Niall Doherty's Blog, page 209

5 Crucial Lessons From Online Money-Makers

Over the years I’ve met and corresponded with hundreds of people who make their living online. Some make a few thousand dollars a month, while others are pushing six figures.

Included with the guide I’m releasing next week — teaching you how to travel the world and work online — are interviews with several online money-makers, people who are out there traveling the world, living the digital nomad dream.

Here are five crucial lessons from those interviews.

1. Forget Passion

My friend Sean has coached hundreds of people through the transition from regular employment to working for themselves online. He told me in an interview just yesterday that one of the common mistakes people make is trying to follow their passion, believing that’s the best path to internet riches.

It’s not.

A much better approach is to forget about passion and instead focus on building real, tangible skills that you can use to earn money online. Starting from scratch, you can be earning $1,000/month within three months if you build and utilize the right skills.

Lots of people have done this already. You can, too.

2. You Don’t Have To Be A Computer Ninja

None of the people I’ve interviewed could be considered serious tech-heads. They don’t have degrees in IT or Computer Science. Most of them weren’t working in tech industries before setting out on their own.

They all started with basic computer and internet skills, and figured out the rest as they went along.

My friend María is a good example of this. She’s an online Spanish tutor who has spent the last few years living in places such as Australia, India and Bali. She told me in an interview that she didn’t know anything about online business when she started out, but learned enough to keep the money flowing and her travels rolling.

You can do this, too.

3. Consistency Is Key

I met Alex in Colombia last year, not long after his business had taken off. Alex is a self-taught Google AdWords consultant. He used to work a finance job in Australia, earning $6.5k per month.

As he told me in our interview, he now earns “a lot more” than $6.5k/month through his online business.

If there’s one thing to take away from Alex’s story, it’s the power of consistency. He was earning about $1k/month within six months of getting started. A couple of years later, he was up to $3k/month.

Then his earnings skyrocketed.

It’s easy to look at his situation today and think he’s lucky, that he was just in the right place at the right time. Or you might think he has some super special entrepreneurial mojo that you don’t have.

But no, that’s not it, not even close.

Alex has simply chipped away at his business consistently for years. And he’s done it while living in places like Berlin, Chiang Mai and Medellín.

You can do that, too.

4. Forget Passive Income

I wrote about passive income last week, so I won’t harp on about it again here.

But I will give you another example of someone who went the freelancing route rather than chase after passive income. Her name is Michelle, and last year she was earning $3,600/month working for a marketing agency. She worked nine hours a day and had a long commute to and from the office.

She quit that job to become a freelance writer. Her laptop became her office. She no longer wasted several hours a week commuting. And within six months she was earning more online than she ever did at the marketing agency.

In our interview, Michelle told me exactly how she made that transition.

There’s no reason why you can’t do similar.

5. You’re Not Alone

Everyone I interviewed got some help along the way. Some had friends to show them the ropes. Some did apprenticeships. Some signed up for online courses and forums. Some went to conferences and found mentors.

Learning from your mistakes is good. But learning from the mistakes of others is better. Yes, there will always be some things you’ll need to figure out for yourself, but that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. There is always support and encouragement out there if you need it.

Let me tell you about some of the other people I interviewed for the guide:

Danny made $115,000 last year as a self-taught freelance copywriter, and shared with me very specific tips for finding high-paying gigs via online job sites.
Melissa runs a niche membership website that generates $5,000/month. She told me how she started and grew the business, and how she’s looking forward to running it from the Canary Islands later this year.
I met Nate in Thailand a couple of years back. He was living in Vietnam at the time and popped over to attend a conference and meet up with some friends. He just recently moved to Budapest, and earns $4,000/month as a self-taught internet marketing consultant.
Paula pulls in $10,000/month from her writing and marketing business. She shared with me how she got started working online, and how she found her first clients.

They’ve all done it.

They’ve all learned how to make money online, giving them the freedom to live and work wherever they choose.

And I’ve been doing it for the past five years myself.

Flash back to 2010 and there I was working 9-to-5 in a cubicle. I was 28 years old and I’d only been to three foreign countries. But I write to you now as someone who’s been all around the world (37 countries and counting).

I’ve ridden motorcycles across epic landscapes, gone bungee jumping in the Himalayas, explored abandoned skyscrapers in Asia, hitchhiked through foreign lands, taken ships across oceans, swam in tropical rivers, and had many other adventures.

All while working from my laptop.

I’ve done it. Lots of other people have done it.

You can do it, too.

Next week I’ll show you how.

Sign up here to make sure you don’t miss it:

My name is →



My email is →




No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.

Travel Gear: 7 Essentials For A Life Of Location Independence

A quick note: Next week I’ll be releasing an in-depth guide teaching you how to travel the world and work online (like I’ve been doing for the past five years). More about that at the end of this article.

First Off: What Not To Bring

“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de St. Exupery

When it comes to packing for your new life of location independence, the 80/20 rule applies: aim to pack the 20% of your belongings that you will use 80% of the time while on the road.

This means that you should resist packing for every occasion. Don’t bring dress shoes or high heels if you’re going to be spending most of your time in the great outdoors. Don’t bring a big coat if you’ll be primarily in tropical areas. Don’t bring a massive towel just because you think you might end up at a beach once or twice in the next six months.

