#76: Design a life you don't need vacation from, with Mel Miles

Who is Mel Miles?

Mel is an entrepreneur and author who has worked for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for multiple years helping to launch the global effort to eradicate malaria. At some point in her career, she started having more and more anxiety, until it was too much to bear. She ended up having a panic attack and decided that that was the point where she was going to change her life.

After quitting her job and traveling solo around the world, she founded Soulcation, a company that helps fellow hustlers and perfectionists develop vacation-like routines that revive the soul.

Anxiety and success

At one point, her job had become her personality. She measured the success she had in life from the success she had at her job. This is a trend that many leaders are struggling with nowadays. And because the pressure at her job was so high, she pushed back her feelings and started to become more and more anxious… like many people. But if you really want to lead the life you want, you’ll have to open up anyway…

The power of change

After quitting her job at the Gates Foundation, Mel traveled all around the world to interview people, in search of finding what makes people happy. She made a pretty big change in her life, but changes don’t have to be huge to be significant. That’s why now, she guides people to make little changes that make them feel better. And you can always make these little changes, no matter what situation you’re in.

Incorporating vacation into your daily life

Research says we’re at our best when we’re on vacation. We’re the most open to new ideas, we’re the most open to new people and we’re the most curious. That research says we’re the most connected to our happy self when we’re on vacation. Mel decided she was going to redesign her life and her relationship with work in a way that she could optimize her freedom, joy, and happiness, like when she was on vacation. After she told this to me, she said something that really resonates with me and by now, probably with you as well: “Manage your energy, not your time.”

I hope you have learned a lot from this episode. I know I did! If you want to read Mel’s book about designing the life you don’t need a vacation from, be sure to check it out in the show notes!