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This post is a guest post by Matt Gartland. Matt, a good friend of mine, spends his life pushing people to live boldly and shatter low expectations. He’s launching his blog today – including his inspiring mission to chronicle “10,000 Random Acts of Greatness“ – to worldwide fanfare. He’s so amazing, he even created a welcome page *just* for Man Vs. Debt readers!

New Year’s day… January 1st… A moment of magic.

You’ve felt this magic before. It lights you up like your still ornamented Christmas tree. The emotions, in fact, may feel like Christmas morning. These are positive emotions to be sure – for hopes, dreams, and enchantments are very necessary turn-keys in the engine of your potential.

They leave you alive with ideas for new year conquests of improved health, strengthened relationships, world travel, and countless other adventures.

Alas, this magic can (and often does) backfire with deflating consequences.

This “dark magic” is the empty contact-high that many befall from the flip of the calendar. Lofty new lifestyle designs are drawn with no infrastructure to support them. Why then are we shocked and horrified when our goals and dreams crumble to ash?

We shouldn’t be. The truth was obvious from the beginning…

…we suck at forging New Year’s resolutions.

So let’s stop the sucking.

The antidote to this dark magic, though simple, is not easy magic.

This bold potion requires equal parts deep introspection and inside-out thinking with a dash of craziness mixed in.

If you’re not a brave witch or wizard then you may wish to abandon this brew right now. But if you’re bent on making 2011 a year of transformation and remembrance, then I suggest you settle in for some wicked, non-Ministry-approved lessons in the defense against the dark arts!

Wands at the ready!

The Fallacy of January 1 and The Art of (Un)resolutions

The fabled January 1 mystique is dark magic for a deceptively simple reason – it’s a lie!

There is no earthly reason why you should wait for the clock to strike midnight on January 1st before crafting resolutions to improve your wellbeing. Those that do wait for 1/1 forfeit 364 days (8,736 hours; 524,160 minutes) of life-changing potential. Does that sound like a smart choice to you?

Sure, these other days may be spent engaged in last year’s resolutions. And if such resolutions were architected thoughtfully, then this assumption might be true. But it’s a risky assumption to make. Why? Because by-and-large we’ve become a consumeristic society addicted to the fallacy of over-night successes and the allure of instant gratifications. That’s a deadly spell that will curse any resolution, well-intentioned or not, quickly bringing it to its knees.

In truth, the best day to begin fresh life change is today! Such is the art of (un)resolutions.

(Un)resolutions are exactly what you think they are – the antithesis of conventional resolutions…

• Resolutions are New Year’s day centric – (un)resolutions are everyday centric

• Resolutions are driven by external rewards – (un)resolutions are inspired by intrinsic motivations

• Resolutions focus on “what” – (un)resolutions concentrate on “why”

• Resolutions are rooted in “quick-win” hype – (un)resolutions are baked in long-term effectiveness

Here’s your choice: 1) Subsist in our age of distraction by lumbering through the year with shallow resolutions that ultimately fail. Or, 2) stop sucking at resolutions and start creating lifestyle goals in the art of (un)resolutions.

Good choice! Now it’s time to delve deep into the charms of (un)resolutions!

Motivations: Intrinsic vs Extrinsic

What motivates you most to do your best work and achieve your goals?

It’s a tricky question. Many, including most conventional behavioral scientists, will answer “rewards and punishments.” That’s the safe answer of course. This belief in rewards and punishments is what Daniel Pink calls “Motivation 2.0″. According to Pink, it goes something like this…

“The Motivation 2.0 operating system has endured for a very long time. Indeed, it is so deeply embedded in our lives that most of us scarcely recognize that it exists. For as long as any of us can remember, we’ve configured our organizations and constructed our lives our its bedrock assumption: The way to improve performance, increase productivity, and encourage excellence is to reward the good and punish the bad.”

Here’s the funny part. Motivation 2.0 is the popular answer by far. It’s also wrong.

A focus on rewards and punishments is a belief in the extrinsic. This is precisely the formula most apply when crafting conventional New Year’s resolutions – e.g. if I lose 10 pounds I’ll reward myself with a new clothes shopping spree. But as Pink masterfully illustrates in DRIVE: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, these extrinsic factors actually decrease one’s motivation for the goal at-hand…

“Rewards can perform a weird sort of behavioral alchemy: They can transform an interesting task into a drudge. They can turn play into work.”