I’ve been through all sorts of climates and situations on my travels, and I’ve gotten by just fine with very little clothing. Once, after spending several months in sunny Thailand, I traveled up through China, South Korea and Japan in the dead of winter. It was cold, so I layered up with what I already had, and bought a wooly hat and scarf. Once I arrived in Brazil the next year, I knew I wouldn’t need a hat and scarf again for several months. So rather than carry them around with me until they became useful again, I ditched them.

Of course, if you travel back and forth to a home base regularly, you won’t need to ditch items and buy them anew again. That would be wasteful. But if it’s long-term travel you’re interested in, you’re going to have to be a bit ruthless this way. Be willing to ditch or donate items you have no immediate use for, and buy them again when you do. The alternative is to carry around way too much stuff.

The Top 7 Items To Bring With You On Your Travels
1. A Good Backpack

When it comes to buying luggage, forget about brands and instead spend some time browsing through Amazon.com to see what bags have the best reviews. Buy a well-priced pack that the majority of owners have rated as four or five stars.

I recommend buying an actual backpack rather than wheeled luggage. You want something you can throw over your shoulders so you have your hands free while on the move and which won’t slow you down on rugged terrain.

If you’re worried about all that weight on your back, the trick is to not buy a huge backpack in the first place. I’ve traveled the world with a 42-liter pack (my big bag), plus a 33-liter pack (my small bag). I use the small bag for when I’m out and about, day-to-day, as it doesn’t make me look like a backpacker.

Full up, I’m able to comfortably carry both those packs around for an hour or more before my shoulders start to ache. If you’re going to be on the move quite a bit, I recommend you aim for similar. If you buy a big backpack, trust me, you will fill every square inch of it with stuff. So don’t even give yourself that option. Buy a smaller pack and you’ll be forced to limit your possessions. This is a very good thing.

2. A Long-Sleeve Thermal Shirt

Such a shirt is seriously a life-saver, and I highly recommend getting one even if you only plan on visiting warm climates. It can come in really handy while camping or trekking, but mostly I needed it to stay warm on overnight bus trips, especially in Latin America, where bus companies seem to be on a mission to freeze their passengers to death.

In cold climates, just throw on one of these shirts under a light jacket, add a wooly hat , scarf and gloves to the mix, and you’re good to go.

You can find these shirts easy enough at most outdoor clothing stores, or look for the best-rated on Amazon. You’ll want to find one that:

is thin and lightweight;
has reflective material on the inside;
is moisture wicking (so sweating won’t be a problem);
is a snug fit.

3. A Smartphone

I use an iPhone, but that’s probably overkill. There are plenty of good smartphones available nowadays for a reasonable price. Here’s the functionality you’ll want most:

A decent camera for photos and videos (I use my iPhone for all my photos and videos).
A good maps app.1
The ability to swap out the SIM card (so you can buy and use a local one wherever you are).
A decent cover/case.
The ability to play music/podcasts (so you don’t die of boredom on long bus/plane/boat trips).
A good pair of headphones or earbuds to listen to the aforementioned music/podcasts.

4. A Sturdy Laptop

If you plan to work while you travel, bring a nice, light laptop. (If you’re not hung up on brands, you can get a good one quite cheap nowadays.) Otherwise, save the weight and expense and just make do with a smartphone.

One piece of software I highly recommend is Prey. You can install and use it free on pretty much any computer or smartphone, and it will help you recover the device if it is lost or stolen.

5. Moisture Wicking Underwear

As mentioned, it helps to travel light, and one way to cut down on weight is to only pack just a few pairs of underwear. For most of my travels, I’ve made do with no more than three pairs of underwear at a time.

No wait, I’m not disgusting, I promise.

The trick is to buy moisture wicking underwear, like ExOfficio. This kind of underwear doesn’t hold moisture and therefore stays fresher longer. You can wear the same pair for days at a time and not have any undesirable odor arising from your nether regions.

If you’re stuck for time and can’t order specialty moisture wicking underwear online or can’t find it in stores, look for underwear made from synthetic fibers (like polyester) in a department store. That’s almost as good.

6. A Kindle

If you like to read, I highly recommend you ditch the fifteenth-century paper technology and buy a Kindle for your travels. You’ll have an almost infinite selection of books to choose from on there, you won’t have to carry around heavy chunks of dead tree all the time, and you don’t have to worry about offloading a book once you’re done with it.

Buying a travel guidebook on Kindle also gives you the advantage of not looking like a lost tourist when you pull it out in public, seeing as how nobody can tell what you’re reading. (The downside though is that all those pretty pictures in the guidebook won’t show up so nice on most Kindle devices.)

One accessory I recommend you get for your Kindle is a good case. I dropped my first Kindle in Nepal and broke it. Not a happy time in my life :'(

7. A Hand Towel

This is what you will use to dry yourself after a bath or shower.

Sounds crazy, but hear me out.

You don’t want to bring a big towel with you as it will eat up too much space in your backpack and it takes too long too dry. Nor do you want to bring one of those so-called “travel towels” that claim to do just as good a job as a real towel despite being only a couple of millimeters thick. I had one of those for a while and got rid of it because it sucked.

What’s worked best of all for me on the road is a simple hand towel.

Now, obviously, a hand towel isn’t going to do you any good on the beach, and it won’t hide your sexy bits very well if you’re at a spa or something (trust me, I tried this in Japan and it didn’t work out too good). But you can always borrow or rent a towel for those occasions.

The hand towel is what you will use day-to-day after a bath or shower. And for that purpose, it’s your best option for staying dry on the fly.

Was this list helpful?

