Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 102
March 6, 2014
How to Book Airfare on Short Notice
It’s a common myth, yet at first glance it doesn’t make sense: booking plane tickets on short notice should be cheap. If there are empty seats, why wouldn’t the airline discount them as the flight approaches?
But as you may have discovered if you’ve ever tried to jet off on a whim somewhere, you’re inclined to experience sticker shock. In many cases, the longer you wait, the more expensive the ticket.
Airlines are smart about pricing. They know that people booking tickets on short notice often...
March 3, 2014
The Floor and the Ceiling: How Much Money Is Enough?
When it comes to money, some people have a floor and some have a ceiling. The floor is the minimum amount of money to live reasonably well. The ceiling is the magic number of what you might possibly achieve in your wildest dreams.
Normally there’s nothing wrong with dreaming. But to be happier in life when it comes to money, choose the floor.
It’s important to note that the floor is not just the bare minimum for survival. It’s the bare minimum to live decently.
When Jolie and I were in college...
February 27, 2014
When to Stop and When to Keep Going
The challenge of the amateur is to know when to stop and when to push through.
I still remember what became known as the most challenging run of my life … twenty excruciating miles. It was a few weeks before a marathon I’d promised to complete, and I simply had to extend the distance of my weekend long run. (A marathon is 26.2 miles, and you can usually complete it without training the full distance, but you shouldn’t train any less than twenty miles.)
As I wrote at the time, nothing went right...
February 24, 2014
How to Start a Successful Blog (Also: WDS 2014 Tickets!)
A few years ago, I had a crazy idea to start a blog.
As time went by it slowly turned into a community, a business, a series of books and events, a tour to 150 cities (so far…) and so much more.
When people ask if I still recommend blogging, there’s an easy answer: YES!
When they ask how to do it, I say, just figure it out!
Wait… that’s probably not the best answer.
I recently made a new page to help people set up their first blog or website. This is one of the most common questions I encounter...
February 20, 2014
Running In Your Mind
“They say there’s no harm in daydreaming, but there is.”
-Charlaine Harris
When I run, I wish I could say I was fully focused on my surroundings. I live within running distance of a waterfront with half a dozen bridges, a beautiful (although steep) inactive volcano, and if I go a bit further, several nice trails. There are plenty of sights to see and beauty to appreciate.
But instead of taking in the trees, I tend to spend a lot of time thinking—and much of this thinking is technically daydrea...
February 17, 2014
The Big Trip (AKA “One Small Thing Can Change Your Life”)
In 2006 I was living abroad in my final year on the hospital ship. I’d been moonlighting by building a new business, and later that year I’d move back to the U.S. and relocate to Seattle.
There was a marketing conference being held in Chicago, and it caught my attention. I was all the way in Monrovia, Liberia… but I wanted to go.
In the previous couple of years I’d started to do more independent travel. I had the inklings of a future writing project—something that would tie together travel, e...
February 13, 2014
The Magic of Making Things
I never was much for any kind of mechanical labor.
If something breaks, I’m inclined to leave it broken. Give me a hammer and I’ll try to screw in a lightbulb.
One time I changed a tire and got really excited, until the spare tire nearly fell off as I drove along.
Despite my ineptitude, there’s something about the idea of mechanical labor that I relate to. I like the act of making or fixing things.
The other day Nicky the genius developer and I were talking about a time when he was over at my h...
February 11, 2014
Introducing Designed to Sell: The Guide to Creative Freedom
Pop the champagne and brew the espresso… it’s finally here!
After six months of work, we’re now ready to unveil Designed to Sell.
*A complete toolkit for creative freedom
*Hundreds of pages and dozens of interviews
*Follow-up support to ensure you succeed
*Featuring a $5,000 earning guarantee (it will help you achieve real success in your business, or you don’t pay)
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Fun bonuses: Everyone who buys during launch week will receive an invite to an hour-long Q&A session with J...
February 10, 2014
The Creative Process in a Series of Choices (Also: Giveaway Winners!)
Hey everyone! Winners from last week’s big giveaway are Michelle S., Andy C., and Tonya L. Congratulations to them, and thanks to everyone else who entered.
I always enjoy reading your comments. A few of my favorites included various creative entries:
This comment is designed to win. -Chris Moseir
I have goldfish crackers. I happen to know that biased judges, cats, and random number generators all get hot for goldfish crackers. -Lauren Vanessa Zink
Please, oh please, pick me fine folks,
I sure ho...
February 6, 2014
Sneak Preview, Launch Info, and Free Stuff (Whoa!)
In the past three posts, I’ve alluded to something big that’s coming soon.
It’s now almost ready! After six months of work from Jen & Omar—and a lot of effort from our side of things too—we’ll be debuting their masterpiece starting next Tuesday.
In this post: what it’s all about, why you should care (or if you shouldn’t), and also—your chance to win an illustrated world map or FREE copy of the new toolkit. Whoa.
Or keep reading…
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How It Started
Way back in the summer of...
