Investor & Traveler Philipp Gloeckl, Shares How To Eliminate All Excuses and Live Your Dream Life in His Best Selling Book ‘The No Excuse Travel Guide’
Philipp Gloeckl, author of The No Excuse Travel Guide, has been to over 80 countries and counting. His worldly adventures, though sensational in their own right, also pose a metaphor for life: don’t let excuses stop you from achieving fulfillment. The book shares how readers can get the most out of life by simply saying yes.
In 2019 alone, travel and tourism contributed $9.25 trillion USD to the global economy. Not billions with a B, but trillions with a T! Approximately 1.46 billion tourists hit the tarmacs, arriving in foreign countries in pursuit of exploration and experiences. 2019 marked the most lucrative travel year to date, showing sensational growth as an increasing number of individuals embarked on excursions, filled with a curiosity to uncover the world.
These numbers indicate that across the globe, more and more people are seeking to include travel into their lives. It is no longer a luxury reserved for the elite, but an experience afforded to those who have the willingness to pursue it.
Philipp Gloeckl, founder of TravelPeeGee Experience and author of The No Excuse Travel Guide, is all too familiar with the wonders that can be uncovered when stepping outside the confines of your own country. Having visited over 80 countries and seen all the wonders of the world, the German author, explorer, and real estate investor created a life for himself that affords the freedoms of travel and is encouraging others to do the same.
The No Excuse Travel Guide, which Gloeckl wrote in 2019 and published in 2020, shares with readers essential advice encouraging them to embark on adventures. On the surface, the book simply appears to be a motivational piece pushing readers to add stamps to the pages of their passports. But after delving deeper, it is clear the book stands for much more.
“It is not just about traveling,” shared Gloeckl, “It is about the theoretical knowledge of how you can prepare yourself for the future.” Having witnessed too many people limit themselves by refusing to go after their desires, Gloeckl wrote the book using travel as a metaphor for life fulfillment.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Philipp Gloeckl where I discovered what motivated him to write the book. Gloeckl’s words speak to countless individuals who create excuses barring them from achieving a sensational life.
For those who often find they get in their own way when it comes to achieving more from life, read below to uncover what it takes to overcome your own barriers:
What inspired you to write The No Excuse Travel Guide?
(PG) – “I am very grateful and content for the life experiences I have had so far. At 30 years old, I’ve been to over 80 countries, and this has provided amazing opportunities and shaped how I connect with others. A lot of people would like to do the same, but there is something holding them back. I started noticing this when people would say to me, ‘I’d love to travel as much as you do!’ The reality is, they could and should! But they limited their lives to believe they couldn’t. I wrote The No Excuse Travel Guide as a way for others to analyze their lives and reflect on what it is that’s holding them back. In backing up my advice with my own experience, I was able to create many examples in the book sharing how to move forward with life, regardless of what that might look like.”
What do you find are the most common excuses people who don’t travel use?
(PG) – “The most common excuses I see when people express that they would love to travel but simply can’t is usually: money, time, insecurities, and lack of knowledge. When I hear people make these excuses, I’m actually happy because those are all things we can overcome. For example, if someone is struggling financially and expresses that they cannot afford to travel, this is an opportunity to introduce lower-cost trips while they work towards building their finances to a place where they can take bigger trips. First, they must look at their financial situation, understand what’s asked, and visualize where they would like to be. If they feel they cannot afford to travel, assessing their current financial situation and uncovering a way out of it will not only provide them with new experiences, but it will also allow them to find financial stability in the process. By using travel as an incentive and a reward, I have seen many people discover solutions to painful financial situations.”
Photo: Gloeckl walking with lions in Zimbabwe, Africa.
INSTAGRAM: @travelpeegee
Is The No Excuse Travel Guide applicable to other areas of life, such as stepping outside of your comfort zone professionally/personally?