If so, two things:

1) Please go ahead and share this list on social media. Your friends might find it helpful, too.

2) You may want to check out the guide I’m releasing next week, called Travel The World + Work Online. It’s all about how to live a long-term travel lifestyle while working on the internet, like I’ve been doing for the past five years.

Make sure you’re signed up to my mailing list below so I can give you a heads up about the guide as soon as it’s released. I’ll be sending information about an early-bird discount to everyone on there.

My name is →



My email is →




No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.

The Truth About Passive Income

A quick note: on Tuesday, July 21st I’ll be releasing an in-depth guide teaching you how to travel the world and work online (like I’ve been doing for the past five years). More about that at the end of this article.

…

Let’s tackle everyone’s favorite topic when it comes to working online.

But in this article I’m NOT going to give you seven steps to passive income or anything like that. Because honestly, I’ve been self-employed and working online for almost five years now, and I still haven’t cracked it myself.

What I have done these past five years though is waste a ton of time chasing the passive income dream.

And so I want to offer you some simple advice: forget about it.

That’s right. Forget about passive income.

I’m not saying it’s a myth, and I’m not saying it’s impossible.

What I am saying is this: focusing on passive income when you’re just starting out trying to make a living online can be very distracting, and very costly.

In my experience (and the experience of many other web workers I’ve talked to about this), you’re far better off focusing on “active” income when you’re just starting out. That means becoming a freelancer and trading your time for money.

Why are you better off doing this?

First and foremost, you’re simply much more likely to make a reliable income as a freelancer. You know that if you put in five hours working on a freelance project, you’ll be compensated appropriately for those hours.

With passive income there’s a lot less certainty. You could spend days, weeks or even months building some automated system that you believe will generate passive income (as I’ve tried to do several times in the past), only to end up disappointed (as I’ve ended up several times in the past).

That’s not to say that you should never take a risk and invest a bunch of time and energy into a project with little or no guarantee of reward, but it’s foolish to pin all your hopes on something like that. It’s much smarter to build up a reliable freelancing business first, and have that to fall back on if your later attempts at generating passive income fail miserably.

Another reason I recommend focusing on “active” income first is because the experience of working direct with real clients on real projects is invaluable. You learn a lot about your chosen industry and begin to see which problems are most painful and prevalent. You also learn how to market your services, make pitches, close deals and manage projects. If you grow your freelancing business steadily you can begin to outsource some of the work and transform into an agency.

Once you get to that point, you’ll be better able to identify solid opportunities for generating passive income, and you’ll be better equipped to capitalize on those opportunities.

All that said, it’s good to always have your eyes open for passive income opportunities, even if you’re just starting out. Just please be skeptical and do your due diligence before investing a ton of time and energy into the chase.

A lot of people online will tell you that passive income is easy to achieve, but out of the literally hundreds of web workers I’ve personally met or corresponded with over the years, I’d say less than 1% of them are truly making a good living from passive income.

Maybe you’re exceptional and you can generate passive income right out of the gate, but your best bet is to assume that you’re going to have to knuckle down and grind it out as a freelancer in the early days.

And honestly, that’s not so bad. You may go through some struggles, but in the the long run freelancing beats the hell out of traditional, nine-to-five, working-for-someone-else employment. As a freelancer, the opportunities to grow and learn and earn are endless, and you’ll have the flexibility to live wherever you want and set your own hours.

In whatever niche you choose to serve as a freelancer, with even a mediocre amount of hustle, you should be able to work your way up to a rate of $30 an hour within six months or so. Work three hours a day, Monday to Friday at that rate, and you’re grossing $1800 a month. That will buy you a nice lifestyle in many a tropical country, and give you plenty of free time to actually enjoy it.

Now all that may not be what you want to hear — promises of passive income are much more seductive — but I strongly believe it’s what you need to hear if you’re serious about making money online.

I have much more information on this topic in the guide I’ll be releasing on July 21st, including interviews with several people who are earning more than $5,000/month as self-taught online freelancers. They started with no special skills or experience yet were able to make it happen.

If they can do it, you can, too.

Make sure you’re signed up to my mailing list below so I can give you a heads up about the guide as soon as it’s released. I’ll be sending information about an early-bird discount to everyone on there.

My name is →



My email is →




No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.

The Worst Travel Mistake I Ever Made

In a little thatch-roof cottage in the center of Kathmandu, I sat at my laptop and pressed submit.

And it was done.

I’d just sent $1,200 to a specialist travel agent to book passage aboard a freighter from Sri Lanka to Malaysia.

I sat back and smiled.

Almost a year into my trip around the world without flying, the next big leg of the journey was now arranged and paid for.

The payment was non-refundable, but I was confident everything would go according to plan. All I had to do was make my way down through India, cross the ten miles of sea to Sri Lanka, and be in Colombo on October 9th, ready to board that big beautiful boat to South East Asia.

I sat there all self-satisfied, daydreaming of upcoming adventures.

I pictured myself riding trains all the way south to Chennai, sticking my head out of open doors and basking in the breeze like a dog riding shotgun with the window down. I looked ahead to crossing the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, perhaps catching a glimpse of an untouched island or the occasional whale shark. And I imagined stepping off the freighter in Malaysia and making my way north to the promised land of Siam, where friends and lovers awaited.

And then a thought entered my mind that gave me pause. I sat up and quickly and began googling:

ferry from india to sri lanka
boat from india to sri lanka
india to sri lanka by sea
india to sri lanka without flying
why the fuck is there no ferry between india and sri lanka???

