I’m a full time backpacker planning my travels a maximum of two days in advance.

I fully understand that going with the flow is important. It’s my lifestyle and it’s what makes this traveling portion of my life so epic.

Yet, it turns out that you need direction.

When I landed in Europe I had a backpack and absolutely no plan. I didn’t know where I was going from Frankfurt, how long I was going to be in Europe or what I was going to do while I was here.

I stumbled around aimlessly, making my way from Frankfurt to Amsterdam to Hamburg and then to Copenhagen. I felt dazed and confused and despite living the traveling dream I was so incredibly unhappy.

I spent my days wandering foreign streets, stuck in my emotion filled head and feeling like I was failing at life. By 25 I wanted to have had more financial success, a more mature mindset and a happier life.

Considering that I was already in Europe, I decided that I should just stay for my ninety day visa and try to see as much as I could. I made a loose plan so that I would know what direction go to next and effectively see all of the cities that I wanted and told myself that I would take it day by day.

It looks minutes for me to start to feel better. Suddenly I didn’t feel like I was failing because I had a plan. I had a set goal and I was accomplishing one of my aspirations (to backpack Europe). It was like night and day.

A few days ago, I heard this:

“If people have too few options they are unhappy. If people have too many options than they are unhappy.”

It’s a fact. As a digital nomad that can work anywhere around the world, I still find myself confused and uncertain about the direction of my life. What I can do to control that is to make sure that I am moving with intention.

When you set goals for yourself, you become tied to something in the most healthy way possible. You create a lifestyle where you are always working towards something and so you feel accomplished.

You don’t lay down at night and think about how you feel that you are failing. You lay in bed and try to figure out the most productive and efficient way to make your goals a reality.

When you talk to others, your clear and focused on what you want out of the next six months of your life. You can say confidently that this is where you want to go and this is how you are going to get there.

Bring intention into your life. What goals do you want to accomplish in the next half year? Full year? Five years? What do you do today to make those aspirations come true?

I’m bringing this idea into every aspect of my life (career, relationships, travel, finances) because it’s the difference between feeling lost and realizing that you have full control.

Now it’s your turn. Set your goals and live your life with the intention to reach them.

The rest is in fate’s hands.