Overthinking, stressing, getting lost in a vortex of maybes.
What am I doing with my life?
What do I want to be if I grow up?
Where should I live?
Which bank should I rob? (This is a joke!)
I’m so done with trying to make perfect plans!
I am so done with trying to be perfect.
Perfect is boring!
We need something more.
We need life in its fullness.
We need to stop being boring.
WE NEED TO MAKE MORE BAD DECISIONS.
What is the worst decision you ever made?
Was it a bad meal?
Was it a bad date?
Did you fail an assignment or a year?
Did you disappoint someone you care about?
Did you disappoint yourself?
Did you jump on a boat and get stuck in the middle of an ocean where you lost your rigging and were fearing for your life?
Or was your worst decision something you regret not doing?
I recently went to Hungary to speak at the Járatlan Utakon Fesztivál. (Off the Beaten Track Festival)
Thousands of people gathered to be inspired about strange lands, difficult journeys, and bizarre travel styles.
While I could choose any adventure topic, I realised that I needed to share an important message that’s become very close to my heart:
I needed to encourage people to make more bad decisions and remind society to make more mistakes.
Mistakes teach us so much more than getting things right.
Bad decisions take us to beautiful places, places we may never have visited otherwise.
From a room full of adventure-hungry Hungarians to my general network of legends, and the randoms I have interrogated in classrooms and on the street; I can confirm that for most of us our worst decisions are ones of regret.
Those “what if” moments that have taunted us for weeks or decades.
What if you had asked them out?
What if you took a risk and changed career or continent?
What if you put your pride aside and were brave enough to suck at something new?
What if you said “YES”?
What if you actually chased your dreams?
And while I made plenty of bad decisions this year and failed miserably at most of my goals, it was still an epic year and an exciting journey.
Most of my adventures were short and sweet and surrounded by people I know and love.
And I’m very thankful that none of my adventures killed me.
But in 2026 I need to run wild. I need to make many more mistakes. I want to grow and learn. And I want to conquer mountains and countries and fears.
I need to get this heart racing.
I need to finally catch my dreams.
I’m not talking about meaningless new year resolutions here. Please call me out and kick my butt if I “settle”, if I chicken out, or if I forget who I am!
And, if you allow me, I will do likewise!
We have one life, let’s not waste it!
