I hang out at the extremes. Always have.

When I ran my agency, I'd avoid casual drinks and small talk, but go all-in on client relationships. When competing in powerlifting, I train alone for months then give everything at competitions. When writing a book, I'd disappear for weeks then launch big.

Travel's the same.

3 days of intensity or 3 months of immersion.

Tourist mode: Pure busy adventure. Hit the must-see spots, stay in fancy hotels, eat at the top restaurants. Food tours, local guides, early mornings and late nights. Work and training put on maintenance mode. Go hard, then go home.

Local life: Fully unpack and get settled in. Find new favourite coffee shops and brunch spots. Join the gym and train like normal. Order meal prep. Buy plants and fairy lights. Message my list and build a community. Live my perfect repeatable day.

What's in the middle? 1-2 week trips. But they drain me. So I don't do them anymore. I get caught between tourist rushes and failed attempts at routine. Trying to get the best of both worlds, winding up with the worst. No wonder most people come back needing another vacation.

Balance is overrated and the middle ground is the worst place to be.

In travel, business and sport:

Choose your extreme.

More about that in this (~5 min) video:
Extreme people get extreme results (you're playing too safe)

-

P.s. I've been living from a single suitcase since 2021, living in new cities for 1-3 months or 2-3 days at a time.

I write about this experience for Forbes. If you suspect you want to live this way, these are for you:

Plus new(ish) video: why aren't more people digital nomads?