We had this great idea: “Let’s step it up. Let’s expand and grow. Let’s play a BIG game.”

I’m talking about me & my husband, John, here.

Now, anyone who knows us will easily realize that when we say “Let’s play a BIG game.”, it’s going to be the kind of game that would send 99% of people running for the hills.

When we say that line, it means we’re going to be so far out of our comfort zone that it won’t even be visible anymore. It’ll be long gone over the horizon.

There will be no going back and everything will change. We will not be the same people after we’ve played this level of game.

And that’s scary. When you decide to play another game or when you decide to expand your life, fear sometimes paralyzes you.

The thing is, in order to be someone different and to have something different, you need to give up who you are, the things you do AND what you have now. You can’t have something else AND be the same person you were before.

If you do something new, you will never be the same person after. You now have new experiences and the whole world will be different for you.

The same goes for what’s possible or not possible for you.

Say, you decide to learn rock climbing (and I’m using this analogy because John IS a rock climber). When you first start to climb, you grab for the big holds because you’re trying to feel safe and secure. You go up a few meters and then you realize that you can’t go any further because you’ve run out of big holds.

By that time, you’re stuck.

If you want to move on and start conquering fears, you have to use smaller holds. You have to learn to trust. As your time, experience and confidence move on, you learn how to plan ahead, look for the paths and see things differently.

When you’re first learning, all you can see are the big holds. You don’t pay too much attention to the smaller, sometimes tinier, ‘holds’. You don’t consider them as something that could hold you up so you skip them.

I use the term ‘hold’ very loosely and it’s a perfect example of what I’m talking about.

I’ve watched John climb and some of those ‘holds’ are nothing more than minor waves in the rock! IMHO, there’s nothing ‘holding’ about them, but they almost always hold him up!

When John looks at a rock face now, he sees something totally different to what he saw when he first started rock climbing. Everything is different now. As far as rock climbing is concerned, John is not the same person that he was when he first began climbing.

John’s experienced some hairy moments along the way (I’ve seen some of them), but he’s learned to push himself to try new things and to expand what he can do. Each time he’s done that, he comes down knowing different things:

• He knows himself as someone who can do
• He knows that… doesn’t work
• if he sees a particular set of moves coming up, he knows that he needs to prepare for it by doing…

But, before he actually does new moves or takes a fresh route, there’s fear: What if he can’t? What if he falls off? What if he hurts himself?

John climbs with a buddy for the most part. They set up belaying ropes so if they come off, they might hurt themselves a bit, but they won’t die. So, after a while, he began to realize that if he comes off, he’ll still be able to try again and again until he can finally do it.

In other words, he knows he’s safe.

Now, rock climbing is not for everyone, myself included, but the analogy is one we can relate to:

• When we expand our lives and grow, we will not be the same person when we’ve finished
• Once we’ve done something — even just once — we realize that things look totally different from having had that experience
• Doing something new is always going to be scary. The bigger the jump in the level of difficulty, the scarier it will be.
• We are always safe. We might get a bit of an ouch, but we can learn from it and carry on.

So, we decided to play a big game. We decided to step it up massively to create a huge impact.

It’s scary. It’s an unknown territory and we don’t know how to do it.

But, from the moment we make the decision to go down that path, we’re sure that it’s the right thing to do.

The thing is, you’re not going to be able to achieve what you want to by being the person you are now. You must be someone different.

You need to give up who you know yourself to be and the things you know to be true if you want to do this new thing (like with the holds in rock climbing).

Your perspective in life must change if you’re going to see the things you need to see and achieve your goal.

And finally, this is possibly the scariest bit. You must trust that you wouldn’t feel so strongly about something if it’s impossible for you to achieve.

Remember, you put out those vibes into the universe, so everything you need in order to achieve your goal is already there. You just can’t see it by being the person you are right now. The truth is, you can only see it by being the person who has already achieved it.

Give up the fear and step into the future you know is yours.

See Also: How to Find your Buoy of Safety When You are Drowning in Fear

The post Conquering Fear: Here’s How To Change Your Perspective In Life appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Short trips and quick getaways are trending. A lot of travelers today are on a tight budget and can’t make a long vacation work. Some of them are breaking up their PTO to find pockets of excitement throughout the year.

Whatever their reasons are, travelers are discovering how a quick vacation can pack just as much of a punch as an extended one.

Not only does traveling expose one to the rest of world; it also has a positive effect on a person’s mental health. Whether you’re eating a mouthwatering burger under the California sun, gazing at the Milky Way from one of Utah’s national parks, or tromping through ice caves in Icelandic glaciers, quick getaways can be rejuvenating.

By getting away multiple times each year, you’ll be able to recharge your batteries and return home with new enthusiasm and fresh ideas. So, don’t trick yourself into thinking that you can’t take a vacation because you can’t afford a big excursion or you think nobody else can do your job.

Instead, embrace the “work hard, play hard” mentality Millennials love and book your most-desired weekend getaway now.

See Also: 10 Wonderful Benefits of Traveling

Make the Most of Your Short Trip

A short trip doesn’t have to pass by too quickly. Here’s how to maximize your time, regardless of the number of days you’re going to spend in your destination

Know Your Budget

A truly memorable vacation won’t be free. However, although this is a short trip, you’d still wouldn’t want it to take too big a hit on your wallet.

Before anything else, understand how much you can spend. You know you’ll have to pay for transit and lodging, so look around for the options that can give you the most value. This way, you can leave the maximum amount of funds possible for your itinerary. Getting a ballpark of what you need to spend on lets you know how much wiggle room you have, too.

Make First Things First

When I went to Portugal, I had no plan for how I’d spend my time. Instead of getting out and exploring the country like I intended to, I ended up wasting most of my trip at the resort.

