For every important goal I set myself, I like to attach a reward.
I finally finished and released my Spain Property Buyer Toolkit after months of compiling what I had learned through four years of buying, renovating and renting in Spain.
It was a lot.
So I decided I deserved a break.
Apparently Iceland is my definition of a break.
Relaxing was available. I chose an itinerary.
We decided to go shortly before the trip, which should probably have encouraged a calm few days.
Instead, I built a Ring Road itinerary with long drives, waterfalls, black-sand horse riding, glacier kayaking, whale watching, geothermal stops and enough scenery to make sleeping feel slightly inconvenient.
See what actually happened on our seven-day Iceland road trip.
My partner asked whether he could still get an hour of sleep.
I told him we were sleeping with the curtains open because I wanted to see the Northern Lights. I also considered asking the hotels to wake me if they appeared.
So yes. Very restful. 😂
Why Iceland?
Because it is dramatic, slightly ridiculous for a last-minute “rest” and exactly the kind of trip that excites me.
After months thinking about taxes, checklists, renovation budgets and due diligence, I would quite like to look at a glacier instead of a spreadsheet.
For a few days, anyway.
Then I will probably return with another property idea.
The lesson is to stop long enough to enjoy the win
I believe in working hard—and smart. But there has to be a point to the work.
I am very good at completing something and immediately moving on to the next project. A reward makes me stop and recognise that I achieved something difficult.
The reward does not need to be Iceland, and it does not need to be expensive. It should fit the achievement, the person and the life they are building.
Mine just happens to involve the Ring Road. 😂
I shared the full journey—including what I would do differently—in 7 Days Around Iceland: What I Planned, What Actually Happened, and What I’d Do Differently.
This is the specific trip behind I Bribe Myself to Reach My Goals—and the achievement was launching the Spain Property Buyer Toolkit.
Love yourself enough to enjoy life.
Love your partner enough to let him have an hour of sleep. 😂