I wasn’t overly concerned at first. It was ten miles of sea. Surely I’d find some way to cross it without flying.

But alas, no.

The next four weeks saw me try my luck with cruise lines, cargo ship companies, fishing vessels, sailboats, even the Sri Lankan coastguard… but I found no way to cross that stubborn strait without wings. There had been no ferry in operation for thirty years. There were no suitable dates for a cruise. It was illegal to pay a fisherman to taxi me across. The sailing season was months away. And the Sri Lankan coastguard warned that they would open fire on unidentified vessels.

October 9th came and went. My big beautiful boat disembarked from Colombo, Sri Lanka, en route to Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia.

I was still stuck in India. And $1,200 poorer.

Eventually I would escape India without flying — I tell the whole story in my book, The Cargo Ship Diaries — but losing those dozen benjamins ate away at me for quite a while. All it would have taken to avoid that loss was a little extra rigor in my research, devoting just a few more minutes to investigate and confirm every part of the route.

Of course, as I’ve often said, you can’t have an adventure if everything goes to plan. But some adventures are more expensive than others. Whenever you’re about to spend a significant sum on travel — or anything else, for that matter — first ask yourself if you’ve done your due diligence.

What’s the worst travel mistake you’ve ever made?

I’m putting together a short guide on costly travel mistakes and how to avoid them. I’d love if you could share your biggest travel mistake in the comments below. If your mistake is appropriately cringe-inducing, I’ll include it in the guide. Be sure to drop a link to your blog/website in the comments if you’d like some google juice.

(Alternatively, if you haven’t traveled much before, let me know in the comments what travel mistake you’re most worried you’ll make when you do hit the road!)

How to work online and travel the world

Lastly, two weeks from now I’ll be releasing an in-depth guide teaching you how to work online and travel the world (like I’ve been doing for the past five years).

If you’ve always wanted to live a travel lifestyle and earn money from your laptop, but aren’t sure where to start, this guide is for you.

Sign up below and I’ll email you a special discount offer when the guide is released.

My name is →



My email is →




No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with a click.

Momentos: June 16th – June 30th, 2015

16.

Reading two books written by one-time lovers, and loving them both. The Fountainhead is one I’ve long been intimidated to tackle, but more enjoyable than expected. And then there’s Branden’s masterpiece on self-esteem. That’s one you have to read slowly. I’ve been working through it for almost two months now. It’s made me a better man.

17.

I told a friend I couldn’t meet him for coffee this afternoon. Of course, I could have, but I’m trying to keep my schedule sacred. 6:30am to 6:30pm, no exceptions. Tonight was another challenge, with a dinner date at my place. I could have asked her to sleep over, and it would have been nice, but she was gone by eleven. Need that rest to be at my best.

18.

What would your days look like if you had all the time and money in the world? I thought about it and decided I’d spend an hour each day reading a book and I’d take a nap every afternoon. Then I thought, shit, wait… those luxuries are available to me now! So I’m claiming them. Seems lots of time and money weren’t required, just a little prioritizing.

19.

It’s not sex that we’re having. No, this is making love. It’s a spiritual experience, lasting hours at a time. Lost in each other’s eyes, trembled by a thousand touches, awed by the occasional tear. I’ve never been this intimate with someone so fast. It feels effortless, and right, like breathing clean air from a wooded hillside somewhere south of Schafberg.

20.

Facing a familiar dilemma in this tiled and narrow room. There are two doors between us, one slightly ajar. It’s times like this I envy the Japanese and their magic buttons. I have to make do with primitive forms of aural camouflage, like a fake cough or a flowing faucet. Of course I could just kill the smoke and mirrors and let rip, take our intimacy to the next level.

Feeding swans at Lijnbaansgracht, very near the Heineken Brewery.

21.

There are days when it feels like a heavy block of dull stone sits in the doorway and you can see slivers of grass and sunshine beyond but you’re trapped inside where it’s cold and grey and everything’s moving in slow motion and you can try pushing and pounding on that stone but your best bet is to step away and let it crumble beneath the weight of a good night’s sleep.

22.

Nathan Myhrvold once said that in order to do “wild, new shit… you have to be confused, upset, think you’re stupid.” Mr. Myhrvold so happens to be one of the smartest men on the planet, so it’s good to hear that coming from him. Business-wise, I’ve been going back and forth the past few days between thinking success is inevitable, and feeling confused, upset, stupid.

23.

That travel agent idea didn’t pan out. I found one that let me play with their email marketing this month, but the response wasn’t great, so we’re dropping it. I’m happy with the effort though. I took a good crack, learned a thing or two, and failed fast. As in poker, losing a hand doesn’t mean you played it poorly. I’ll keep my seat at the table.

24.

Yesterday wasn’t very productive for me, and I realized it was because I kept letting myself get distracted by email and Facebook messages, falling down endless rabbit holes of correspondence. So my key habit for today was to only check both inboxes once in the morning, and once in the evening. In between, much work got done.

25.

It’s before seven on a weekday morning and we’re taking a leisurely stroll to Rembrandtplein. One of the many things I love about this city — and you notice it now, too — are the little independent stores everywhere, the time-traveled shopfronts of tailors, cobblers, cheesemongers, barbers, publicans and coffee merchants. They’re all closed at this hour, but still alive somehow.

7am along Reguliersgracht, the famous canal of seven bridges.

26.

