Nobody quits their full time (regular pay check) job to freelance. What about the mortgage?

Nobody actually packs up their life to travel for 12 months.

Nobody actually drops 30 kilos without resorting to extreme, unsustainable diets.

*whispers* Except they do.

I met someone last week whose accountant told her to quit her back up job because she’s earning a full time income from freelancing. Her accountant! Or what about the woman who’s dropped her day job to four days a week so she can fit her new coaching clients into her schedule?

Doing. Awesome. Things.

These aren’t exceptions. These are everyday people who identified their dream scenario and worked really hard to get it. And they show that it can be done, by anyone. By you!

Who am I looking for?

You know that thing how you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with? If you want to level up your life, you need to hang out with people that will inspire you to work towards what you want, even if it’s virtually.

When you’re stuck in the grind it can seem impossible to do anything differently. But when you’re hanging out with awesome people who are doing what you want to do, or something similar, it suddenly seems a whole lot more possible. If they can do it, so can you!

Keep in mind, too, this doesn’t have to be life-changing stuff like a new career or moving your whole family overseas. Maybe you just want to add a little bit more awesome, like a new hobby or more activity, and expand your social circle. Having more people in your life that love what you love will increase your overall happiness and satisfaction.

Where are they?

So, where do we find these mysterious wonderful creatures?

Facebook groups. Did you know there are hundreds of millions of Facebook groups? And you can join up to 6000 of them! Try some keyword searches to find groups of like-minded individuals and get involved.

Meetup. Meetup has over 19 million members in 177 countries doing everything from rock climbing to web development. You can find a Meetup group for just about every interest out there – book clubs, open water swimmers, social groups, board game lovers, Ebay sellers – it goes on. You will probably find more options in bigger cities but you never know so get searching.

Websites and online forums. With the rise of blogging (there are millions of us!), odds are somebody out there is writing about what you love. Find them, read them, and get active in the comments. Other people who love what you love will be reading too, so you can join the conversation with them.

Events. Suss out who tends to coordinate events related to your passion and get on some mailing lists. It could be an expert in the field is doing a talk, or your favourite writer is having a book launch, or there’ll be a discussion panel near you. Not only will you come away feeling inspired (and possibly with a signed book, squee!), you get the chance to meet people who you already have at least one thing in common with. Your favourite venue will likely also have a mailing list of upcoming events – get on it!

Community groups. Have a chat to your local council and see if they have a roster of community groups and events. (And if not, maybe see if you can start it!) You can find out when the local sewing circle meets, or if there’s a sports team you can join.

If you’re anything like me, pretty much all of the above can seem overwhelming. Typical Cancerian, I’m pretty cosy right here in my shell. But I’ve taken myself along to a couple of things (with many deep breaths and much false bravado) and I’m so glad I did. I haven’t made connections at all of them but I’ve always had a friendly chat with someone and learned something. Even in the little moments there’s value.

Have you found your posse yet? Tell me in the comments one place you could look for them!