Niall Doherty's Blog, page 197
March 17, 2018
Momentos: March 1st – March 15th, 2018
MOMENTOS
March 1st – March 15th, 2018
1
For my monthly challenge I was going to quit writing these Momentos, see how that felt. But I already know the answer: not good. I could go without publishing them for a month, maybe even forever, but I’d miss writing them. They’re a time for reflection, pause and think, conceive and create. Here’s to another five years of this.
2
Since reading The Big Leap, every time I have a setback I’m left wondering if it was self-sabotage, an act of rebellion by my subconscious. This evening, for example, I cut my finger and subsequently felt all the energy drain out of me. Maybe that was just a random occurrence, or maybe some wiser part of myself knew I needed a break.
3
The break continues. Quite proud of how I handled it today, actually. Didn’t binge on YouTube or Netflix, didn’t go off the rails with the diet. Mostly just sat around reading all day, went cover to cover on a novel and got to bed at a reasonable hour. Might be getting the hang of this exertion-recovery cycle thing.
A snowy day in Moscow. (March 4th)
Posted by Niall Doherty on Saturday, March 17, 2018
4
Wrote too soon. Today came the binge. Now it’s almost eleven at night and I’m finally planning my week and freaking out a bit, not sure how I’m going to squeeze everything in before we leave for Spain on Saturday. Loads to do work-wise, behind on a few things now after this weekend wipeout, and a million little errands will surely pop up as we prep for the trip.
5
Waiting about fifteen minutes in the cold, watching Moscow go to work clearing the roads. It’s impressive how organized they are. Barely a flake falls before it’s swept aside and the people keep moving. Finally she arrives and we walk around to another building at the back, a building I’m not going to write about.
6
Ever think about all the things that could have killed you but didn’t thanks to modern medicine? I likely would have been dead from a burst appendix, from chronic diarrhea, and surely some cuts that required stitches would have gotten infected. Such thoughts have me appreciating my ancestors all the more. They must have been a hardy bunch.
Woke up to this outside our window this morning in Segovia. Any idea what it is? Thought maybe a funeral at first but that would be a strange coffin.
Posted by Niall Doherty on Sunday, March 11, 2018
7
Been in Moscow almost a month now, mostly indoors because of the cold and the snow. If I could do it over I’d make more of an effort to get outside, go for walks. There’s a park not too far away. I need less concrete, more green. I spent my childhood breaching ditches, climbing trees, and exploring the countryside. Don’t feel right when I’m away from nature too long.
8
One way the coaching is already paying dividends: he doesn’t let me forget my vision. I was letting it fade after some deflating experiences last week, but our call today got me back on track. The fact I’m paying him so much helps, too. Can’t ignore what he’s saying when I’ve invested a small fortune.
9
Did the Enneagram recently. The whole idea of it is that your biggest strength can also be your biggest weakness. I have great attention to detail, but that can become over-analysis and micromanaging. I am very persistent, but that can become stubbornness, banging my head against the wall. What’s your greatest strength? And how might it hold you back?
At the famous Segovia aqueduct.
10
Don’t think I’m supposed to be driving these old town streets of Segovia. The whole place is a world heritage site. It’s after ten on a Saturday evening and I’m nudging this blue machine through crowds of partygoers and pedestrians, drawing strange looks, no other vehicles in sight. Google Maps tells me to turn right down a flight of steps. I keep going straight and arrive at the feet of a 2000-year-old aqueduct.
11
Rental car cost €32 for a week. Booked a parking spot for three days in Madrid and that cost €45. Doesn’t make much sense. Happy to pay for the parking though, will save us a lot of time compared to park and ride from the outskirts. The older I get, the more willing I am to pay for convenience. Also, this Parclick company is interesting.
12
Leaving Segovia, stopped in the shadow of the castle and found a bridge in the woods over the Eresma, enjoyed coffee and coconut cookies bought from an old nun a couple of hours before. Then we spun up to a hill overlooking the town, captured it looking all splendid and ship-like with the sun breaking through and snow-capped mountains behind.
I ❤️ this lady.
Posted by Niall Doherty on Sunday, March 11, 2018
13
While jumping around Spain these ten days I’m shooting video in various locations, part of a new email series about working online. Aiming to impart some good lessons and showcase the lifestyle. Had a make-shift studio set up in my Airbnb in Madrid today for recording, white sheet covering the window, mirror off the wall lighting one side, laptop propped on a suitcase to glance quickly at my notes.
14
Finally found a nice pair of shoes that fit me. They’ll replace the old brogs I bought in Mexico City more than three years ago now, been wearing them without laces the past several months. They served me well, almost a shame to throw them out. We’ve been through eighteen countries together, walked many a mile. Gotta be the best shoes I ever owned.
15
Liking Gretchen Rubin’s “updates” idea (number three here). Starting that with my cousin now. Rubin is so right about the need to build habits that strengthen relationships. The stuff we say is important to us tends to fall by the wayside unless we put some structure around it. Which relationships are important to you? What habits can you build to strengthen them?