I knew I’d be called upon. That’s what I get for being social before the meeting. But it’s also what I want. What’s the point of being here if you don’t get up and speak? I can feel my heart thumping in my chest, imagine invisible grocery bags hanging from my hands, aware that sixty-plus eyes are on me. Then I start talking, and it’s all a bit of a blur.

27.

We stand front of a big shiny department store on the city’s prime retail route, a street named after a medieval cattle mart. This particular spot is where Amsterdam was born, why it first became famous. There was once a shrine here, to which pilgrims flocked from far and wide, looking to absolve their sins. Now people pass by oblivious, on their way to the red light.

28.

Sunday is my day for getting organized. I have a checklist to run through: update apps, pay credit cards, inbox zero, review notes on iPhone, clean up desktop, check calendar, etc. There’s a deep sense of calm that comes from having a place for everything and everything in its place. And from simply taking time to think and plan ahead.

29.

Always lots of dogs in the park, taking their owners for a walk. I saw a beautiful wolf-like breed there today, a big powerful animal. I watched as he ran past several miniature dogs, the kind you’d expect to see in a handbag, all growling in a fluster. He was a major deal to them, his presence insistent and intimidating, while to him they were invisible.

30.

Three weeks until I release a guide I’ve been working on since October, teaching people how to work online and travel the world. I’ve perused similar guides as research and my biased brain is convinced I have them trumped. Working hard on the launch plan now, but I know the real work comes after, ensuring buyers’ dreams come through.

Home gym.

In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?

« Previous Momentos | Comments

The Pursuit Of Happier

Recently I watched a TED Talk about infidelity. To quote the speaker:

“We used to divorce because we were unhappy. Today we divorce because we could be happier.”

This applies to more than marriage.

It seems happiness isn’t good enough anymore. No, we have to be the happiest that we can possibly imagine ourselves to be. (Or at least happier than all our pseudo-friends on Facebook.)

Of course, thinking that way just makes us unhappy.

I’m becoming more conscious of such thoughts in my own head. Earlier this month, on the hunt for an apartment here in Amsterdam, I quickly found a good deal on a nice place but was hesitant to commit to it.

I caught myself thinking, “What if something better comes along?”

Not a bad question to ask yourself, but a terrible one to dwell on. After all, there’s always something better out there. There’s always a nicer apartment that can be had for a better price.

But keep chasing and you’ll never be satisfied.

We get caught up in this same pursuit when making plans with other people. Tim Kreider has a name for it:

Plan shopping: deferring committing to any one plan for an evening until you know what all your options are, and then picking the one that’s likely to be the most fun, or advance your career, or have the most girls at it. In other words, treating people like menu options, or products in a catalog.

I recognized myself far too much in that description when I heard it a few months back. I’ve since been making a conscious effort to quit shopping around for the best possible option, instead allowing myself to commit to options that are merely good.

The trick is to catch yourself asking, “What if something better comes along?”

Drop that and replace it with, “Will this make me happy?”

There’s no simple answer to that first question, and so you find yourself tormented and dissatisfied. But the second question demands a binary response: yes or no.

Just to clarify, I’m not saying you should settle easily. It’s healthy to weigh your options and strive for bigger and better things. And in some areas (like business), it’s smart to pass on the good opportunities so you’re free to tackle the great when they come along.

So of course, be selective. But not so much that you sacrifice a certain happiness for a potential happier.

Momentos: June 1st – June 15th, 2015

1.

It’s been a long day. And beautiful. I awoke to a full moon and a quiet house in Ireland, and now, 24 hours later, I’m in Amsterdam, falling asleep to the flicker of candlelight and the sound of rain on the rooftop. Through every interaction today, I’ve felt this city opening its arms to welcome me, saying yeah, this is where you should be, come on in and stay a while.

2.

I wash the dishes before I go. Only fair, since she did the cooking, and I like to imagine how she’ll smile and think of me when she gets home. That done, I let myself out and wander east through the bicycled streets, across bridges and along canals, catching a few familiar sights and letting the fond memories linger. Maybe the rain will come again, but I don’t care.

3.

I knew that guy was lying to me. He maintained strong eye contact, and his story sounded reasonable, but I just knew. He stole that bike, and then he tried to sell it to me. I knew that, and I still bought it. And I have all kinds of justifications for buying it — if I didn’t someone else would have, etc. — but if I’m honest, I wish I’d had the presence of mind to just walk away.

4.

She wouldn’t give me a discount on the rent, but the important thing is I asked. I tried. It’s never the failure that gets you. It’s the not trying, the giving in to resistance. You’ve got to battle that shit anew every day, because it keeps resurfacing. So anyway, I paid the asking price and moved in today. I now live in Amsterdam. Indefinitely.

5.

How she looked this morning by the window, all aglow with the early sunshine and something else there too, something inexplicable. That was a moment that will last me forever, memory unforgettable. And I wish I could be satisfied with more of that, more of her, and nothing more. I wish that was all I wanted, but I don’t think it is.

Arriving in Amsterdam

6.

Amsterdam has a character all its own, a city chock full of uniqueness. Little independent cafes and second-hand furniture stores and quirky bicycles and miniature buildings made big. Every second view is a postcard, every second girl distinctly beautiful, every second dude your best friend in another life. I’m grateful to be here, every second.

7.

FB message: “Soooo I have a friend going to Amsterdam sometime this month and she is looking for people to hang out with. She’s super hot and really an all-around kind and fun girl. She is traveling with another female friend of hers and probably wants to have fun and get into some trouble. Want me to put you in touch?” Call me crazy, but I said no thanks.