In sum, Motivation 2.0 is outdated, unstable, and unreliable at best. So, if you desire to attain your New Year’s (un)resolutions, then you must upgrade to Motivation 3.0 – your third (inner) drive programmed in the language of intrinsic motivations…

“Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.” – Pink, DRIVE

I’m a classic case-study of this extrinsic vs intrinsic paradox.

I was bewitched by the dark arts of Motivation 2.0 in my earlier years. I searched far-and-wide for (and spent a pretty penny on) physique-boosting wonder products. The lust that drove this mindless quest was the greater social acclaim and attraction (extrinsic rewards) that would elevate my self-esteem.

The result? My external health did improve (though not thanks to the snake-oil crap). And my internal health rooted (including IBS challenges, medical complications and mental health).

A paradox indeed!

I escaped my self-inflicted darkness via a commitment to internal health and happiness (intrinsic motivators). This (un)resolution took time – seven years in fact because I dug my ditch so deep. But I prevailed. And I have Motivation 3.0 to thank for it. The bonus? I’ve never been in better physical or mental health in all my life

The Moral: when creating your (un)resolutions, build them upon the interests and challenges that ignite a ranging inferno of passion within.

It’s about the satisfaction you gain from the creative task itself. Specifically, target pursuits that foster autonomy, mastery, and purpose – which are the three key ingredients in your intrinsic motivation potion.

Alas, proper motivation alone is insufficient for attaining the (un)resolution results you want. In fact, you must bypass wants completely and tunnel into whys.

Why vs What: The Golden Circle of Success

Simon Sinek has discovered life’s secret to success. And he’s telling…

Sinek’s breakthrough, which he calls “probably the world’s simplest idea”, converges human brain biology with behavioral science. The result is the Golden Circle.

The Golden Circle works like this…

The what, how, and why circles map precisely with the very different layers of the human mind. The outer layer is responsible for our rational thought and language. The inner layers are responsible for our emotional intelligence and decision making.

Conventional thought, action, and conversation flow from the outside-in…from what, to how, to why. In other words, from the easiest and most obvious (whats) to the most nebulous (whys). Unfortunately, this is unoriginal, uninspiring, and unremarkably average because it emphasizes features, widgets, and data.

Now flip the formula.

When you think, act, and communicate from the inside-out…from why, to how, to what…you’re conveying beliefs and establishing shared values. This is unconventional, highly memorable, and incredibly inspiring. Why? Because if fosters trust and loyalty at a deeply-seeded emotional level.

Said differently, this approach talks to the parts of the brain that drive human behavior.

Such stroking of your emotional mind is paramount to creating meaningful (un)resolutions that have a chance for success.

Mainstream New Year’s resolutions are all about the wants – e.g. I want to get fit, I want to get out of debt, I want to travel the world. These examples are quite pathetic. Marginally better ones are more specific – e.g. I want to lose 10 pounds, I want to eliminate all my credit card debt, I want to visit Amsterdam. But such goals are still fatally flawed because they don’t convey any emotional catalyst.

The magic happens when you begin to weave in emotions – or as Sinek would say, “what you believe.”

I tried this experiment last year with my family. I love my family. And by-and-large they’re astute enough to make their own meaningful developments. But I had begun to sense a rut of non-adventure over recent years. So I posed this challenge, “pursue zen in 2010″.

It was cute. It was memorable. And it worked!

Note that my challenge wasn’t specific at all. But it was entirely emotionally-driven…to attain more moments of zen. My family members were left to themselves to devise their own specific (un)resolutions. But they all had to support this “why.” If an idea didn’t somehow lead to this outcome then it was nixed.

Mind you, not every (un)resolution was achieved. And some family members faired better than others. Such is life. But the challenge got them out of their rut. Meaningful zen-like progress was made. And their lives are the better for it.

Want to explore the world of why deeper? Then please watch Simon Sinek’s provocative TED Talk (below). It’s worth every minute!

The Moral: the what of your (un)resolutions are important, but not nearly as vital as why you want them.

The smart witch or wizard will include both in their (un)resolution brews. Just be mindful of your actions. After all, as Simon says, “What you do simply serves as the proof of what you believe.”

Alas again, because your not-sucky (un)resolutions are still missing an important ingredient. And you do desire to achieve world domination, right?!

Effectiveness vs Efficiency: The Path to World Domination

Chris Guillebeau needs no introduction around these parts But if you do fancy a refresher about this lovable non-conformist, I suggest you glance at The Essential Power of Like-Minded People, The Art of Non-Conformity Book, and How NOT to Suck at Blogging.

