The Freedom Formula: Designing a Life You Don’t Need a Vacation From

There’s no denying that most of us were taught to chase the “American Dream.” Get the degree, land the job, buy the house, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get to enjoy life for two weeks out of the year on a beach somewhere far from your cubicle.

It took me over 40 years to realize, that’s backwards?

What if instead of escaping your life through vacations, you could design a life you don’t feel the need to escape from at all?

I call it The Freedom Formula.

What Is Lifestyle Design?

Lifestyle design means building your life intentionally around your values, your time, your health, and your goals, not someone else’s expectations.

Ask yourself:

• What do I want my day-to-day to look like?

• What kind of freedom do I actually value; time, location, financial?

• What matters more to me: status or peace?

Instead of molding your life around your career, you start molding your career, location, and schedule around the life you actually want to live.

Real Talk: It’s Not an Overnight Success

Here’s the part most people skip over: designing a life you love takes work.
I know, because I’ve done it.

It took me and my family five years to make it happen—and it wasn’t linear.
We failed the first time. We opened a restaurant and it didn’t go as planned. We struggled. We regrouped. And then we got intentional.

We started learning new skills, saving differently, and making strategic decisions to set ourselves up for our second try. That’s when everything changed.

Now, we’re living in the Dominican Republic full time, working remotely, raising our daughter in the sun, and enjoying the kind of life we used to dream about from behind a desk.

The 3 Pillars of the Freedom Formula

If you’re ready to stop living on autopilot, here’s what I started focus on:

1. Clarity

Get crystal clear on what you actually want.
Not what your parents want. Not what Instagram says.
Ask yourself:

• What kind of environment brings me peace?

• How do I want to spend my mornings?

• What am I no longer willing to tolerate?

I turned to journaling and vision boards, to start building a visual of my ideal life. You should too.

2. Commitment

Once you have the vision, commit to the process, even when it gets hard. This is where most people get stuck and remain. They can’t commit to something long term. There will be setbacks. There will be sacrifices. But remember: you’re building your freedom.

This means:

• Learning new skills (remote work, online income, investing, etc.)

• Creating new routines

• Saying no to what doesn’t align

3. Courage

Designing your own life is considered an act of rebellion in a world that profits off your exhaustion. That’s why most people try to discourage you from doing so. They’re scared.

It takes courage to step off into the unknown.
To move abroad. To homeschool your kids. To quit your job. To downsize your life in order to expand your freedom.

But every bold step you take moves you closer to the life that actually fits you.

Ready to Start?

If you're still reading this, chances are you're craving something different.
There’s nothing wrong with you for wanting more. You’re not selfish for prioritizing joy. And you’re definitely not crazy for choosing peace over pressure. Many don’t understand this.

So ask yourself:
What would my life look like if I designed it around what I truly value?
Start there and then start small.

The Freedom Formula isn’t a fantasy. It’s a path. And it’s one worth walking.

Until next week,
Live Your Best Life
Jay
Expat, freedom seeker, and fellow dream-builder