8.

Today was a day I’d been looking forward to for months. I got a ton done without feeling rushed. This, my friends, is the luxury of routine. A week deep in Mokum and I’ve got a good one going. I read for more than an hour today, got a decent workout in, meditated, took a nap, spent solid time on personal projects, and put in four hours of client work.

9.

I have a sanctuary now, a place to retreat and recuperate, light some incense and listen to Nina Simone while cooking up a good meal. They say extroverts feel energized from being around people, while introverts feel drained. If that’s true, I definitely lean towards the latter, and so these quiet evenings alone in my apartment are something akin to bliss.

10.

I’ve been working on a product to sell via the blog for several months now. It will be a bundle of guides about how to live a travel lifestyle and work online. I was aiming for a June 30th launch but a marketing-savvy friend took a look at my launch plan today and highlighted plenty of room for improvement. So pushing the date back to July 14th. Lots to do before then.

Sarphatipark (aka my gym in Amsterdam)

11.

Sarphatipark before seven, sun just starting to sneak through the trees. I see the same family of ducks there at the pond every morning, two big and five little, glimpsed bright green wings on the wind yesterday, wonder if I’ll see them again today. I settle into a stretch routine on the grass, alongside words of strangers telling me what they want to do before they die.

12.

I’ve never paid for sex and I’ve never smoked weed (yet), but I like that those things are decriminalized here. The way I see it, drugs and prostitution happen in every city in the world, but mostly underground and down dark alleys where bad shit is more likely to happen. The Dutch seem to have a more mature approach to vice.

13.

Breathing in the memories of Leidseplein, watching characters come and go, trying to notice things nobody’s noticed before. I’ve been waiting fifteen minutes. Chances are this girl won’t show. And I’m okay with that. There’s no feeling of disappointment, no feeling of worthlessness, just acceptance of what is. I’ll go home, watch a movie, and call it a perfect day.

14.

Basketball. Still love it. Catching up on NBA clips on YouTube is a daily delight, makes me feel like a kid again. And I still love to play. Found a good scrimmage this afternoon in Oostpoort and went for ninety minutes full-court. I’m more aware out there than I used to be, can see gaps and cutters a younger me would have missed. Must try make this a weekly thing.

15.

I’ve noticed myself getting tight when I’m deep in a work session, shoulders tense, teeth sometimes clenched. Probably not good to sit for hours like that at a time. So today I set an app on my phone to buzz every five minutes as a reminder to breathe and release. Hopefully that will train me into a more relaxed posture while cranking away at the laptop.

Street performers in front of the famous I Amsterdam sign.

In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?

« Previous Momentos | Comments

Momentos: May 16th – May 31st, 2015

16.

Twas a rough night sleeping across two seats on the ferry, but I’m awake at the crack and giddy like a kid at Christmas. Today is the day, three and a half years in the making. I go up on the top deck and find it empty. The helicopter pad becomes my dance floor, the wind my music, the rising sun my spotlight, and I dance the dance of a very happy man.

17.

Ran into an old school friend in the supermarket. He married a nice hometown girl, works a steady job, raising a kid or two. And I see on Facebook that the girl I dated here several years ago is getting hitched soon. An alternative life flashing before my eyes, the path I chose not to choose. But I think I could have found peace on that path, too.

18.

I’m exhausted, took a ninety minute nap today despite solid sleep the past few nights. I think I need the down time, though it’s always a challenge for me to unplug completely. It’s not in my genes to sit around and do nothing. But I’m trying to keep the work stuff at bay and be okay with wiling away a few unproductive hours at home.

19.

Still lonely, longing for deeper chats and intimacy, but it’s easier knowing that I’ll be starting a new life soon, one which won’t involve faces and places changing quite so rapidly. Instead I’ll be building foundations, investing in friendships, relationships, community. It won’t happen overnight, I know, but it will happen. I’ll put in the time.

20.

It’s interesting that people keep asking what’s next, what’s next, what’s next. I just got done traveling around the world for 44 months, give me a chance to catch my breath! At the same time though, I know they’re just echoing the thoughts in my head. And many of those thoughts are about Amsterdam. My new life starts there in eleven days.

The green green grass of home: arriving in Rosslare on May 16th.

21.

It’s easy get excited by business ideas. I’ve been obsessing on one this week, thinking it’s a no-brainer, that people would be mad not to buy in. But it’s all in my head so far. I haven’t talked to any potential customers. I’m actually stalling on doing just that, because I like this excited feeling, and real-world feedback might extinguish it all too soon.

22.

We just left a one-man show about an Irishman who explored the Antarctic a century ago. The light is fading on a Friday evening in Cork, and the city’s vibrant as ever. We bump into a friend of my cousin and stop to chat about strong dogs and improv comedy and lying down in department stores. There’s a homely feel about all this, something I’ve been missing.

23.

Our conversations are long and rambling and range from the deep and philosophical to the silly and immature. I’ll share one topic we dove into today, that being a question on evil: Does it exist beyond humans, or is it purely a human concept, a label we apply to things we don’t like or understand? Can a wolf be evil, for example? Or a hurricane? Or a mountain?

24.

There was something that man said today that struck me as profound, and I remember thinking as he said it that I should try to remember what he said so I could write about it later, but then he kept talking and I kept thinking and between the trying to listen to the new thing and trying not to forget the old thing, it wasn’t long before I’d lost it all.