Sneaky work session at the Reina Sofía library in Madrid.
Previous Momentos
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
Want me to email you next time I publish a batch of Momentos?
Sign up below and I’ll do just that.
Let's Do This!
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.
About
These are my Momentos, vignettes I write daily and publish twice a month. They're incredibly self-indulgent and I'm surprised anyone reads them.
There's one for every day since February 27, 2013.
The post Momentos: March 1st – March 15th, 2018 appeared first on Disrupting the Rabblement.
March 5, 2018
Momentos: February 16th – February 28th, 2018
MOMENTOS
February 16th – February 28th, 2018
16
Russian Uber driver eager to show off his heavily-accented English. He’ll say a thing, and I’ll understand, but then he’ll think of another way to say it and share that with me, too. I leave nothing behind getting out of the car but he says anyway, “Please take your things with you.” Then, after a short pause, and very loud, “Do not leave your things in my car!”
17
Been shifting currencies around the internet the past couple of days. Really shouldn’t have sent $2,000 to savings earlier this month. That’s inaccessible now, which is unfortunate because I don’t really have enough on hand to pay every bill that’s due, especially with the $5k coaching payment I made last week. Cashed in my Bitcoin today and will sell the rest of my Tesla shares on Tuesday.
18
Sitting around the kitchen table, eating borscht and pancakes… and meeting her family for the first time. There’s a big language barrier, but that’s not a big deal. I lived in non-English speaking countries for three consecutive years, so I know there’s a lot more to communication than words. The dogs like me and I brought flowers and I make the appropriate noises when I eat.
The kitchen/office in my Airbnb in Moscow
19
I’ve started blocking out 15 hours for consulting work each week on my calendar, and another 7 hours for coaching. In the past I would just put the hours in as needed, but they never added up to much. Now it’s obvious why. I was always trying to squeeze in those hours around everything else, whereas now they’re set and everything else has to squeeze in around them.
20
First call with my new coach today. 3.5-hour intensive. We went over five agreements. Die before battle, extreme ownership, everything is feedback, the rare relationship, feel > formula. Also took some time to write future me a letter. It will go halfway around the world and come back to him a year from now.
21
Here’s an exercise: write out all the things you’re currently doing regularly. Go through your calendar and your to-do list(s) and your emails. How are you spending your time? What are your commitments and responsibilities? List even the things you do to relax. Netflix, shaving, groceries, laundry. Everything. I did that today. The list was massive. Obvious now that cuts must be made.
Me and my lady meeting with the legendary Jacob Sokol in Moscow
22
Interesting point from The Power Of Full Engagement: professional athletes spend about 90% of their “work” time practicing, and the remaining 10% delivering peak performance. Plus they have long stretches of down time. Then there are people like me who expect themselves to deliver peak performance for several hours a day consistently with perhaps the occasional day off.
23
Was asked yesterday what I’d like to have written on my gravestone. First draft:
I was once like you there, full of breath
Never thought too much, about my death
It’s since come to pass, now here I lie
And you will also someday die
Not nice to hear, but worth a thought
To help you live the life you ought
24
Did a guided body scan today. About forty minutes. It’s interesting the things you notice when you slow down and pay attention. How often do we feel our heartbeat, for example? The air in our nostrils? Today, just lying there, I could easily feel the pulse in my hands, and occasionally the pulse in my feet. Life flowing through me.
Moscow cafe hustlin’
25
Maintenance is easy, building is hard. I’ve had a six pack for the past five years. Took a good bit of work to get it in the first place, but keeping it’s a cinch. Barely ten minutes of light exercise most days. Same holds true for business methinks. Building a business requires sacrifice and struggle, but once you breakthrough it’s not all that hard to maintain.
26
So this particular Momento makes it five years without missing a day. The first one I published was for February 27th, 2013. You can read it here. Just read back through that first set myself. Wrote lots about chasing tail. Times have changed. And I’m glad they have. No regrets by any means, but I have no desire to return to life as a single dude, especially in Thailand.
27
If I could do anything I wanted work-wise? I’d spend a good chunk of time making videos. It’s a combination of many things: creative thinking, writing, performance, humor, design… and I’m left with a nice finished piece at the end. I release it to the world and watch what happens, see what kind of response it gets, who it impacts and how.
View from my Airbnb
28
I used to have the impression that older people were all mature and had life figured out, no hint of the kids they once were. Now I’m almost two decades beyond being a teenager, and I still often feel like one. I reckon we all do to some extent. We’re all still the boys and girls we once were, somewhere deep inside, scared of the same things, laughing at the same jokes.
Previous Momentos
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
Want me to email you next time I publish a batch of Momentos?
Sign up below and I’ll do just that.
Let's Do This!
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.
About
These are my Momentos, vignettes I write daily and publish twice a month. They're incredibly self-indulgent and I'm surprised anyone reads them.
There's one for every day since February 27, 2013.