Moving on…

Chris believes that efficiency is overrated. He’s one who’d know because traveling to every country in the world (all 192 of them) is no picnic. From “fun” airline logistics, passport snafus, travel visa mishaps, political unrest, the occasional Guillebeau mistake (blasphemy I know!), and other lovely details – international travel of the most epic proportions can be a royal b*tch.

In fact, as Chris exclaims…

“Visiting every country in the world is getting difficult. I’ve almost completely ran out of ‘easy’ countries. These days I spend as much time arranging visas as I do planning the actual trip. It takes time, energy, and money: even with my best travel hacking strategies, I expect the overall cost to increase in the final two years of the project.”

And keep in mind that visiting every country in the world isn’t his only endeavor. He’s founded a booming lifestyle business, publishes new articles on his blog like clockwork, is a newly crowned published author, leads an animated small army that numbers in the tens of thousands, and is married. Crikey is right!

So why does he do it? Because he loves the effect, which is to say, the adventure!

As Chris puts it…

“Don’t worry about trying to live the most efficient life or become the most optimal human. Instead, embrace life as a meaningful adventure. Pursue adventure and passion instead of efficiency.”

Your New Year’s (un)resolutions should have the same orientation.

Sure, a whole bushel of little, easy goals that are quickly accomplished may give your ego a contact-high. But really, where’s the fun in that?

Moreover, if you aspire to make impressive improvements in your life – whether it be health, relationship, career, or travel related – then these little ego trips won’t carry you to where you want to go. They just don’t generate enough momentum.

Don’t be wasteful of your resources. That’s not the point.

Splashes of efficiency here and there are fine. Plus, efficiency is well-tailored for linear, non-creative tasks that have a pesky knack of needing done. But for those larger-than-life (un)resolutions that are audacious pursuits of big dreams, opt for the effective road.

I’ve decided to plunge into the deep-end of lifestyle effectiveness with my own legacy project – Random Acts of Greatness. My crusade is to chronicle 10,000 Random Acts of Greatness in 5 years from people like you.

A Random Act of Greatness is any little, magical moment that leaves a positive and everlasting imprint upon the lives of others.

I’d be grateful if you’d share a little story to help the cause!

My quest won’t be easy. I have no guarantee for success whatsoever. And you’d better believe that it won’t be efficient. But it’s a mighty adventure that I’m glad to embark on. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll achieve my own flavor of world domination along the way!

The Moral: be effective without being wasteful. Simplify down to the endeavors that matter most to you. Odds are these should be audacious pursuits that captivate your imagination and unleash the best you. Such ventures won’t be efficient. But they’ll be crazy fun!

The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

“Meaningful achievement depends on lifting one’s sights and pushing towards the horizon.” – Daniel Pink, DRIVE

Your magic brew of (un)resolutions is now complete. And if you haven’t guessed already, the whole of your potion is greater and more rewarding than the sum of the contributing parts. Let’s review why…

Motivation is essential to achieving any worthwhile endeavor. Intrinsic motivation is the purest and most stimulating form. But it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. This “third drive” fuses with all manner of your character, including your courage to be effective in pursuit of “why” goals.

Indeed, motivation is interlaced with effectiveness and the notion of why. For one thing, you have little hope of achieving mastery (a core element of Motivation 3.0) of any task or talent without a concentrated focus on why you desire such mastery.

But that’s not all. With this focus intact, you still require the gritty effort time and time again to become effective.

Daniel Pink applies the metaphor of a three-legged stool to the trinity of components within your inner, third drive. So it is with this trinity of (un)resolution ingredients – motivation, why, and effectiveness. Short or weak in any leg and your stool will stumble and likely fall.

Don’t stumble. Don’t be weak. And don’t suck. You no longer have any excuse not to.

Now go forth and do great things!

Matt Gartland is an anti-hero avenging injustices of creativity. His legacy project is to chronicle 10,000 Random Acts of Greatness in 5 years. And he shares bold ideas for confidently living above low expectations on his Modern Audacity blog. Learn more about Matt’s audacious pursuits to spark change!

*****

On Saturday, we finished cleaning out our one-bedroom apartment and passed the keys back into our landlord. We walked across the street and spent the evening and night in our new home – on wheels – in a family member’s driveway.

Yesterday, we pushed off from that driveway and started the first leg of what will surely be a new, big adventure.

I’ve spent the last week trying to put together a huge “IT’S A NEW YEAR – WHOO-HOO!” post. I’ve sorted out December’s income (I made more in December than the rest of the year) and completed my year end income/expenses (which I’ll also share).