25.

I walked into seven businesses today, off the street, out of the blue, and tried to learn what I could about their online marketing. It was a lot like approaching and hitting on women. Some interactions went well, some went poorly. The trick, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, is to go from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

The view from my grandmother’s house in Ireland.

26.

Today was lots of face time with cool people, just sitting and chatting. I bought a friend lunch, another friend bought me dinner. I took some scary business action, made some money and learned a few things. I sat in the sun and drank coffee and read a book. It was one of those perfect days, the kind we dream of having but too often fail to appreciate when they come along.

27.

Another alternative life flashed before my eyes today, as I was down on my aunt’s farm, nine acres of beautiful countryside with an old mill and a shy stream and all kinds of birdsong. Part of me longs to work the land, to plant and grow and shape a landscape. Maybe build a big outdoor gym, a spartan-style obstacle course, cabins and camping grounds, too.

28.

I walk out of there thinking the meeting could not have gone better. Exactly the kind of business — and the kind of people — I’d like to help. Now that we’ve shaken hands and I’ve a foot in the door, all I have to do is boost their sales, leverage that success to sell others on the same service, scale the bejesus out of it, and reap the rewards. Simple, right?

29.

My grandmother was born in the house she still lives in. She grew up riding horses and fetching water and leaving bicycles unlocked in public places. All her schooling was in Irish and she remembers the priest calling to the house to give you a scolding if you skipped mass of a Sunday. In her cupboard there’s an envelope full of postcards a grandson sent her.

30.

Having spent the past two weeks living back home and visiting family, you might have expected me to write more on that topic, but my family is quite private you see. While I’m happy to be very transparent about my own life online, I try to respect the fact that not everyone likes having their words and deeds written about on the Internet. (Pretty sure my gran won’t mind though.)

31.

It’s 3:08 am and there’s the sound of a clock ticking and keys tapping but nothing else. The countryside is dark and quiet. I doubt there’s another person awake for miles. The past two weeks have been like the slow turn of a page, and now comes a new chapter. It begins with a giant flying machine rocketing me towards the land of tulips and windmills.

Packing for Amsterdam.

In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?

« Previous Momentos | Comments

Make It Sacred

A bit of context for this post: I wrote it six months ago while traveling, but the same thoughts are very much on my mind lately as I get ready to move to Amsterdam and make business-building my priority for the foreseeable future.

…

It’s almost midnight as I’m writing this, on a Saturday night in Panama City. I began the day before sunrise on a sailboat in the Caribbean, could barely sleep a wink last night, seas were rough.

And now I’m about to fall asleep at the edge of the Pacific. I’ve crossed a whole country today, taken two buses and tried three different digs before ending up in this hostel I’m in, easily the worst I’ve ever stayed at — grungy showers, blocked sinks, busted mattresses — but everything else in this town was full so I had no choice.

I hadn’t showered in almost a week. I’m tired. I just want to close my eyes and shut out the sight of this shitty dorm room and go to sleep.

But I can’t.

Because I have to write for thirty minutes.

I have to write because not writing will cost me $1,000.

You see, I made it sacred.

I meet once a month with this Mastermind group I’m in, meet online and set goals. Goals that will make a big positive difference in our lives. My latest was to get back to writing regularly. I have to do at least thirty minutes a day and send a screenshot of my writing alongside a timer to the group.

If I miss so much as a day, I have to pay the group $1,000, to distribute as they please.

I was on that boat for five days, crossing the Caribbean from Colombia to Panama. And you best believe I wrote at least thirty minutes a day on there.

I had to.

I made it sacred.

This is why I’ve yet to succeed at the software business. I haven’t made it sacred. Success would be nice, but it’s not necessary.

Or rather, I haven’t made it necessary.

In fact, for the past three years or so, you could say that about my work life in general. Success hasn’t been necessary. I’ve been content just to scrape by.

But that’s coming to an end. It’s why I’m cutting short my trip, aiming to settle in one place for at least a year come June. I’ve got to make this work stuff sacred. Office hours. No bullshit long lunches or afternoon coffee with friends.

Make it sacred.

Just to be clear: I’m not saying you can’t succeed without making it sacred.

I blame my travel lifestyle for holding me back work-wise, but there are plenty of people out there who manage to travel like heroes and still thrive in the business world.

Good for them.

But I’m not talking black or white here. I’m talking about stacking the deck in your favor. Mine too.

And to do that, I need to make the work sacred. Just like I’ve made my writing sacred these past few weeks.

For you, maybe it’s something else.

Maybe it’s getting in shape. Maybe that’s a struggle for you.

Well ask yourself: have you made diet and exercise sacred? Have you made it absolutely necessary that you succeed? Or would it just be nice if it all worked out?

Nice isn’t good enough. You have to make it sacred. No “just this once” as you pass the donut shop. No skipping workouts because it’s raining out, or because you were out late last night, or because you have a bit of a headache.

Get your ass up and moving. Order the fucking salad.

Make it sacred.

Maybe you want to learn a language. But do you really want it or just kind of want it?

I’ve only kind of wanted it for the past few years. My Spanish isn’t near as good as it should be given that I’ve spent several months living in Spanish-speaking countries.

Why?

Because I haven’t made it sacred. I haven’t gone out of my way to have regular speaking practice. I haven’t hired a personal tutor. I haven’t done a whole bunch of things that would have put me way ahead of where I am now.