The post Momentos: February 16th – February 28th, 2018 appeared first on Disrupting the Rabblement.
February 16, 2018
Momentos: February 1st – February 15th, 2018
MOMENTOS
February 1st – February 15th, 2018
1
Reviewing my finances today. $6,448 spent in January. That’s about twice as much as I usually spend in a month. Made me anxious. But then I went through and looked at each expense and couldn’t find anything to regret. All money well spent. Plus, I earned $9,518 in January. So I came out three grand ahead. That’s a damn good month.
2
Took Gretchen Rubin’s four tendencies quiz and turns out I’m an Obliger.
“Obligers depend on external accountability, with consequences such as deadlines, late fees, or the fear of letting other people down. In fact, Obligers need external accountability even for activities that they want to do.”
Nailed it.
3
Considering quitting these Momentos. The end of February will mark five years, never missed a day. I like writing and sharing them, along with the photos and videos. It’s a nice way to document my life, and create consistent content for the blog. But I do need to free up some time and energy if I want to achieve bigger goals I’ve set for myself. Might be time to kill this darling.
Breaking our January coffee fast.
4
Travel plans shaping up like this for the year: Bulgaria (where we are now) > Moscow > Las Palmas > Spanish road trip > Gran Canaria > Moscow > St. Petersburg > Montenegro > UK/Ireland > Amsterdam > Copenhagen > Faroe Islands > Gran Canaria > Ireland > Gran Canaria > Southeast Asia.
5
My challenge this month is to keep a journal of all the complaints I make. Already I’ve become aware of two things I complain about regularly: being tired, and not having enough time. And when you really think about it, both those complaints are ridiculous. I can always sleep more on my flexible schedule, and I get the same 24 hours each day as everyone else.
6
Made my first big coaching proposal today. Didn’t receive a yes, at least not yet, but I came away buzzing nonetheless. She fits my “dream client” criteria, and so it felt great just to be on a call with her, listening, sharing, exploring, brainstorming. I was in my element. That’s the Zone of Genius stuff Hendricks was talking about. I know good things will happen if I keep spending time in there.
The start of another snowboarding day in Bansko, Bulgaria.
7
Still haven’t committed to a coach of my own. Had the decision made but then jumped on a powerful call this evening and came away with a different perspective. Now I’m on the verge of investing $15,000 for the next six months. It’s a different level, investing that much in growth. And yeah, it feels scary. The good kind of scary.
8
I read The 4-Hour Workweek ten years ago. I remember telling friends about it back in New Orleans, when I was still a 9-to-5er. That book really was a game-changer for me, got me thinking very differently about life and work. Reading it again now, as a somewhat seasoned veteran of this lifestyle design thing. Let’s see if it holds up.
9
One year since that fanciful flight to Prague to go see about a girl. It felt different from the start, glad I trusted that hunch and took a chance. We’ve been to nine countries together now, exploring hidden beaches, mountain shrines, big cities and small towns. Ryan Holiday once wrote that the best life hack is finding an amazing life partner. Seems he was right.
Bansko after a night of snowfall.
10
Last day in Bansko. It’s been good. We’ve been here long enough to find a few favorite places, become familiar faces. There’s Baba Vuna downstairs, a family run restaurant serving hearty local food. And the cafe across the road, Vlad there every day whipping up the lattes. Those looks of recognition, those knowing smiles… makes a place feel like home.
11
Minus five in Moscow as we zip along a snowy highway, cruising between plow trucks, over a white river. I’m not exactly excited to be back in this city, especially at this time of year. But I’ll get to spend more time with herself and can knuckle down and get a good chunk of work done. I’m off to a slow start on a 90-day money game. Time to punch in.
12
Another coaching call. Spent $600 on this one, for an hour of his time. And it was good, definitely worth the money. I could stick with him and pay the same each month. That would be the safe choice, the comfortable choice. But I don’t believe safe and comfortable will get me where I want to go.
Hello Moscow.
Posted by Niall Doherty on Sunday, February 11, 2018
13
Heard on a podcast today: scary and dangerous are two different things. Many scary things aren’t dangerous, and many dangerous things aren’t scary. One dangerous thing that isn’t scary is working a ho-hum job. You have to be careful with that. Because if you’re not, you wake up one day and you’re sixty years old and you wonder where your life went.
14
So I’ve gone ahead and committed to that six months of deep coaching. Sent the first $5,000 payment last night. Noticed before bed that a stress spot had broken out on the rim of my eyelid. Trying to breathe through the anxiety, not get caught up in negative thought patterns, scarcity mindset. Let the good feelings flow. Don’t Upper Limit yourself.
15
If a penny saved is a penny earned, then I “earned” almost $90 in five minutes today. How? By asking my Airbnb host for a discount. Almost didn’t ask, thinking I might be pushing my luck too far, but then remembered that I’m the same guy who wrote a whole blog post urging people to always negotiate. Actually, shit… I really should have asked for a discount on that $5,000 coaching fee as well.