I’ve brainstormed what I did well and not so well in 2010 – which goals I hit and which I left shattered on the floor. I’ve projected passionate benchmarks which will guide 2011.

Here’s the thing – I’ve been working so hard on this summary/post, that I’ve been stressing myself out at the beginning of a new, life-changing experience.

Last night, I stayed up for a few hours after a day full of fun with several people here in Ohio (I’ll recount more in the first official travel update). I was feverishly working to get the post ready for today.

Suddenly, I realized something even more important than big resolutions or year-end recaps.

I realized that spending another minute stressing on this one project would likely cause me to miss being in dozens of moments with family and friends.

It wasn’t worth it.

I went to bed.

The mammoth post will come – probably tomorrow – maybe Wednesday. It’s information that’s important and that I want to share – just not at the cost of not soaking in the start of this experience.

There are million things on my to do list. We are making our way to Baltimore to potentially have this baby wrapped in a design. I’m finalizing things with a potential sponsor for the trip. I’m still learning how to use the RV and how to find an external propane station on the road (this is really hard).

But all of that can wait.

Scroll up and look at the picture at the top of this post.

Milligan could care less about wrapping the RV – lining up a sponsor – or putting out a kick-ass end-of-year post.

“This is fun.”

“I wonder where we are going.”

“This apple tastes delicious.”

If I had to guess, those would be her top three thoughts/priorities.

I think we can all learn something from that – I know I can. No matter how ambitious your goals are – and no matter what elaborate plans I share with you tomorrow (or the next day) – let’s all make one resolution that’ll matter in 2011.

Let’s all not forget to live in the moment.

No goal of mine is worth losing that this year.

I’m honored to have you guys along for the journey…

Xoxoxo,

-Baker

photo by the amazing Courtney Baker

In the next two weeks, many of us will be reflecting both privately and publicly on the year past and the year to come.

We may share stories with family and friends over the holiday. We may look back at the succeses and failure of 2010. We may set resolutions or goals for 2011. I’ll be doing my own version of this next week on the blog.

However you partake in this process, I want to push you to do the following two steps:

1. Make a list of everything in the last year that has made you cry tears of joy.
2. Take actionable steps to center your life around the items on this list in 2011.

That’s it.

For me, this is seeing creative, passionate people who really deserve a break – get it and then some.

I tear up almost every time I watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Sure, not everything is perfect in that show – I’ve heard many complaints from people about particular show elements. I don’t focus on those few imperfections. Instead, I simply watch with watery eyes in complete awe.

In another example, I tear up nearly every time I see a passionate entrepreneur who has poured their heart in sole into a project – finally get the recognition or success they’ve deserve. I’ve witnessed this in a couple different forms in the past year, but it always generates the same internal response in me.

Not only am I o.k. admitting this – Courtney and I are going to make 2011 the year we start making tangible shifts to center our lives around these things.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of tears of joy.

Need more inspiration?

Make another list of times in 2010 you laughed so hard you were in physical pain.

Make a third list of events in 2010 that made you so excited you couldn’t sleep.

Look at all three lists… is there any overlap?

Do that.

Do it for the rest of your life.

On Monday, I announced that – starting in early January – Courtney, Milligan, and I would be packing everything we own into an RV for a cross-country tour of the U.S.

I also briefly mentioned that we still had a *lot* to do, that we had a company volunteer to wrap our vehicle in a special design, and that I was considering allowing “sponsors” on this site for the first time ever.

The whole goal in this trip is to meet fun people, spread great messages, see fantastic places, and grow our community here. While we are primarily doing this for personal exploration, I also fully realize that there are benefits and opportunities that come along with running this site as well.

In other words, I’m well aware that touring in an RV can help grow this site and my business – in addition to allowing us personal exploration, freedom, and growth. Rather than shy away from this… I embrace it.

…and I need your help!

Creative “Wrapping” Ideas…

One of the toughest decisions (which is also extremely time-sensitive) is how to wrap the RV. We’ve had a company volunteer to do this for us – an amazing offer – but now we have to consider what how we want it to look (and what we want it to say).

For those of you that don’t know what a wrap is, here are a few examples (not necessarily good examples):

I’ll be leveraging the fantastic Dustin from IvyLime Designs for this process, but I need to give some sort of general direction. I know 90% of you are more creative when it comes to design than me, so I need your help!

