For too long, many of us have been living on autopilot. We wake up just in time to rush to work, eating breakfast on the run and arriving at our desks already stressed. We spend the day fueled by excessive caffeine, neglecting nutrition, only to head home after dark.
Once home, the cycle continues: we collapse in front of the television, face a tired and stressed family, overeat, and stay up too late.
This is not how life is meant to be. Ideally, we should wake up refreshed, find time for exercise, and enjoy a nutritious breakfast. We should arrive at work relaxed and work with sustained energy. By leaving at an appropriate time, we could return home fresh enough to prepare a real meal, connect with loved ones, and retire early for a truly restful sleep.
The Loss of Control
What has happened to us? Somewhere along the line, we lost control, and we aren’t taking responsibility for it. We have forgotten what real life and actual survival look like. In a world of convenience, we have become all-consuming hedonists, more worried about what we think we are “owed” than how we are functioning.
The Ultimate Test: Would You Survive?
Imagine I took you to the middle of the Simpson Desert and left you alone. Would you be able to make it back to civilization? Do you have the personal resources and the “hard edge” required to survive in tough times?
Or have we become so domesticated and soft that losing simple luxuries like a TV or a smartphone would be enough to ruin us?
When we look at the rising levels of obesity and ill health, it’s clear that many people lack the basic fitness to even run for a bus, let alone fight for their lives. Because our physical survival isn’t challenged daily, we aren’t trained for when things go wrong.
The Survival Skill Set
To truly be in control of your life and your safety, you need to cultivate specific strengths:
- Physical Resilience: The fitness to walk for hours or even days.
- Self-Discipline: The capacity to endure thirst and hunger and the strength to ration limited supplies.
- Mental Navigation: The ability to calculate direction and monitor landmarks without a GPS.
- Resourcefulness: Knowing how to find food and water in the wilderness.
- Emotional Fortitude: Overcoming the fear and loneliness of isolation.
- Optimism: The capacity to remain positive and keep working toward a solution, no matter the odds.
Mastering the Remote Lifestyle
Taking control of your life is especially vital for those who work in demanding, isolated environments where the “autopilot” trap can be even more dangerous.
If you or a loved one is navigating the complexities of remote work, a vital resource is the book by John Toomey called, “In it for the Long Haul: Making the most of Working Remotely in the Resources Sector” (also available in Spanish).
This book is specifically written for those in the Resources Sector—mine workers, oil and gas crews, construction, agriculture, transport, and white-collar contractors. Being away from home for extended periods is undeniably tough. “In it for the Long Haul“ is filled with wisdom and rational guidance for both the worker and the family back home. The author aims to help you turn a challenging career path into a defining, successful part of your life, rather than a hardship to be endured.Take back the wheel. Whether you are in the desert or the suburbs, your survival and your happiness depend on it.