(PG) – “Absolutely! At first glance, the rules I outlined in the book share with readers solutions on how to find themselves wading through the water of Croatia, or skiing down the slopes of Switzerland. But for readers who dive a little deeper, they can find that every rule can be adjusted and adapted to any life challenge they might be facing. Whether it be professional frustrations where you’re finding yourself in a job you hate, or personal pursuits, such as finding the courage to begin a passion project, these rules are not limited to travel. In fact, they go far beyond.”
If you could provide three pieces of advice to someone on how to quit making excuses and pursue their passions, what would they be?
(PG) – ‘’Instead of focusing on the three pieces of advice, I think we should pay attention to the three keys of success in every aspect of life: focus, commitment, and consistency. I advise you to start off with making three little action steps and goals in your personal and professional life that are ambitious, measurable, and achievable on a daily basis; set specific timeframes for each of them while writing and tracking them down. Tasks could be as simple and straightforward as drinking a healthy smoothie or meditating for 10 minutes to set an anchor for your daily schedule. Review and work on your financial situation and evaluate how to increase your travel income budget. In addition to that, I’d raise the bar for everything in my life. Replace all your ‘’shoulds’’ with ‘’musts’’ and you will see how quickly big things start to work out for you. Whatever you feel like you deserve in life should become a non-negotiable matter for which you are willing to go the extra mile. Last but not least, trust yourself no matter what people are saying. Ignore the naysayers and doubters. You’re in the driver’s seat of your dreams, but also your outcomes, so never let anybody take you out of your pursuit of happiness. Because at the end of the day, you and you alone are in charge of your journey.”
Which travel experience was most influential in your creation of The No Excuse Travel Guide?
(PG) – ‘’To be honest, so many people have asked me this question before and I have not been able to answer it because every single trip and travel adventure in my life had a substantial impact on my ongoing personal growth and molding my understanding on how to travel the world in the best way possible. That’s actually the beauty of traveling–you don’t have to travel the whole world to experience the gift of expanding your comfort zone and learning from new cultures and communities. The No Excuse Travel Guide is the culmination of many different hands-on travel moments I master pieced together for every adventure-seeking person out there in the world. For instances, scuba diving with bull sharks in the Galapagos Islands, attending real estate conventions in Las Vegas, hiking up the New Wonder of the World Machu Picchu in Peru, or drinking the world’s best beer during the German Oktoberfest were all very different experiences but were all definitely moments I have a great appreciation for and triggered me to pass the idea of travel fulfillment along to others.’’
When you look back on your past travel experiences, how have challenges you faced given you tools to overcome anything?
(PG) – “Plain and simple: When life hits you hard, you sometimes get stuck in a rut and you feel like giving up. This happens in life, but it also happens often in traveling, in very simple ways like just missing a flight connection because your first flight was delayed, etc. Having to problem solve out of those situations with little time to waste forces you to develop the mentality, optimism, and positive mindset that carries over past the travel experience and helps you get up every morning with new positive energy to knock out any challenge. This continuously renewed mindset of being able to take on anything is something that helps me to make the most out of my travel and business experiences. I consider everything as a blessing and see the good in everything even though it sometimes seems hard to comprehend.”
Photo: Gloeckl diving with sharks in the Bahamas!
INSTAGRAM: @travelpeegee
Who are some other travel and business entrepreneurs that have inspired you along the way?
(PG) – “There are many people who inspired me along the way and got me where I am today, and who continuously drive me to get where I want to be. Just to name a few; my personal hero and friend Pravin Pophale, who I consider a real trooper, has grown up in the countryside of India and shown what is really possible in life even when faced with major challenges and disadvantages. Mike Gaziano, who has traveled to every single country on this planet as the youngest Canadian-American male has also inspired me to fulfill my dreams of world adventure – how can his journey around the planet not inspire a travel excited person? I owe my entire real estate and financial education to my family upbringing and Robert Kiyosaki, Grant Cardone, and Warren Buffet. And Arnold Schwarzenegger has shown me that living the American dream of hard work paying off is a real possibility and succeeding in different careers can be done! My favorite motivational speakers Inky Johnson and Les Brown have also shown me what a gift it is to share your story with others. Whether we talk about personal heroes, mentors, motivational speakers, or shrewd business owners and investors, you can learn from everyone and everywhere – Take advantage of it – the only two ways to learn something is to experience it yourself or learn from someone who has! And if you want to experience something yourself to the fullest extent, the best first step is actually to learn from someone who has, so never stop learning!”