Here’s an outline of my first ideas:

• A light color – potentially even a yellow-ish tint, that’ll stand out a bit (no neons) – but allow text or sponsors to be clearly seen/read.
• The back would likely be reserved for Man Vs. Debt stuff – potentially even the site banner across the top back. It would also likely mention Facebook.com/ManVsDebt and Twitter.com/ManVsDebt on the back. (Note: We’ll be pulling the Jeep most of the time, so that’ll block a bit of the lower portion of the back).
• I’m envisioning the left side be reserved for 4-5 key partners/sponsors. More information on this later.
• The front would likely be a solid color – potentially with just www.ManVsDebt.com or our tagline above the cab (the part that sticks out). Not sure.
• The right side of the RV (where the door is located) I have a creative idea of my own. I’d like for it to have a surface that would allow people that we meet along the way to be able to sign it in some way. I’m not sure how this would work chemically (what the surface and marker would need to be made of for it to REALLY be permanent – weather pending)… but I really like the idea of finding a way for every day people we meet to be involved.

In other words, I don’t want it to just be about MvD or just about sponsors/partners – I want a way for everyone we meet to have a little part in it (if they so wish).

Do you know of any system that could allow me to have people sign the side (and stay on there in wind, rain, sleet, etc…)? I’m stumped a bit, but know it’s possible.

While I have a general outline of what I may want – the floor is completely open. I’m hoping with feedback from you guys I may find new ideas or refine these ones!

Have any fun, creative, or mind-blowing ideas for the wrap?

Sponsor packages…

I’ve gone back and forth on the idea of having sponsors as part of the trip. It’s popular to do with trips or events of this nature – but I’ve never had advertising and/or sponsorships of any kind on anything MvD.

That said, I do think there is a happy medium – and I’m going to see if I can find it.

For the first time, I’m going to attempt to partner with a few businesses and start-ups on this trip. But I’ll need your help brainstorming up people to approach. Here are my ground rules:

1. The company or business has to align with our values and the values of the community. There are enough amazing companies that do this right, we don’t need or want any that don’t.
2. The product or service they offer has to be something the Courtney, Milli, or I would regularly use and love. If we won’t use it, we won’t promote it. Period.
3. I’d strongly prefer to have 4-5 larger, premium sponsors than a dozen smaller ones. This allows us to really focus on showing appreciation for the sponsors and will ensure that readers, viewers, etc… aren’t overwhelmed by a billion different logos, sponsors, etc…
4. Lastly, I’m up for working with even just one large, exclusive sponsor – as a co-branding effort – if they exceptionally met and exceeded #1 and #2 (there are only a handful of companies I’d consider this with).

I believe there are a ton of great startups and companies that would be a genuine fit for this – and that we’d love to partner with.

I’m considering a 6-month package that will include the following:

• A 300 x 100 graphic (approved by me) in the sidebar of Man Vs. Debt. It will be below the fold – a “RV Road Trip Partners” section will replace the “Featured Product I Love” that is currently there. This will, of course, be shown on the main page, every post, and every page on the blog.
• Direct text mentions (with link) in each of the travel update posts. There will be a “These partners who help make this trip possible:” link at the bottom of travel update posts.
• A short plug in the new video intro for all travel update videos – similar to the short intro video I have now for videos – except featuring the 4-5 premium sponsors. Will likely be 5 seconds long.
• An approved logo with website information on the RV itself. Built-in as part of the wrap and large enough for people to clearly see. Likely on the left side (the one people pass on the road).

I’m also open for ideas on this package. Many of you also run websites, businesses, and/or creative teams… what am I missing? Are there more ways I can add value to partners AND the community?

If you are a company who thinks this would be beneficial, email: Baker (at) ManVsDebt.com

Sample Companies/Challenges I’d Partner With…

Once again, I’m interested in creative ideas and or feedback. While many of these premium sponsors will be charged premium rates… I’m also looking for creative ideas and challenges that aren’t necessarily revenue-generating.

For example, I want to pitch Scottevest (a company that makes fantastic travel clothing) on not only being a sponsor, but also partnering on a unique challenge. If they send me enough diversity of clothing, I’ll wear only their clothing 95% of the time for the trip. Obviously, we’d have to iron out the specifics of the “challenge”, but it’s these sort of things that get my blood flowing.

Scott, if you are reading this – email me.  ;-)

If Scottevest turns me down, maybe I could approach Columbia or Northface (as examples) for similar fun challenges.

Or maybe I partner with Mint.com or Pocketsmith to track the expenses of the trip with their platforms and share that on a monthly basis.