View from my Airbnb in Moscow.
Posted by Niall Doherty on Friday, February 16, 2018
Previous Momentos
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
Want me to email you next time I publish a batch of Momentos?
Sign up below and I’ll do just that.
Let's Do This!
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.
About
These are my Momentos, vignettes I write daily and publish twice a month. They're incredibly self-indulgent and I'm surprised anyone reads them.
There's one for every day since February 27, 2013.
The post Momentos: February 1st – February 15th, 2018 appeared first on Disrupting the Rabblement.
February 2, 2018
Momentos: January 16th – January 31st, 2018
MOMENTOS
January 16th – January 31st, 2018
16
It’s funny: I paid $1000 for this coaching call, and she’s pointing me in a direction I already knew, in the back of my mind, I needed to go. If I’d paid her nothing and she’d given me this advice free of charge, I’d probably have dismissed it, kept on doing what I’m doing. But since I invested so much her advice takes on an extra weight, and I’m no doubt going to take it.
17
Bulgarian dentist. The price is low and there’s no waiting room – he invites you in and sits you in a corner while he finishes with another patient in the chair a few feet away. And he says words like “arsenic” and “nerve extractor.” But hey, he came recommended, he seems like a good guy, and my teeth aren’t going to magically fix themselves.
18
First day snowboarding! Except it’s not, because there are gale force winds and all the lifts are closed. But it’s probably just as well. Turns out I need a down day, after being all go and very little rest since the start of the year. Plenty of duvet time and snuggles and a couple of movies was a perfect Plan B.
First day snowboarding
January 17, 2018
Momentos: January 1st – January 15th, 2018
MOMENTOS
January 1st – January 15th, 2018
1
Got a new morning routine going, based on The Miracle Morning. One part is affirmations. Best to speak them aloud, apparently. Which I did this morning, and noticed I was a little anxious someone might overhear. But why? If these are empowering beliefs I want to instill in myself, if they speak to who I am and who I am becoming, why should it matter if someone overhears?
2
Been emailing a subscriber back and forth a dozen times the last couple of weeks. Sounded like she couldn’t afford my course, spent time advising her anyway, trying to be nice. Today she replied to a blast about the price of my course going up, upset, saying I was only trying to make money off people. Done with this kind of shit. Not spending any more time helping people who don’t know how to help themselves.
3
Making more time to help less people. High-level people. Serious people. Folks who already have their shit together. Had Skype calls with two people like that today and it was bliss. I almost teared up on one call when the guy told me his motivation for building an online business. “YES YES YES!” I wrote in my notes afterwards, “This is EXACTLY the kind of person I want to work with!”
Running from nothing in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
4
Reading about Magellan, how he got that voyage underway. No easy task by the sounds of it. Took him years of planning and persuading. He had to keep going through multiple failures, rejections, even attempted sabotage. Patience and persistence is what saw him through. Patience and persistence.
5
The dude at the desk at the car rental place is always grumpy. I challenged myself to get a smile out of him today. Not sure if he happened to be in a good mood or if my positivity was contagious, but he sent multiple smiles and handshakes my way. Never seen him so happy. His name is Paco. We’re friends now.
6
Trying to get better on the coaching calls, listening and diving deep and asking what really needs to be asked and not worrying about getting paid. Just add value, help as much as possible. One thing I’ve found good for zoning in and getting present is to make a mental note of the color of their eyes. And to admit when I’m feeling uncertain or uncomfortable.
Had a lazy lunch here today.
Posted by Niall Doherty on Friday, January 5, 2018
7
We’ve made the most of this weekend. Friday road trip into the mountains, lazy lunch and a wander around a farm. Sleepy harbor town yesterday, sneaking up on rooftops to catch the sunset. Today an epic hike to the most remote beach on this island, up and over a mountain to reach, picnics in the sun, dancing on sand and surf.
8
A week deep into the new morning routine. So far, so good. Here’s what it looks like:
Toilet, 5-minute journal, habit spreadsheet
Big glass of water
10 minutes of exercise
10 minutes of affirmations/values/principles
10 minutes free writing (including reviewing/updating affirmations)
10 minutes of positive visualization
10 minutes meditation
Make breakfast, discuss plan for the day
20 minutes reading or online course while having breakfast
10 minutes planning the day (including bed and sleep time), quick email check
9
Decided to get myself a coach this year. Because it’s a bit hypocritical to be touting the power of coaching while not having one of my own. So I reached out to a lady who I think would be a great coach for me. Unfortunately, she replied that was too busy. So I waited a few days and then asked again. This time she agreed to one 90-minute coaching session. The price is $1000. I paid her immediately.
Sneaky dance on Gran Canaria’s most remote beach.
10
Steve Chandler, on motivation:
Do you think truck drivers have this same problem? Is there something called Trucker’s Block, where a driver wakes up and finds his mood isn’t right for driving today? No. A trucker drives his truck no matter what his energy or hope levels are. He has a schedule and a destination map, and he follows it no matter what.
