done, and then do it anyway. You need to pursue your dream every single day and do what makes you happy. You need to have a positive outlook on life that is so contagious, you believe you can do anything, and inspire others to do the same.

That is how Casey Neistat does it. And nobody does it quite like him.

If you’re new here, I’m Paul. I left a stable life in New York City to seek knowledge through new experiences. On this Substack, I write about travel, growth, and the philosophy of living fully. I call it Becoming in Motion.

Welcome.

I first discovered Casey in 2017. I was backpacking in Europe, and the first video I ever watched of his was “Make It Count.” He inspired my first YouTube video right after that, and I haven’t stopped creating since. What I love about Casey’s videos is that there are no over-produced edits. No performance. Just pure creativity and professional storytelling. More than just inspiration to create, he gives a blueprint on how to actually live. Not what career to pick or what city to live in, but how to move through the world with intention, positivity, and zero tolerance for excuses.

He is a filmmaker, a father, a runner, a creator, and an extremely disciplined individual. If you want to get the most out of life like Casey has, here is how to do it.

1. Do What You Can’t

If Casey were to write an autobiography about his life so far, he would title it “Do What You Can’t.”

Every meaningful thing Casey Neistat has built, someone told him he couldn’t. The YouTube channel. The films. The life. He didn’t argue with them. He just got to work. His view is that haters are losers, and anytime someone doubts you, there is only one thing you can do, and that is prove them wrong.

It is one of his most famous videos and it is a direct challenge to every person who has ever talked themselves out of something because the odds were bad or someone told them it was not realistic.

My entire life has been about taking chances on opportunities that seem crazy to most but feel like destiny to me.

Like when I moved to Montana after college to be a ski bum. “What about building your resume?”

Or when I decided to try out for the USA Bobsled Team. “Aren’t you a little old for that?”

Or when I sold everything I owned to travel the world. “What are you going to do for money?”

Here’s the thing. There will always be reasons not to. You do it anyway.

Screw the naysayers and do what you can't.

2. Commit Your Entire Life To A Dream

The only thing in life that stands between you and everything you want to do is doing it. You either find it or you die trying, and it won’t make a difference either way.

Casey has said it simply, “If I don’t pursue this thing that I love, what is the alternative? Doing something I don’t like because I am supposed to? No thank you.” That reframes the whole risk calculation. The question is not whether pursuing your dream is risky. The question is whether not pursuing it is an option you can actually live with.

Find that thing. The thing you cannot not do. The thing that makes quitting feel more painful than continuing. Then give it everything you have. Not most of what you have. Everything.

For me it is creating. Writing, photographing, recording, sharing it with the world. Nothing makes me happier than exploring and creating. Why would you ever quit something you love?

3. Do More. Work Harder.

It’s tattooed on his arm and is his entire operating philosophy.

The finish line is the same for everyone, but while you are here, what contribution are you making? Life is substantiated by whatever impact you can make while you are alive. Building things and creating things are the ways he feels like he is contributing. So why would he maximize his time doing anything else?

Free time is the enemy of progress, and volume is underrated. Most people stop too early. More reps. More videos. More miles. More attempts. When you think you have done enough, do more.

I firmly believe I am here to inspire others through travel and fitness. It is up to me to share that message through creative work that actually reaches people. That is the mission. And there is always more I can do to push it forward.

4. Never Complain.

It is never okay to complain, and that’s because there is always someone who has it worse than you do. Most of the time, people who complain have nothing to complain about. It really doesn’t matter.

Complaining is outsourcing your problems to other people’s ears. It is the least productive thing a person can do with their energy. If something bothers you, fix it. If you cannot fix it, move on. Either way, the complaining is not helping.

Channel the energy somewhere it actually matters. Bad days are still part of a good life.

Traveling has changed my perspective on this. I have seen factory workers in Thailand on the glassware production line in 100 degree heat. You don’t realize how easy your life is until you travel. These people are not working to get rich. They are working to survive.

5. Run Your Miles

Casey runs every morning. Not when he feels like it. Not when the weather is good or the schedule is clear. Every single morning, before the city wakes up, before the emails come in, before anyone needs anything from him. Every day.

The point is not the running. The point is the non-negotiable daily ritual that belongs only to you. Lifting, yoga, Pilates, walking. Something that creates an identity that cannot be taken away, regardless of what else is happening in your life. The consistency of the habit is the point, not just the habit itself.

For me, running is not about running. It’s about seeing, exploring, and taking a new path. I run to figure it out. To think clearly. To never be limited in life by my physical capabilities. Find your miles and run them.

6. Make It Count

This might be his most famous YouTube video. 33 million views. He traveled all the way around the world in 10 days for a Nike ad about what it means to make it count. It is filled with inspirational quotes and such creative storytelling that it makes you want to get off your couch and go make the day count. Because the truth is, you are not getting this day back.

It is not that we have a short time to live. It is that we waste so much of it. Casey treats every project, every video, every moment as if it matters. Because it does. Urgency is not stress. It is respect for the time you have been given.

Time is the only currency we spend without ever knowing the balance. This is why I packed up everything and left to go build a life I actually want to be living.

The clock is running for all of us. The only question is what you are doing with the time.

Make it count.

Casey is not just an inspiration to me, but to millions.

After 7 years of living in NYC and having mutual friends, we never crossed paths. I did however see him in the stands at the 2022 NYC Marathon when I crossed the finish line and waved.

Living like Casey is not about making YouTube videos, running ten miles a day, or moving to New York City. It is about deciding, every single morning, to close the gap between the life you are living and the one you actually want.

The clock is ticking, go out and do something with it.

And Casey, if you see this somehow, thanks for everything you do.

Thanks for reading.

-Paul Rabic