Other potential Personal Finance companies (in a different challenge) I may approach could be Perkstreet, SmartyPig, and ING Direct.

Of course, there are Travel-based tools and resources such as World Nomads, Good Sam, and various Camping Stores around the U.S.

I also think it could be fun to get a company like Foursquare, GoWalla, or Facebook Places to partner on a cool challenge where we would “check-in” to all the places that we go (and use them to organize the meetups, etc…).

I also like a couple misc. start-ups like DailyBurn, Daily Booth… or even conference like SxSw and Blogworld (I’m already working with the WDS team for June).  :-)

Maybe I should also shoot high for someplace like Wal-Mart (very RV friendly), Starbucks, or Apple?

As you can see, the sky is the limit. As long as a company or partner meets my ground rules – and is willing to get creative with a challenge – I’d love to explore the possibilities!

Keep me heading in the right direction! What other fun companies would be a good fit for me to approach?

Can you think of any other “challenges” for me to undertake?

I need your help!

Remember, while a couple of the premium sponsors would be paid spots – I’m not only interested in money. I’m up for all sorts of creative ideas!

What do you think?

What are your best ideas that I can steal?

For the last month, I’ve been alluding to a big “announcement” or a semi-radical life change that was coming up. Today, all is finally ready to be revealed.

We are moving… into an RV!

Starting at the beginning of 2011, Courtney, Milligan, and I will be packing everything into our new (to us) RV and hitting the road for a year-long U.S. tour.

This has been in the works for months and months, but up until recently we weren’t sure what the timing would be. In the last few weeks – thanks to the help of some friends – the final pieces have been placed together.

Why an RV?…

Well, there are several reason we enjoy this concept.

In fact, long-time MvD fans may remember me talking about this as a next possible step even as we were traveling abroad. We’d always had RVing the U.S. towards the top of our future travel list.

However, in late January of this year we made the decision to return home (back to Indiana) from Thailand. I blogged openly about our back and forth between full-time traveling and “settling down”. It was a hard decision, but after 6 months back here in Indiana – it was clear to both Courtney and me that we weren’t done with travel yet.

We knew we still wanted to explore a bit – and although we had done a small amount of overseas travel recently, there was still a huge amount of our own backyard we hadn’t visited. We want to see what our own country has to offer!

In addition, an RV allows us to remain flexible in our location – while still having a resemblance of “home”. We feel like it gives both us and Milligan a bit of stability and eliminates part of the downside of the frequent, budget travel we did last year.

Of course, RV travel comes with its own set of challenges, especially when you consider Courtney and I have a combined ZERO experience living or operating one.

However, I had no experience when I started this site two years ago. We had little to no oversea travel experience when we landed in Australia last year with nothing to our name but two backpacks. It’s not stopped us before, so why now?

But above all, the number one reason why we chose to R.V. is… you.

We’d love to meet you!

My absolute favorite part of this blog (and travel for that matter) is the ability to meet other like-minded readers, bloggers, and families. I love going to “meet ups”, sharing a meal with new friends, attending conferences, and generally just hanging out (a.k.a. playing board/card games).

If you’d like to meet up with us on the road – more on that coming soon!…

What type of RV?…

Once we knew that we wanted to pursue cross-country travel, we still had to decide just how we would get around. For those of you *not* familiar with RVing – there are dozens of options, models, and class combinations to consider.

Having never RV’d in my life before, it was hard for us to grasp all the information in the beginning. Sure, we could read reviews, blogs, websites, and books – but it’s just not the same as being able to feel, touch, and try out some on our own.

Luckily, I have some amazing friends and connections.

Nearly five months ago, when we first thought this adventure could be a realistic possibility – I knew who to call first: Chris and Cherie.

Chris and Cherie run Technomadia and have been full-time RVers for the last several years. Their site has a wealth of information on the topic and they’ve been nice enough to jump on Skype several times for me in the last few months (and patient enough to start from complete scratch with my questions).

Through Chris and Cherie’s advice and the helpful resources they reccommended, we decided that we would get either an older Class A model (these have a flat front and look more bus-like) or an older Class C model (these have a “cab over” the top of either a van or truck chassis). In other words, we ruled out pulling a trailer behind a truck, getting a “fifth wheel”, and some of the other creative modes of transportation that were available.

The next big step for us was to actually visit and see as many RVs as we could in order to get a feel for our preference. Once again, a couple friends help come to our rescue… The Ren Men!