11
And thus ends my run of weekly webinars. Did the last one this evening, live from Madrid. Two sales from it, and a bunch more thank-you’s. Glad I gave the idea a good shot but just wasn’t worth the time and effort in the end. I’ll likely do a webinar live on Facebook once a month going forward. I do enjoy the real-time interaction, just not every single Thursday night.
12
Spent several hours today in and out of shops, and a mall built inside an old train station. At one point I was walking along with a few bags of newly acquired goods and it dawned on me that I was on a shopping spree in Madrid on a random Friday afternoon… and it felt totally normal. Been telling myself for the past few weeks that I’m already a rich man. Today was further proof of that.
Big bubbles and kid giggles on the streets of Madrid in mid-January.
Posted by Niall Doherty on Friday, February 2, 2018
13
Reckon I’ll quit the cold showers soon. Haven’t had a warm one for nine months now, through climates hot and cold. There are definitely health benefits to it – physical and mental – but there’s only so much self-discipline I can muster in a day. With the new morning routine and stricter eating habits, an occasional warm shower would be a welcome indulgence.
14
Uber to the airport, a few hours east in the sky, and now we’re in Bulgaria, in the back of a minivan headed up a mountain where bears and wolves are said to roam. I passed through this country years ago, on an overnight bus to Istanbul. Didn’t see a thing, never put a foot on the ground. This time I’ll see plenty. Here for a month, to work and snowboard.
15
How can you ruin the day of a privileged man, who can come to the mountain for a month just because he feels like it, and spend his time frolicking around in the snow between bouts of productivity? Well, all you need do, is give him crappy internet access. Then sit back and watch as he goes mad with frustration.
This was our first evening in Bansko, Bulgaria.
Posted by Niall Doherty on Friday, February 2, 2018
Previous Momentos
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
Want me to email you next time I publish a batch of Momentos?
Sign up below and I’ll do just that.
Let's Do This!
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.
About
These are my Momentos, vignettes I write daily and publish twice a month. They're incredibly self-indulgent and I'm surprised anyone reads them.
There's one for every day since February 27, 2013.
The post Momentos: January 1st – January 15th, 2018 appeared first on Disrupting the Rabblement.
January 2, 2018
NEVER Ask A Client This Question
Work Online
NEVER Ask A Client This Question
by Niall DohertyUpdated: January 2, 2018
Actually there are two questions you should never ask a client.
The first:
What are you wearing?
Well, unless your name is Miranda Priestly…
But the main question you should never ask a client is this:
What now?
The problem with that question is that you’re falling into the employee mindset. It’s as if you’re saying:
Don’t make me think for myself! Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.
You can still provide value as a freelancer with that approach, as many clients will happily micromanage the be-jesus out of you so you never have to think for yourself.
But they’re never going to pay you very well for that kind of work.
To make serious money, you need to think of yourself as more of a consultant.
And that means being a lot more proactive.
Let’s look at an example…
Say you’re a copywriter and you’re writing an email series for a client. They gave you a bulleted list of what each email should contain and you got to work.
But now you’re halfway through and you realize that the sequence they created doesn’t flow very well and is unlikely to engage subscribers.
You could voice these concerns to the client and end with the infamous question:
So… what now?
Or, you could adopt the role of a badass proactive consultant, sketch out a few options, and give your recommendation.
Something like this:
…
So that’s the situation.
Here are a few options for moving forward:
a) We can stick with the planned sequence and see how subscribers respond to it.
This would require no additional time but as noted above, I don’t think the results will be as good as they can be.
b) We can add another email between #3 and #4 explaining [some crucial thing]. I can whip up a draft of that for you.
This would require an extra 2 hours of my time (and would therefore add $X to your budget), but I could have it done for you by tomorrow and I think it would be a big improvement.
c) We can start over and restructure the whole series.
Definitely an option but I think it’s overkill at this stage and it would set you back quite a bit on time and budget.
I recommend we try option b above. We could launch with that, then measure the response to see what additional changes would be beneficial.
That said, I’m cool with whatever route you decide to take.
What do you think?
Yeah, it takes a lot longer to write an email like that, but you save the client a lot of time and mental effort, which they will be very grateful for.
Give this a try next time you get stuck on a client project.
Don’t just ask them “what now?”
Be proactive and make a few suggestions yourself.
…
Want more tips for working online?
Sign up to my free email series here:
Let's Do This!
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.
The post NEVER Ask A Client This Question appeared first on Disrupting the Rabblement.
Momentos: December 16th – December 31st, 2017
MOMENTOS
December 16th – December 31st, 2017
16
This town has more cats and dogs than people. Playing around with one dog on the beach this morning. They’re great creatures to say hello, but shit at saying goodbye. They’ll be all giddy and happy to see you, like you’re the most important person in the world. Next minute they’re off sniffing the heels of some random surfer like you never even existed.
