These are my Momentos, short personal diary entries I write daily – since 2013 – and publish monthly. Some links are affiliate links.
1
Today was Saturday and I worked all day. Didn’t particularly want to, but did it anyway, needed to get a bunch of things done. I like to think I’ll look back on days like this, and feel they were well worth the effort and sacrifice.
2
I like living in a place with distinct seasons. Andorra has that. The days are longer now, we hear and see more birds, the grass is greener and there are buds on the trees. But we also had some snow last night and today, a last gasp of winter.
3
Two types of happiness. Hedonia is day-to-day pleasure or enjoyment. Eudaimonia is bigger-picture meaning or purpose. Apparently you need both to really flourish. I’m not feeling happy today. Which of those two is most lacking?
4
I used to shave my face once or twice a week. But as I get older and my hair gets greyer, I look fairly rough if I leave it too long. Since the start of the year I’ve been shaving every two days. Leaves me looking and feeling better.
5
Watching a recorded Zoom call, a woman telling four attendees that the moon is actually a spaceship brought here by an alien race who were looking for a new home. Aliens still live up there, making med beds and teaching “all kinds of stuff.” She apparently “tunes in” to this information, totally believes it. The attendees seem to believe it, too. Fascinating.
6
You can earn a good living from a one-person business. And that’s perfect for some people. But it’s extremely hard to add significant value and build significant wealth all on your own. To get to that level, the most reliable path is to get good at hiring and delegating.
7
Whatever the size of your online audience, imagine a town or city with that many people. The bigger it is, the more likely some weirdos live there. My audience isn’t huge, but big enough that I hear from several weirdos a week.
8
We live across the valley from a big rock face. There’s a via ferrata on there, which is like a vertical hiking route. Hadn’t seen anyone climbing it all through the winter, but about a dozen specks were scaling it today in the sunshine.
9
I’m on the right street but I can’t find the place. No sign, nothing. I walk around confused for a bit, just about to leave when a graffiti-covered door opens and someone walks out. I ring the bell and they buzz me in. Inside I see that the windows are two-way glass. Everyone was watching me bumbling around out there.
10
Staying at an Airbnb a bit outside Barcelona, up in the hills with a salt-water pool and a spectacular view. We’ve had long slow, conversational dinners here the past two evenings. I need more of those in my life.
11
Watching one of those “simple living” YouTubers. He has to break ice with a hatchet to get drinking water, prep and light a wood fire every time he wants heat, nearest supermarket is an hour away. Doesn’t sound simple. Sounds inconvenient.
12
The newsletter is great in many ways. Builds the audience and the archive, delivers value, keeps me on top of online business trends. But it can also be a grind, especially on weeks like this when I’m in holiday mode.
13
Saw the aftermath of an accident on the highway. Looks like nobody was hurt but must have been scary. I’ve never had an accident like that. Mostly down to luck methinks. I’m fairly confident in my own driving, but I’m not the only person on the road.
14
Just heard that Craig Breen died. Never met him, but he was a hometown hero and apparently also based in Andorra. He was only 33, knew the risks and died doing what he loved. Strange life, doing a job that can kill you on any given day.
15
Almost 200 applications for this job, sent test tasks to a dozen or so, and only 2 left that I’m seriously considering. The trouble with hiring is that you never really know until a few months in if you made a good choice or not.
16
NBA Playoffs started this weekend. Not as big into it as I was in my teens and twenties, but I’ll watch the 10-minute highlights of every game and follow all the story lines. Back in Ireland in a few weeks to watch some second round action with my best friend. Don’t think we’ve watched a game together in 15+ years.
17
Having that thing where I need to have a difficult conversation with someone, and I know I’ll feel way better after we’ve talked… yet I’m finding all sorts of excuses to avoid the conversation. What is that? Self sabotage?
18
Worked with him for almost a year. And he was good. I feel like a bit of an asshole letting him go, since he didn’t really do anything wrong. But I know this is the right move, a necessary step to take the business to the next level.
19
The business has gone from $14k/month to $25k/month within a year. Always seems like a slow slog day to day, everything taking more time than expected. Only when I stop and look back that I realize how far we’ve come.
20
When I disagree with someone, I think I do a pretty good job of putting myself in their shoes, trying to understand and appreciate their point of view, not resorting to personal attacks. It’s frustrating when they refuse to extend the same courtesy.
21
It’s still breathing, but it doesn’t look good. I get one neighbor to throw down a bin liner from the balcony, use that to pick it up and put it in a cardboard box. We leave it under some shelter for the night with food, water and blankets, hoping for the best.
22
Bought a 34-inch curved monitor the other day, using it hooked up to my laptop. With that, the home office is a step closer to completion. It’s starting to feel like the bridge of a spaceship, which is exactly what I’m aiming for.
23
Real picky about what I eat and drink nowadays. Could have had a beer and a burger at the casino today, would have been nice in the moment, but I would have suffered for it later. Ended up ordering black coffee and a small bowl of olives.
24
Trying to do better with boundaries, not taking on other people’s responsibilities. By default I’m quick to offer help, but that can be a bad thing, enabling dependency. Now I have to be careful not to go too far the other way.
25
I really don’t like my site design anymore. Looks too much like a blog, hard to take it seriously. But I’m holding off on jumping into a big redesign project. It’s the most glaring and tempting thing, but it’s not the most important thing.
26
Digital nomads are the modern day hunter gatherers. Out there hunting and gathering experiences. Which is great for a while. But it was only when humans settled down that they began to make big leaps.
27
Got out for a walk today in the afternoon. The smell of the place on the way down to the village, nature after a spring rain. There’s a freshness about it, an aliveness. I like when I’m able to pause and appreciate that kind of thing.
28
Finally catching up on a bunch of emails and messages. I used to be an inbox zero guy, but haven’t been able to stay on top of it the past few months. Sometimes takes me a month or longer to reply to old friends. I often feel guilty about it.
29
Been chipping away at learning Spanish, usually practice 20-30 minutes a day while squatting. Proud of myself today, was able to call up and set an appointment to get the tires changed on the car, all in Spanish.
30
Some stats for the month…
- 10,700 steps per day
- 7.92 hours sleep per night
- 30 days stretched
- $27k business revenue
- 101 tracked work hours
- 77 deep work hours
- 912 minutes in resting squat
- 2 movies watched