In addition to filming and running the amazingly high-quality Ren Men Web Show, Grant and Alan are serial entrepreneurs. They manage a Midwest Real Estate empire, own a vending machine company, and have recently turned an oversized lot outside their office into a used car business!

Note: These guys actually went to New York to play Hungry-Hungry Hippos with Gary Vaynerchuk and flew to San Fran to interview Tim Ferriss. They also are terrible at frisbee golf.

As part of their automobile business, they frequently attend “dealer only” auctions where licensed dealers in Ohio can browse hundreds upon hundreds of cars before bidding against each other for them. It’s not uncommon for perfectly decent cars to go for 20%-50% (or more) off listed prices. Obviously, the dealerships then clean and repair them (if needed) in order to resell at full list price.

I had let Grant know that we were looking for a specific type of car to pull behind an RV – and to keep his eyes open for a good deal if one popped up. Little did I know that I’d get a call from him the next week, “Hey Bake, guess what?… They are auctioning off over 200 RVs here next week!”

200 RVs in one spot – parked neatly next to each other – open for dealers to walk through.

The holy grail!

I immediately called him back and told him we couldn’t pass the opportunity to look at that many different RVs – let alone the opportunity to potentially purchase one later at auction.

Grant worked his magic to get us access to the RVs, Courtney took a personal day off from teaching, and we made the two hour plus drive to Ohio that next week. Grant, Courtney, and I spent hours browsing the different R.V.’s (and cars) before heading into see some of the cars being auctioned off.

It was nothing like I’ve ever seen before.

The auction floor had 7 lanes of non-stop car auctioning. The cars would come up for bidding just long enough to get one or two bids and then they’d pull them off and pull forward the next car. Bidding would continue – on the car that was no longer present – while people looked over the new car that would be up next. It was fast paced and frantic – like a scene from a weird movie.

The RVs wouldn’t be auctioned off for a few more days (although we could preview them all), but turns out these cars were really going to the highest bidder. I know, because we actually bought one!

In the flurry of action, we snagged a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo (a great vehicle for towing behind an RV) for several hundred dollars under what we were willing to pay for it.  Whoo-hoo!

After our purchase, we continued to browse RVs (in the pouring rain) to get a feel for which may be realistic choices. We took pages of notes, before thanks Grant and Alan and making the drive back over to Indiana. The RV auction was three days away – so if we were going to try and bid on one we’d have to do our price research and homework before going back.

Turns out, we identified five (of the 200+) that we thought would fall in our price range and we’d be willing to take a chance on. Courtney couldn’t take off work again so soon, but we decided that I would make the trip back on Friday solo (to meet up with Grant once again at the auction place).

At 6 a.m. on Friday, I sluggishly rolled into the car and started the drive back over to Ohio – knowing full well that I may make the biggest single life-changing, cash purchase we’ve ever made later that day.

The auction process was more familiar this time and with our research and notes, I was a bit more prepared. I revisited our 5 contenders and was immediately able to rule one out. It had a big sticker “Engine will not start!” This may be a steal of a deal for someone who could easily fix the problem – but that man is not me. I wasn’t willing to buy one with unknown engine problems.

Marking that one off the list, we took our seats (they had seats this time) for the start of what would be a long auction day. The first three on my list came in went in the first few hours. Two of the three were close to our threshold we had set – in two cases they ended just 10-15% more than we wanted to get those particular ones for.

Each time, I felt a bit of a sinking feeling in my gut, but I was able to hold firm and pass when they crossed our mark. When it came time for the final one on our list (probably the nicest of the ones we had selected), I crossed my fingers as bidding started. I decided to bid fast and firm on this one – making it as clear as possible that I was dead serious on making it mine.

The price rose nearer and nearer to our threshold once again, but as I bid just $400 under the top dollar I was willing to pay – a hush fell over the rest of the auction floor.

Going once… going twice… Sold!

I did it!

Our adventure got very *real*… very quickly. We had just bought our first home – with cash!  (Sort of)  :-)

Here’s a quick video tour of what will be our home for the next six months:

This baby will be pulling our new (to us) 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.

Yes, that’s right we are rolling in our 1998 RV pulling our 1998 Jeep…  We fully plan on playing Linkin Park and Missy Elliot while watching Titanic on the road.

Where we are going!…

The short answer:

We aren’t sure what path we will take quite yet. There are a few factors at play.

First, there is a sign company in Baltimore that is willing to wrap the vehicle in a design for us. This is an unbelievable offer – and would be hard to pass up, despite meaning that we’d be making the trip in freezing weather up to get it done. If everything comes together, Baltimore will likely be our first stop!