17
We’re eight kilometers in the sky, looking down on the largest disputed territory in the world. Nothing but sand and rock stretching to the coast, strangely beautiful. Occasionally a random building there in the middle of it all for no good reason. My new friend in the next seat sees my eyes wide and says, “God made all of this. Do you believe?”
18
Mostly men on the streets of Laayoune. Occasionally a woman, old or middle-aged, wrapped up colorful. I’ve probably seen five heads of female hair since getting here. On a main street I find cafes selling cigarettes instead of food. A cart full of oranges. Little vegetable and electronic shops. Floors dusty and paint peeling. I walk past a butchers with the severed head of a cow hanging from the front wall, tongue sticking out. I buy four bananas for breakfast and head back to the hotel.
Check this place out. A friend scored me a day pass. Infinity pool overlooking the Atlantic. Wicked fancy!
Posted by Niall Doherty on Saturday, December 16, 2017
19
Sometimes the best response is no response. Especially on Facebook. Wrote out a reply to a controversial comment today, then deleted it. I wasn’t going to change any minds on there. Message from a stranger asking which country she should visit in Europe. No reply. Another comment ridiculing something I posted on my page. Ignore it. Better things I can be doing with my time.
20
“Don’t let the world decide how you feel.” Heard that on a podcast today. When you think about it, most of us constantly let the world, or circumstances, or other people, dictate how we feel. Why are you upset? Because he did this or she said that or this thing happened. When you can instead decide for yourself how you’re going to feel inside, regardless of what’s happening outside… that’s a superpower.
21
Back swimming at Las Alcaravaneras. Yesterday and today. Water’s been choppy, has me struggling a bit. Aiming for sixty consecutive strokes but best I manage is about forty. Coming out of the water I remember what Terry Laughlin said in an interview right before he died: the rougher the sea, the calmer you need to be.
Heading home for Christmas.
22
Above the clouds, between Teide and Toohil. Kissed my lady goodbye this morning, got to the airport early, as I like to do. Wrote an email to a few thousand people and sent it out. Waking up from a sky nap now, pulling out a pen and paper. I’ll write him a letter, a few dozen heartfelt lines, tears in my eyes a couple of times.
23
Standing on Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork. Basking in things. Hugs and smiles. Christmas lights. Wooly jumpers. Warm drinks. Frosted windows. Kids dressed up all cute, excited for the magic. A man on the corner with a guitar and a voice sings a good song that I tell myself I’ll remember and soon forget. But no matter. I’ll remember how it made me feel.
24
He’s been building this machine for a couple of years now. Evenings and weekends, chipping away. Pure craftsmanship. Every bolt, every rivet, perfect in its place. He’ll spend an hour crafting a bracket from scrap metal, exactly to measure, can’t buy anything like it. I’m not big into cars, but I can appreciate what he’s done here. The care, the precision, the attention to detail. Thing of beauty.
Christmas in Cork.
Posted by Niall Doherty on Saturday, December 23, 2017
25
A different kind of craftsman today. We’re having the big dinner out, first time. A magician comes to the table. He’s good, has us all enthralled. Notice the words, the gestures… years of work gone into this. He can measure up a table perfectly, knows which string to pull, which to leave untouched. A tough craft, must have endured lots of failure and embarrassment along the way.
26
Did some free writing and brainstorming today, decided I’ll make some big changes to 3M1K in the new year. Definitely raising the price for one thing. It’s way too cheap for the value it provides. And a low price attracts less serious, less committed students. I’m better off working with fewer, more qualified people. Thinking I’ll also open the doors only once or twice a year.
27
Complained too much today. Was focused on excuses for why things aren’t exactly the way I want them, instead of taking full responsibility and doing something about it. Got home and stayed up for three hours watching crap on YouTube. It’s like Jim Rohn said: don’t wish life was easier; wish you were better.
Evening at Cahir Castle in Ireland.
28
Been reading The Prosperous Coach. A lot of what I do these days is coaching, and I want to be better at it, make sure I’m helping people as much as possible and getting rewarded accordingly. One point made in the book is that, as a coach, you should be investing heavily in a coach of your own. If you’re unwilling to do that, how can you expect anyone else to?
29
Fortieth and final flight this year. Sudden burst of energy between listening to Terry Crews and reading about Ferdinand Magellan, I start planning out a new morning routine. A miraculous one. Spent a while writing out affirmations, something to read aloud to myself every morning, a nutritious breakfast for the subconscious.
30
Lying on the beach, talking about our plans for the year, what experiences we’d like to have. Throwing around ideas like jungle treks, snowboarding adventures, a month in Amsterdam, living in Thailand for a bit, etc. etc. We have to pause and appreciate how damn lucky we are, how much freedom we have. We can actually go do all those things and more in 2018. Nothing stopping us.
Happy New Year, everyone!Here’s to plenty a magic and warm fuzzy feels in 2018.
