What happens when you start to notice the invisible scripts that tell you the keys to “success” are be good in school, get a good job, work hard and chase status and accomplishment?
Most people continue to push for those things on the default path. But when you start to notice and question these scripts, you can create a wildly different and more fulfilling path for yourself. But you have to acknowledge the uncertainty, and actually decide how you want to live.
My guest today is Paul Millerd. Paul was a studious management consultant on the “Default Path”, but he started to question that path and ended up opting out entirely. Paul gave up a $150,000 salary at the prestigious McKinsey consulting company in NYC, to travel the world and make ends meet through freelancing.
Then he wrote a book about it, self-published and that book has sold over 20,000 copies in the last 12 months!
I devoured his book, The Pathless Path on Audible over the course of a week in the car rides home from dropping my kids off at school or practice.
It is an absolute masterpiece on taking control and living a life on your terms, not anyone else’s. I’m extremely proud that I got to talk to Paul and bring our conversation to you today. I hope you enjoy this episode on taking The Pathless Path with Paul Millerd.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:
- Paul’s background
- Default path vs pathless path
- Paul’s BREAK moments
- Tradeoffs Paul has made to not work as much and take the pathless path
- How people can get closer to their true calling
- How a sabbatical can be useful and transformative
- What is the default path you grew up with? Is it serving you?
- How becoming a dad has changed Paul
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BOOKS AND RESOURCES:
- “It’s easier to find people to cheer you on online than it is from your core group of family and friends.” - quote from Paul
- “Being on a pathless path, being on a path that can’t be explained easily is actually a feature, not a bug. Because I’m leaning into the uncertainty, developing a relationship with it and I feel way more stable than I did on the previous path.” - quote from Paul
- “I wanted to feel special and work is the easiest place to feel special.” - quote from Paul
- “Work is the center of life. People do not realize how deeply embedded this is in our culture.” - quote from Paul
- _The Art Of Learnin_g - book that Mike mentioned
- Wanting by Luke Burgis - book that Paul mentioned
- The Art Of Gig by Venkatesh Rao - book that Paul mentioned
- The 2-Hour Cocktail Party by Nick Gray - book that Paul mentioned
- The Three Marriages by David Whyte - book that Paul mentioned
- Crossing the Unknown Sea by David Whyte - book that Paul mentioned
- 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss - book that Paul mentioned
- Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett - book that Paul mentioned
- The Great Work Of Your Life by Stephen Cope - book that Paul mentioned
- Die With Zero by Bill Perkins - book that Paul mentioned
- Designing Your Work Life by Bill Burnett - book that Mike mentioned
- The Founders Podcast by David
- The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
- Connect with Paul on his website, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook.