After Baltimore (or potentially just straight away), we’ll likely head down the East Coast. We’d like to make stops in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These are all states and regions we’ve heard so much about, but have not really had the chance to explore much at all.

I have family in Florida (including my brother stationed in the Army) who we’d definitely like to see towards late January and early February.

Next, we’d likely hit New Orleans – another city I’ve heard so much about, but have never visited. Of course, this would put us within reasonable distance of much of the South (for any of you in that region!).

Our first 100% sure stop will be Austin, Texas in mid-March for SxSw. We’ll likely spend several weeks there – a little before and after the Interactive festival.

Next, we’ll head towards Portland for Chris Guillebeau’s World Domination Summit in early June (I hear Chris and the team have a prime spot for us to park at the Summit!).

Luckily, we’ll have several months to make the trip. I imagine this will take us through Arizona and the Grand Canyon, before making the drive up through California.

We’ll definitely be making stops to see friends in L.A., San Francisco, and Davis – but would love to add some stops along the way!

After the awesome stop in Portland, we are considering Alaska (mid-June) and then coming back across Canada/Northern U.S.. If we make it back across the width of the country, we’d really enjoy hitting the Northeast, including New York in the late summer before it gets too cold and nasty.  :-)

While I’m willing to roughly draw out our route, the most important thing for us is… freedom.  Freedom and flexibility. We won’t have a strick schedule, nor we will have many expectations. If we enjoy an area we may stay for several weeks, in some situations we may only stay a few days.

Part of the benefit of traveling is taking advantage of all the exciting and unknown opportunities that can just pop-up. We’ll have a casual plan – with a few definite stops – but most of our trip will be wide open.

Which is where YOU come in…

Request a Stop!…

If you’d like to party like it’s 1998 along side of us, we’d love to meet you!

Obviously, we can’t promise that our path around the U.S. will match up perfectly (or that the timing will work out), but I’d absolutely LOVE to here from you guys.

I’ve set up a simple Google Doc form where you can “request a stop” from us. You can put simple details such as your name, city, and any special details you’d like us to know. It won’t take long at all and will help shape the path we end up taking!

Click Here to Request a Stop!

Seriously, we’d really enjoy being able to say hi!

What does this mean for Man Vs. Debt?…

Everything!

Man Vs. Debt isn’t going anywhere – it’s only getting better!

First, I’ll obviously be returning to some of the old travel updates that so many of you miss (and that I miss writing!). We’ll be documenting the adventure with video, photos, and funny stories. I’ll be sharing two of these or so a month – every couple of weeks.

Second, I’ve got some excited resources (both premium and free resources) planned for early 2011. We are going to keep spreading the message here as far and as wide as people will allow (and now in person, too!).

Third, some of the “features” that have fallen behind in updates will now be re-activated. Primarily, we’ll be tracking all the expenses of the *travel* side of our spending – meaning you’ll know exactly how much our full-time RV lifestyle costs us.

We’ll also be re-categorizing and tracking everything we own again – a challenge I really enjoyed when we were last traveling.

For me, these were some of the things that really gave MvD it’s core personality. I’m excited to return to travel updates, tracking stuff and finances more, and explosive (and valuable) resources. I hope you are too!

What’s left to do?…

Well… a lot.

If we are truly going to embark on January 1st – we still have a lot to learn. We are scheduling our RV to have a full system check of the gas, water, and electric systems – as well as paying for a walk-through from a couple RV professionals (showing us how to do everything).

We’ve got to finish purging a bit of our belongings (we’ve already been doing this for the last three months), but will have a big wave right before we leave.

We’ll have to buy a dozen or so things *for* the RV, including a tow bar for the Jeep, any minor repairs that need to be done, and a few furnishings to make life easier while on the road.

All while taking some time out to spend the Holiday’s with family!

This is a big deal for us. It’s going to be a lot of work and a little bit of adjusting – but I’m confident we can pull it together in time.

It’s also a big time for Man Vs. Debt, my business, and our community here. I’m so excited at the opportunity to meet more of you in person!

Thursday, I’m going to ask for your help in brainstorming creative challenges, wrapping the RV, and potential sponsorship opportunities. There are a couple moving parts that I think many of you will know a lot more about than me! More details on the side of things later in the week.

What do you think about the RV?

Do you like it?

Have you ever spent extended time traveling via RV?

Have any favorite resources or tips?

I’d love to hear what you guys think!

Xoxoxo,

-Baker