Leaving the Rat race...
The constant pursuit of performance, making money and meeting external expectations – is a dream that many people carry, but few dare to take the plunge.
Working less and living more is a yearning to regain control over one's life and one's own destiny. For me, who will soon reach the age of 63, this goal feels more relevant than ever. It's not about running away from responsibility or taking refuge in laziness, but about creating an existence that is in line with my true values and dreams.
I am now in a phase where I am planning the rest of my life. Sure, I may only be 63 years old, but I realize that the initiative must be taken now so that I can reach my terminus with ease, and not through hardship. My goal is clear: to wake up every day and dedicate myself to what I really want. I want to work, but on my terms with what I want. I want to enjoy life, not just as a fleeting break between working days, but as a fundamental and important part of my everyday life.
When I look ahead, I see a future where I don't work because I have to, but because I want to. It is a future where I can follow my passions without feeling bound by external demands. For me, it's about exploring the beauty of nature and challenging myself both physically and mentally. To simply breathe. It's about living in Bansko, a picturesque little mountain town in Bulgaria, where I can live a life in harmony with nature and together with my beloved.
Closing a Chapter: Life Aboard the Sailboat
Before I started planning my new future, I lived a different life – a life aboard a sailboat, where I lived and sailed year-round for five years. This life offered a sense of freedom and adventure that few other forms of existence can match. Every day was a new opportunity to explore, to master the forces of nature and to live in symbiosis with the elements. But even this life had its challenges, and after five years I began to feel an inner longing for something else, something more stable and down-to-earth. On land…
"How Scrapping My Boat Set Me
Free for Life's Next Journey"
At the end of October 2023, I made the decision to leave life on board and scrap the boat and move ashore. Scrapping the boat was not an easy decision – it had been my home, my companion and my shelter from storms and wintry days. But it was also a decision that gave me a huge sense of relief. By closing this chapter in my life, I was able to release a source of worry and stress, which was connected to all the "musts" and maintenance that life on board required. This freed me both mentally and physically and gave me space to focus on the next step in my life.
Scrapping the boat was a symbolic handling, a way to really move on and open the door to a new era. It was a way to control my future and create the conditions to live a life more in line with my current dreams and goals.
Why leave the Rat Race?
For many people, they live in an endless cycle of work, responsibility and stress. You wake up, go to work, struggle through the day, and by evening you are so exhausted that there is no energy left to enjoy life. The weekends become an escape, a chance to breathe, but before you know it, it's Monday again and the wheel starts spinning again. This is the squirrel wheel – a life where it feels like you're running in circles without getting anywhere.
For me, this has never been enough. I have always felt a strong inner longing for something more – something deeper and more meaningful. I think many of us feel the same way, but we get stuck in the fear of change. We are afraid to leave the security of the familiar, even if the familiar does not make us happy.
But now, when I'm still healthy and facing retirement age, I've realized that I no longer want to let fear rule my life. I want to take control of my time and my choices, and that starts with leaving the squirrel wheel.
To Plan Your Life With Intention
Planning the rest of one's life can seem like an overwhelming task, but I see it as an opportunity to really reflect on what I want to achieve and how I want to live. I strongly believe in living with intention – making decisions that align with one's values and dreams, rather than letting life drive you like a boat without a rudder. To be able to do this, I have started by mapping out my priorities. I have asked myself questions such as: What is really important to me? What makes me feel alive? What do I want to experience before my time on this earth is over?
Answers to these questions have allowed me to have a clear vision. I want to devote my time to things that bring me joy and satisfaction - like working on projects that really engage me, traveling and discovering new places, and spending time in nature. I also want to create a home in Bansko, where I can enjoy a simpler, more relaxed lifestyle with my partner
By: Chris
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