| Most people enter yachting for similar reasons: the | | | | commitments, responsibilities, and unpredicted events |
| pursuit of adventure, getting paid to travel in a | | | | can shorten your career as well... |
| unique way, love of the water, and a stack of | | | | Yes there is a very good chance that your exciting |
| "once-in-a-lifetime" events that make other's jaws | | | | career as yacht crew will only be for a relatively |
| drop with envy... | | | | short period of time... |
| However, what people REALLY want out of their | | | | When a yachtie ends their career they always fall |
| yachting career greatly varies! | | | | into 1 of 3 categories: |
| It is critical to write down your specific personal and | | | | 1) They either met or exceeded their personal, |
| financial goals WITH a time-frame BEFORE you begin | | | | career, and financial goals... |
| as professional yacht crew. (You'll see why in a | | | | 2) OR have little to show for their time afloat other |
| minute...) | | | | than a few cool stories and a couple of bucks that |
| Yes goals may change over time, but without writing | | | | will evaporate within a week... |
| down specific goals before your first crew job you | | | | 3) OR are somewhere in between, but certainly |
| can easily lose your frame of reference once you | | | | wished they were more strategic and disciplined along |
| plunge into the wild world of mega-yachts. | | | | the way. (this "wake up call" can be hard to swallow |
| Let me explain... | | | | once the dust settles) |
| Once you kick-start your career as a yachtie, your | | | | The key difference between these career results? |
| perceptions and outlook will radically change... | | | | Set goals, act, check in. Repeat. |
| You won't believe how much it is possible to | | | | Make your goal "real" now by writing it down |
| experience in a short period of time. In any given | | | | EXACTLY as follows: |
| month you may enter in and out of several | | | | 1) The reasons I am going to get a job on a yacht |
| countries, or rack up thousands of sea miles, or have | | | | are (list them), |
| several millionaires and movie stars charter aboard | | | | 2) It is important to me to accomplish (list) while |
| the yacht, etc. | | | | working on yachts, |
| Compared to 9-to-5 living on land, the weeks rocket | | | | 3) I will starting hunting for my first yacht crew job |
| by - each packed with wild events, places, and faces | | | | on (date) |
| that are tattooed on your brain forever. | | | | 4) I will keep my written goals (exactly where?) |
| It is easy to not be able to see the forest for the | | | | 5) I will review them every (when? How will you |
| trees... | | | | remind yourself to do this?) |
| So it is critical to check your progress toward your | | | | 6) I will end my yachting career when (date) and/or |
| original goals every month to truly see if you are | | | | once I accomplish (what and why?). |
| getting closer, stagnating, or getting way off track. | | | | 7) OR if, God forbid, I am totally honest with myself |
| The real trick is to be 100% brutally honest with | | | | and see that I am NOT progressing toward my |
| yourself (and your spouse, significant others, partner, | | | | original goals (items 1 & 2 above), then I will |
| etc.). Dead-serious-look-at-your-face-in-the-mirror | | | | make serious preparations to transition out of the |
| honest. | | | | yacht crew lifestyle to the inevitable reality of living |
| After all, even though yachting is fun you DO want | | | | on land and paying my own way month after month |
| to achieve some level of success toward your original | | | | after month... |
| goals, right? Unfortunately, many yachties complete | | | | Yes, the yacht crew life, benefits, and wild |
| blow this... | | | | possibilities are AWESOME and almost impossible to |
| A pile of cash in a bank account covers many "sins," | | | | replicate in any other field or industry. Yet entering |
| and trust me, your perceptions of reality really start | | | | yachting is a BOLD move: you may either come out |
| to blur when you are surrounded by limitless budgets, | | | | stronger, wiser, and wealthier, OR disillusioned and |
| luxurious surroundings, and you develop champagne | | | | bitter... |
| tastes and expectations without ever needing to pull | | | | "The bold are helpless without cleverness." - Euripides |
| out your own wallet. | | | | If you have the courage to take this "leap of faith" |
| But beware... | | | | into a life-changing, adventurous yachting career, then |
| 95% of full-time, live-aboard professional yacht crew | | | | progress toward your goals with firm footing so you |
| work on yachts for 5 years or significantly less! | | | | won't regret it once your days at sea are over. |
| Priorities, values, and goals DO shift over time. Plus | | | | |