Posted by Disrupting the Rabblement on Sunday, December 31, 2017
31
Pretty good year, I’d say. Found an amazing life partner, helped a lot of people, earned about $4k/month, visited thirteen countries, read a lot of books, asked a lot of questions, had a video go viral, got my work featured in prominent places… feeling wiser and more capable than ever as we start another lap and see lights explode in the sky. Onwards and upwards, my friend.
Previous Momentos
In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?
Want me to email you next time I publish a batch of Momentos?
Sign up below and I’ll do just that.
Let's Do This!
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.
About
These are my Momentos, vignettes I write daily and publish twice a month. They're incredibly self-indulgent and I'm surprised anyone reads them.
There's one for every day since February 27, 2013.
The post Momentos: December 16th – December 31st, 2017 appeared first on Disrupting the Rabblement.
December 28, 2017
52 Ways To Challenge Yourself In 2018
Lifestyle Design / Self-Mastery
52 Ways To Challenge Yourself In 2018
by Niall DohertyUpdated: December 29, 2017
Every month in 2018, I’m going to take on a different challenge.
One month I might give up coffee, another I might meditate for 20 minutes every day, another I might make myself get up before 5am every morning.
I posted about this idea on Facebook recently and received many great suggestions for different things I could try. The best are listed below (plus a few more I thought of).
Feel free to give a few of them a try yourself, and let me know how you get on.
Get up every morning before 5am/6am/7am
Watch the sunrise/sunset every day for a month
Go to bed every night before 9pm/10pm/11pm
Meditate for 5/10/15/20 minutes per day
5 minutes of breathing exercises every day
Intermittent fasting every day (e.g. only eat between 12pm and 6pm)
At least 10 minutes of exercise every day
Go for a run every day
At least 10 minutes of stretching/yoga every day
Eat vegetarian every day
Eat vegan every day (no animal products)
Say hello to a stranger every day
Compliment a stranger every day
No email until after 12pm each day
No internet after 6pm every day
Write 1000 words every day
Create a small drawing/painting every day
Send someone a thank you card/message every day
Publish a blog post every day
Publish a video every day
Plan out your day every morning
Keep a journal every day
Drink a big glass of water first thing every morning
Spend at least 10 minutes playing a musical instrument every day
Spend at least 10 minutes learning a foreign language every day
Write down three things you’re grateful for every day
Eat breakfast/lunch/dinner with no distractions every day
Write a poem/haiku every day
Complete a crossword puzzle every day
Spend at least 30 minutes reading for pleasure every day
Take a cold shower every day
Write down 10 business ideas every day
Make 5 sales calls every day
Put on some funky music and dance for a few minutes every day
No coffee/caffeine
No bread
No gluten
No sugar
No fast food
No soda
Cook all your own meals
No chocolate
No alcohol
No Netflix
No YouTube
No television
No Facebook/Twitter/social media
No complaining
No news
Free write for 5 minutes every day
Take and share a photo every day
No pornography
I will decide which challenge I’m taking on each month just a few days in advance, following this wise advice from a friend on Facebook:
For January, my challenge will be to plan out my day every morning, something I picked up from an excellent book called Deep Work.
What’s The Point Of All This?
Inevitably, whenever I announce something along these lines, I hear from a few critics and naysayers, like these two folks who posted on my Facebook page:
In case you’re also wondering what the point of challenging yourself is… well, it’s to learn and grow.
I’ve taken on many challenges over the years, tried many different experiments, tested lots of different habits. Some have worked out well. Others not so much.
I keep what makes my life better and ditch what doesn’t.
For example, I decided to quit drinking alcohol for an entire year back in 2011. That turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. Not that alcohol is inherently bad or anything; but on balance my life is certainly better without it. I now haven’t had a drink in seven years.
Maybe you’ll try doing or quitting something every day for a month and find it doesn’t improve your life. No big deal. Go back to how things were, but with better knowledge of yourself and what’s best for you.
As Socrates once said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.”
Challenges such as those listed above are a great way to examine your life, and discover new and better ways to keep it a life worth living.
Do any of the challenges on the above list resonate with you?
Anything else you’d like to try for a month?
Let me know in the comments below.
Want To Join Me?
Subscribe to my mailing list below I’ll keep you updated about each monthly challenge I take on in 2018.
Let's Do This!
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.
The post 52 Ways To Challenge Yourself In 2018 appeared first on Disrupting the Rabblement.
December 18, 2017
24 Hours In Laayoune
Travel
24 Hours In Laayoune, Western Sahara
I’m in Laayoune, a city in Morocco.
Kind of.
Some say it’s a city in Western Sahara, which may or may not be a different country. It’s disputed territory, the biggest in the world from what I’ve read.
I flew here yesterday from Agadir, a city in Morocco proper. Security personnel kept directing me to the international departures hall, even though I was supposed to be in domestic. There were a few double-takes, everyone surprised that I was indeed flying to Laayoune.
Apparently they don’t see many people like me going there.
Waiting for my flight I found a cafe, looked at the menu and ordered one of the salads. The plain-clothes waiter laughed at me.