Making it sacred means cutting out a bunch of other shit. You have to choose. You can have anything you want in life, but you can’t have it all at the same time.

There’s a story about Charlie Munger, one of the richest men in America. An employee came to him asking for help. Charlie asked the guy to write out the ten things he most wanted to accomplish in the next ten years. “Write them out and prioritize them, one through ten.”

The guy did and came back with the list. Charlie took it, circled the top three and said, “Focus on these. Forget the rest.”

That’s not easy. But that’s how you really succeed at something.

You make it sacred. Cut the fluff and focus.

My thirty minutes are up. I kept it sacred, made it another day.

Let’s do it again tomorrow.

Momentos: May 1st – May 15th, 2015

1.

When people ask which is my favorite place I’ve been, I answer that my two favorite cities are Amsterdam and New Orleans. But after just two days in Barcelona, methinks I’ll be adding it as a third. I could get lost in these gothic streets for years, eating tapas, admiring stone, wiling away afternoons in hidden coffee shops, spots of sun sneaking through the leaves of plane trees.

2.

I’ve given up the chase. I’ll still approach and escalate, but I won’t make it my main thing. Gonna focus on hobbies and friendship and let things unfold naturally, no forcing. With this decided, I’m at peace passing beautiful women on the streets, chatting with attractive ladies at the hostel. No pressure. No wanting. Just breathe.

3.

Fourteen-bed dorm. Everyone was out last night, except me. I stayed in, read a bit about Winston Churchill, watched a movie. It’s eight a.m. now and the room feels hungover, one dude snoring like a bear, one chick comatose with her tits out. I lace em up and hit the streets running, park-bound in the morning sun, beneath parakeets and palm trees and balconies.

4.

I’ve been testing out a new set of food rules for myself. They’re pretty detailed. I have a points system now, deducting points for eating certain foods. The goal is to average 9/10 or better for six days, then reward myself with a cheat day. It’s going well so far, but the system needs battle-testing the next couple of weeks on the road before I call it a keeper.

5.

Wandering these narrow streets, looking for a coffee shop. I find one and knuckle down for a work session, only to find they have the worst wifi in the history of mankind. Ah well, guess I’m not supposed to work right now. I kick back and read a bit, scribble on some postcards, finish a sudoku. Been thinking lately that feeling unrushed has a lot to do with happiness.

Back in Europe! Posing in front of the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona.

6.

I may have spoke too soon about giving up the chase. Met up with a friend today and we walked around and did a few approaches. Had some fun interactions, got one number. I think there’s a balance that can be struck, knowing when to face the fear, and when to let go. I don’t want to be rubbernecking, nor do I want to be completely passive.

7.

Wrote my own press release earlier this week and sent it to a bunch of media contacts in Ireland. That led to a Skype interview today. Three things I’m aiming for: get some traffic to the site; inspire a few people to chase their own crazy dreams; and remind myself of what I’ve accomplished these last few years, people met, adventures had.

8.

Comfortable silences. Working on those. Just met this girl at the hostel, enjoying her company all evening, but trying to resist the urge to jump in and fill every lull in the conversation. I see if I can just sit there and be at peace with the silence, wait until she has something else to say. Next I’ll need to add more eye contact and easy smiles.

9.

My last night in Barcelona. I used to like the feeling of leaving town, but not so much anymore. Three weeks from now, when asked the question, “How long are you here for?” my reply will feel like apple pie, all warm and sweet inside, a one-word answer preceded by a contented sigh: “Indefinitely.”

10.

Daft Punk on my mind as I wait to board a bus bound for Paris. Who knows when I’ll take another overnight. I flash back along the trail as I sit here, to other stations I’ve sat in, people watching, patiently waiting. Bucharest, Tehran, Luang Prabang, Managua. These buildings have been good to me. So have the journeys in between.

Hanging out with friends in the glow of the Eiffel Tower.

11.

Paris, France. The weather is beautiful here today. I break a 27-hour fast and take a quick nap at the hostel, then head to the park to do some stretching and save myself $1k. On the grass between an old clock tower and a man-made lake, couples cuddle and kids play. Regular people going about their lives, while I’m just passing through.

12.

Got a taste of it today: that feeling of community. Met up with friends and we spent the evening sitting by the Seine, basking in the sinking sun. The riverbanks were packed with people, some working out, some having a drink, laughs and smiles all around. There was a magic feel about the place, social circles interweaving like a venn diagram all massive and merry.

13.

I sometimes wonder if it’s just me or is every guy constantly sizing up every woman he meets, asking himself, a) would I want to get jiggy with her? and b) what are the chances she wants to get jiggy with me? Even when I decide to just have a nice platonic time with a girl, those thoughts are always there lurking in the back of my horny man mind.

14.

The conversation’s getting good, and seems like L really needs to be heard, so I forget about catching the last train back to the hostel. Worst case scenario, we can both crash here at A’s place. I make it sound like no big deal but that’s actually a big win for me: letting go of the original plan in favor of the moment, just sitting and being there for a friend.

15.

Watching a red sunset from the deck of a ferry heading out of Cherbourg. Tomorrow I’ll be home, 44 months and 37 countries after setting out. I’ve come full circle, completed the loop, done something few people ever have or will. And it’s all a bit overwhelming right now, many a memory vying for a good spot in the lane. I’ll let them sort themselves out, and just enjoy the view.

The last sunset of a 1,324-day journey.

In the comments below, let me know which of the above Momentos is your favorite. Which can you relate to?

« Previous Momentos | Comments