How have you created your life to allow you to have the time and money to make traveling an available option?
(PG) – “I have spent many years investing in real estate. At first, it started out as a hobby, and then I realized it was the game I needed to play in order to afford myself certain advantages. I started with one apartment, and then a second, and then multi-family properties, and then my investments continued to grow. Today, I have invested in real estate projects across the United States and Germany. The opportunity came to me while I was traveling, and I knew that it would allow me the freedom to continue traveling while increasing my financial situation. This is an example of how I was able to take something that interested me and turn it into a career path that provides me the opportunity to pursue other passions. I wrote the book to show readers that they too can provide themselves the same opportunities.”
What is the biggest lesson you have learned from writing this book?
(PG) – ‘’Writing a book is a business in itself, but turned out to be much more to me. Through sharing my passion and experiences in the field of travel, I came to realize the impact I had on others was much bigger than I’ve ever imagined. The whole purpose of writing this book was to inspire, motivate, and encourage people to go all out so they can fulfill their travel dreams and life goals regardless of any hardships and obstacles they face throughout their lives. Of course, it’s important to remember that although my book will absolutely ignite the spark inside of you and be a great assistance, at the end of the day it’s all up to you to go out there and make it happen.’’
Photo: Soaking up the serene beauty at the Taj Mahal, India!
INSTAGRAM: @travelpeegee
What is the next journey that you have planned?
(PG) – “That is an exciting question! Giving the current circumstances I’m following a dual plan on how to travel so I can continue to travel even in COVID times, with one plan focusing on the ‘here and now’ and the other focused on planning future trips once everything reopens. My current trips and adventures are related to local sceneries and ‘’within reach’’ opportunities that I’m taking advantage of in current times, such as black forest hikes in my home country of Germany. On the other hand, assuming that things are going to open up soon again, I have already laid out a plan for international destinations that I have been extremely excited to explore for a long time. At the very top of my list, you find Japan, Moscow and island hopping in Greece and Croatia.”
For the many individuals who have had their travel plans impacted by COVID19, what is your advice to them?
(PG) – ‘’It’s safe to say that times have changed. Nevertheless, even though it may be more challenging, there are still ways to support and empower the traveler in you and we do this with no excuses, but optimism, adaption, flexibility, and creativity. During these times, I strongly advise others not to be discouraged, but to use the extra time for preparation, planning, and improving their financial situation. Besides this, there are still ways to travel. Even better, it provides ways for you to explore places and unknown adventures that you would not necessarily have planned or listed on your bucket list without facing COVID-19. Why not travel to local places? One of the best things about traveling is celebrating community, which you can find everywhere – even in your own backyard. The other day, I hiked up a uniquely situated German castle. It turned out to be a super fun travel day, which would not necessarily have happened if I didn’t have to think outside the box. Because the truth is, traveling is a mindset. It’s a creative approach to making the best of every moment. In a way, this is why I wrote this book, and why I think travel extends beyond just taking trips – because every day it’s about seeing life as an adventure, and making the best of our journey.”
Yes, travel is indeed a luxury. But it is much more than that. It is a source of inspiration and an incentive to go beyond the limits you’ve confined yourself within. All too often excuses barre us from boarding a plane. Philipp Gloeckl is sharing with an eager audience that it is time to remove these barriers. Much like traveling, life is about the journey, not the destination. Make sure you embark on a journey that isn’t limited by your own excuses.
Discover The No Excuse Travel Guide today!
