Chris Guillebeau's Blog, page 67
January 23, 2015
Achievement Unlocked: 2 Million American Airlines Miles
For 17 hours on my recent Round-the-World trip, I flew on the longest currently operating American Airlines flight, from Dallas to Hong Kong. It’s 8,000 or so flight miles, and I ended the flight a millionaire.
Well, sort of—this flight helped me achieve a longstanding goal of earning 2 million AA flight miles.
Until a couple of years ago, you could obtain “Million Miler” status with American through any kind of miles added to your account, including miles from credit card signups, bank deposi...
January 22, 2015
“Acceptance Isn’t Agreement”: A Lesson from Chris Brogan
I’ve been listening to a “Brave New Year” program by Chris Brogan (not an affiliate link; I purchased it for regular price).
Normally I’m not an auditory learner and have a hard time paying attention to lectures or podcasts. In this case, though, I was able to go through the whole thing.
I particularly liked what Chris had to say about the subject of acceptance. Here’s an excerpt.
1. “Acceptance isn’t Agreement”
First, know this. Acceptance is not the same as agreeing. Acceptance just means sayi...
25 Journeys, 1,000 Miles Each : Dave Cornthwaite’s Quest
This is a quest case study. ( Read others or nominate yourself . )
Dave Cornthwaite’s quest has been called“One of the most ambitious adventures of the 21st century,” and in the process of his journey he has broken nine world records. Here’s his story:
Introduce yourself and your quest.
A decade ago I spent two weeks learning how to skateboard, and promptly quit my graphic design job to spend the next year skateboarding further than anyone else had ever skated. I traversed the length of Britain (as...
January 21, 2015
Travel Disasters and Misadventures Are Good for Us
Earlier this year, as I was wrapping up the writing for The Happiness of Pursuit, I commissioned an illustration from Mike Rohde to commemorate a few of my more spectacular travel disasters and misadventures:
All of these experiences, even the negative ones, were helpful in building confidence to continue the journey.
Reflecting on these misadventures now, I don’t think about whatever hardship I experienced at the time. Instead, I remember the sense of accomplishmen...
How the Password You Select Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
From a long article about the history of passwords, I thought this story was especially fun:
For some people, these rituals are motivational. Fiona Moriarty, a competitive runner, told me that she often used “16:59” — her target time for the 5,000 meters in track. Mauricio Estrella, a designer who emailed me from Shanghai, described how his passwords function like homemade versions of popular apps like Narrato or 1 Second Everyday, which automatically provide its user with a daily reminder to...
January 20, 2015
Build a Sales Machine That Works While You Sleep — Free Training with Ramit Sethi
Link: Free Training from Ramit
Starting a business can seem overwhelming. With so much terrible advice on the internet, there are thousands of hopeful online entrepreneurs that waste years spinning their wheels wondering “When is the money going to come?”
They tend to try random, unconnected tactics without a clear strategy:
Get on Facebook and get 10,000 followers
Buy a ton of ads
Create viral cat videos to build up your following, then spam your followers with
sales pitches
How do these lead to c...
“Because of Traveling, We Know Ourselves”: On the Road with Jim and Rhonda Delemeter
This is a traveler case study. ( Read others or nominate yourself .
Jim and Rhonda, long-term travelers, aren’t afraid to “jump into the void.” Here’s their story.
Tell us about yourselves. What inspired you to leave home and travel?
Back in 2007 we sold our house and backpacked around the world for 14 months, which made us hungry for somethingmore. In spite of having really great lives in the USA, we wanted to open our minds to other influences.
The more you travel, the more you realize that the...
January 19, 2015
The Donut Man of Seattle Speaks Out—With a Big Complaint About a Book I Wrote
Ever get a totally unexpected email? A blast from the past? This week I heard from someone about a passing encounter that took place eight years ago. Here’s the story!
***
First, some background.
In The $100 Startup, I told an anecdote of running my first marathon in Seattle back in 2006. Along the way, a funny thing happened: at mile 23, just as I was desperately hobbling along in hopes of reaching the finish line three miles later, a man on the side of the road stood offering donut holes to r...
January 18, 2015
Memories of Johannesburg Airport, 2006 to 2015
Yesterday I walked off the jetway into the transit area of Johannesburg’s international airport and had a flashback. I’d been here so many times… yet I always remember coming here years ago, way back in 2006 for the first time.
Back then I was beginning a new way of life. I had ended my four-year stint on a hospital ship in West Africa. I was going to a new home in Seattle—eventually. But first I had a side trip: I had to pick up a new country!
The country collecting quest was only beginning,...
Hope, Assumptions, and Expectations (Hint: Only One Is Good for You)
“You have got to have hope. But maybe you must learn, and it is hard learning, not to hope out loud … You must not let your hope turn into expectation.” -Wendell Berry
Assumptions are typically unhelpful and can lead to disappointment. When we assume, we convert our own beliefs and perceptions into a general sense of how the world should be, if we only had our way. But sometimes the world has other ideas, and we’re left feeling disappointed when our assumptions prove untrue.
Expectations are a...