Save yourself some regret and make sure you have your must-sees and must-dos in mind for your trip. You likely have one or two activities you can’t miss or a few sights you need to see, so make those your priority. Work them into a concrete itinerary, and buy tickets or book transportation in advance if necessary.

Don’t Spend Too Much Time Getting There

No one likes to waste time in transit. Traffic, layovers and delayed airplanes can make you all the more stressed. Consider a destination you can easily reach or look into taking a red-eye flight.

Go into your trip knowing the lay of the land and how to get around. Researching what public transportation looks like or booking rental cars in advance gives you more time to do what you’re there for.

Step (or Jump) Out of Your Comfort Zone

It’s easy to get sucked into a routine. Maybe that’s part of the reason you’re traveling in the first place. Vacations can offer a break from your usual routine so take advantage of that opportunity. Plan at least one new experience alongside your must-sees.

Zip line through a rainforest. Make your own beer. Swim with stingrays. What’s more memorable than something you’ve never done before?

Don’t Get Too Itinerary-Happy

Planning for any trip is essential, but a key piece of travel is discovery. If you’ve planned out every hour of your vacation, you’ll have no room to get lost in the wonderful parts of the city or talk to the locals about their favorite restaurants.

See Also: 7 Important Things To Do To Travel Like A Local

Finding that balance is tough, especially when you’re short on time. Although making a general plan is essential, make sure you still have time to wander. You’re sure to learn something no guidebook or blog could prepare you for.

Whether your budget doesn’t allow for a two-week expedition or you’re taking a quick break between projects at work, a short trip doesn’t have to be any less memorable than a lengthy one. With some thoughtful planning (and a little room for discovery), going on quick getaways can bring experiences that stick with you for life.

The post 5 Tips For Getting Maximum Value Out Of Your Quick Getaways appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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When it comes to renting office space, you can never be too careful when signing a lease. Failure to do your due diligence can lead to problems. For instance, the wrong space can hurt your business if it’s difficult for your clients to access your building or if you don’t have the amenities they require.

To minimize the chances of these and other disasters occurring, consider taking benefits from professional property management and asking your commercial property managing agent the following questions:

What happens if the space isn’t ready by the expected move-in date?

Unless your office is ready, you can’t be sure that there won’t be any more problems. To avoid last minute problems, you should double check if your lease is clear about what can happen if your office space isn’t ready by the move-in date.

Read the fine print carefully. Watch out for any clauses that say your landlord can place you in a different office space within the building if your designated area is not yet ready by your moving in date. Being forced to occupy a temporary space will only magnify the costs and other issues associated with moving.

Does the lease come with an option to renew?

After your lease expires, the landlord is under no legal obligation to offer the same space to you – unless there’s a renewal clause in your lease. This guarantees that you will have first dibs on the space when the lease expires.

Will the landlord take on the cost of changes (like new carpet, special electrical needs, etc)?

You will probably want to modify and update your new office space to meet your business’ specific requirements. In most cases, you will be responsible for these costs. But, there are some landlords who are willing to amortize the costs over the term of the lease so make sure to ask.

See Also: How Often Does A Landlord Have To Replace Carpet Or Repaint In Rental Unit?

How much traffic does the area get?

Is your building in a central location that’s close to train stations and airports to accommodate heavy business travelers or out of town clients? Depending on your business type, this may help determine the amount of traffic that you will receive. The agent should have information about community demographics, car counts and other essential statistics available.

Do you have “right of first refusal” if the space next to yours becomes vacant?

There are some instances when a tenant is faced with unexpected growth and, when that happens, there are some landlords that will move you to a larger space with no penalty. If there is a “right to refusal” clause in your lease, it will ensure that you get first dibs if any adjacent spaces become vacant.

Is it possible to secure a non-compete clause so that a competitor cannot open up shop in your center or building?

When renting office space, it’s a good idea to consider your business’ security first. Having a competitor in close distance can spell disaster for your business so check if there are zoning laws in place to protect your company. You can try to include a clause in the contract that forbids your landlord from leasing nearby office space to direct competitors. 

Is it possible to enter into a CAM Stop Lease?

A lot of leases today are triple net. For example, you’ll be responsible for paying the rent as well as a share of the property taxes and CAM fees for the property.

A Cam Stop Lease will ensure that you are only responsible for the increase in property taxes and CAM fees above your initial base year. You may also want to ask for a cap on the CAM so that it won’t increase by more than a certain percentage.

What happens if a major system (like electrical, plumbing, or HVAC) fails?

Agreements about repairs and renovations should be in writing and, in the best case scenario, come complete with a detailed floor plan and a cost estimate from a reputable contractor. But, it’s important to note that this standard is different from property to property.

Who is responsible for insurance?

When signing a lease for an office space, we tend to skip over insurance. And, as a result, a lot of buildings, especially those with several tenants, are coverable by insurance policies that are inadequate in some respects and overlap in others. Thus, if a major disaster occurs, like a fire, it can take years for the various insurance companies involved to check out the claims and decide where coverage begins and ends.

Will the office space meet your technology needs?

Most commercial properties offer tenants networking options like T1s, fiber, DSL and Cable. If your business will require a ton of bandwidth to successfully operate, make sure that the property has the infrastructure to support your needs.

Moving to a new commercial space can be a hassle. But, if you ask your commercial agent the aforementioned questions, it can take a lot of the headache out of the process. Good luck!

See Also: One Size Doesn’t Fit All: How Office Space Caters To Each Stage Of A Business Journey

The post 10 Questions To Ask Your Commercial Agent When Leasing Office Space appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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