– No no no. There is no salad here.
I had coffee instead.
Flying out of Agadir, Morocco on Sunday.
Posted by Disrupting the Rabblement on Tuesday, December 19, 2017
On the plane I sat beside a wide man named Zachariah. I asked him if Laayoune was in Morocco or Western Sahara.
– Morocco, he said.
I sat looking out the window, watching the desert.
Sand and rock stretching to the coast. The occasional building down there, surrounded by nothing.
Zachariah saw me looking, remarked that God had made it all, asked if I believed.
– Sometimes, I said, and he laughed at that.
Flying over Western Sahara on Sunday, just outside of Laayoune.
Posted by Disrupting the Rabblement on Tuesday, December 19, 2017
When we landed in Laayoune, I walked from the airport to my hotel, took twenty minutes.
It’s a city of half a million people. All low buildings, dusty skies and dug-up sidewalks. The people seemed normal, the buildings falling apart. It was hard to imagine the same people lived in them.
I walked past one nice park and one nice building, both of them fenced off.
My hotel was fairly basic. They had photos on the walls of Venice, Berlin, Dubai.
The lady at reception spent five minutes showing me on a map all the things I could see and do in the city, then asked how long I was staying.
– I leave tomorrow.
– Oh, okay.
I asked if I could find something to eat nearby, assuming she’d point me towards one of the many cafes I’d seen on the street.
– There’s nothing good around here, she told me. You have to go to the center.
I was skeptical, but she was right. I walked around later and saw lots of people sitting in cafes, none of them eating. Just coffee and cigarettes.
At one cafe I asked if they had food and the guy told me they’d have it soon.
– How soon?
– Maybe in a month. Maybe in a year.
I walked for thirty minutes before I found a place serving something decent, saw several white vehicles along the way, UN printed in big black letters on the side.
It was dark. I felt safe.
After eating I went into a little shop and bought water and pistachios, asked the shopkeeper where I could get a taxi. The faces of a mother and daughter, customers in the shop, said we could share.
Took a few minutes to stop a taxi on the street. I sat in the front and tried to put on my seat belt but it didn’t work. The driver looked at me strange.
When we got to the hotel I tried to pay but the daughter wouldn’t hear of it. I thanked them and got out.
This morning I went out walking again.
Mostly men on the streets. Occasionally a woman, old or middle-aged, wrapped up colorful. I’ve probably seen five heads of female hair since I arrived.
I found one street busier than most. The same cafes. A cart full of oranges. Little vegetable and electronic shops. Floors all dusty and paint all peeling. I walked past a butchers with the severed head of a cow hanging from the front wall, its tongue sticking out.
I bought four bananas and had them for breakfast, went back to the hotel and took a nap.
Taxi ride yesterday in Laayoune.
Posted by Disrupting the Rabblement on Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Later I took a taxi back to the same place I ate yesterday. My driver spoke four languages and the seat belt didn’t work. Seems both those things are normal here.
I took another taxi to the airport, cost me fifty cent, arrived four hours before my flight. The place was almost empty. Five security guards at the entrance and one old man sitting inside.
I looked at the screen and saw there were only three more departures scheduled for the day, my flight to Gran Canaria up next.
The emptiest airport I’ve ever been to. This was the main part of it.
Posted by Disrupting the Rabblement on Tuesday, December 19, 2017
There was a shuttered cafe with a television on too loud. I turned it down, took a seat, and worked on my laptop for two hours while every fly in town dropped by to kiss me farewell.
When I got on the plane there was an old woman in my seat and we took off five minutes early.
We were barely in the air when everything below turned to sand, then to sea.
It’s supposed to be a 45-minute flight to Gran Canaria, but we’ll get there in thirty.
Travel The World, Work Online
Join 4,112 Online Business Builders And Take The FREE 5-Day Mini Course
“I found the mini course really helpful and motivating” – Louise in New Zealand
Find Out More
The post 24 Hours In Laayoune appeared first on Disrupting the Rabblement.
December 16, 2017
Momentos: December 1st – December 15th, 2017
MOMENTOS
November 16th – November 30th, 2017
1
Message from a friend:
You once asked “what’s one thing you believe that most people would disagree with?” And I don’t think I had a good answer at the time. But here it is: I fucking love dick pics and think they are beautiful. I’ve never deleted any, solicited or unsolicited, from my phone.
2
In the dream I’m counting money and a coin slips from my fingers and rolls away. It disappears down some steps and it’s dark and I can’t see where it went. I’m panicked as I grab a lamp and go look for it. I search high and low, cursing my luck, until eventually I find the coin at rest in a hole with several others. I fish them all out, then awake with a start to the sound of a goat outside my window.
3
Moved to a place closer to the beach today, will be sticking around Taghazout another couple of weeks. Went for a long walk down along the beach yesterday evening, between a sunset and a moon rise. It was beautiful. I saw little streams that had carved canyons through the coastline, and wondered if a lone tree ever felt lonely.
My office today
