These are my Momentos, short personal diary entries I write daily – since 2013 – and publish monthly. Some links are affiliate links.
1
A little before 8am at Hotel Casa 400. I’m laying in bed, she’s in the bathroom, getting ready for the day. She’s listening to some comedy show on her phone, in a language I don’t understand. And she’s laughing. I love that laugh. I love when she’s happy. She deserves to be happy. I’m leaving again tomorrow.
2
Arrived in Berlin this morning. Renting an apartment for half what I was paying in Amsterdam. Filled my belly for €3.50 at a restaurant down the street. I’ll be spending the next three months here, focused on work. Looking forward to getting back into a routine. And living alone again. Four weeks of shared accommodation had me frazzled.
3
Skype calls this morning with 3M1Kers in Spain, New Zealand and Chile. Then I put together a quote for a prospective client in Germany. Afternoon Skype calls with an assistant in California and an acquaintance in Amsterdam. Then an hour working on projects for clients in Ireland and New Orleans. Just another day at the virtual office.
4
Lived like a hermit today. Didn’t get outside at all, spent a dozen hours at the work stuff and ate two meals of rice, lentils, veg. A repair guy dropped by to fix the stove and I was on the phone to herself back in Amsterdam for a bit, but no human interaction otherwise. And I’m perfectly content with that. Batteries recharging.
5
A passage from Progression that rings oh-too-true:
People tend to get intimidated when they meet someone who is “powerful” or “accomplished” – and there’s something to that, but people are people. Almost everyone who does this exercise realizes they don’t reach out enough to people they’ve met who could really help make a big boost in their lives. You’ll want to fix that.
6
Eye glued to the computer screen for most of the past three days, catching up on work, getting back on track, reveling in some much-needed solitude. Today I was out and about for several hours. Found it tough interacting with humans again, social skills atrophied. Like I was a teenage boy and everyone I tried talking to was some hot girl two years my senior.
7
Negotiating with a large man who doesn’t speak much English. The price is 165. I have to mime a little to communicate my offer of 140, which leaves him room to counter with 150. He counters with 150, I say deal, then check my wallet to find only 145 in there. Ist gut he says, a little too easily, which leaves me wondering if I just bought a lemon.
8
Getting back to the morning routine good and proper now. Up at 6:45 and straight out the door for a quick run/stretch/workout. Berlin’s another one of those cities with lots of great parks and playgrounds that can serve as a gym. There’s a big outdoor climbing dome a couple of blocks away from me. I was the only one there this morning.
9
These new-style videos I’m doing are definitely the way to go. Lots more views and shares. But aside from that, it’s just really nice to have them. The skydiving video for example. It took several hours to shoot and edit, but now I’ll always have a fun little video to remind me of the experience. Kinda wish I’d been doing these all throughout my no-fly trip.
10
On a call with Mark from Authority Hacker, looking over the sales and conversion numbers I crunched for 3M1K. I was about to go ahead and create a 12-part video series to drive more traffic, but he convinced me to check the numbers first. Glad he did. Turns out there are some serious leaks in my funnel that can be plugged pretty easy.
11
Didn’t sleep great, something on my mind. Up before six and headed out for some exercise. Skipped the Thunderdome, rode my bike around the nearby parks instead. Went by a windmill, stretched in a playground, stopped to watch the rabbits. It was a beautiful morning, sun shining, warm enough. Everything could be different tomorrow.
12
Got in that flow state today working on one of my sites. Spent four consecutive hours at it, all in a trance, listening to the one song on repeat, time melting away. I often joke with people that I don’t like having a job, but I do like to work. And it’s true. Work can be a beautiful thing. Even if I had all the money in the world, I’d still want to work.
13
Four years ago I was stuck in Iran with no access to cash and insufficient funds to leave the country. It turned out to be one of the best times of my life. That whole experience rewired my brain somewhat. Which is why, upon realizing at 2am that I’d lost my keys in the middle of Berlin, I almost began salivating at the potential adventure about to unfold.
14
Why the hell am I still having late nights out in bars on weekends? I don’t drink, late to bed messes up my regular sleep schedule and leaves me feeling exhausted by the time Monday rolls around, and the type of people I most want to meet and connect with are rarely to be found in such places. Gotta be smarter about my socializing.
15
Timely passage in Dan Kennedy’s book:
The self-image is the governor, restricting the amount of success allowed. Success cannot exceed sense of deserving. If it does, the person quietly feeling unworthy does something or things to bring it all back into balance. I call this the Success Rejection Syndrome.
16
Trying to get past that habitual urge to do everything myself. I’ve long found it tough to let go and outsource and collaborate. But sometimes you realize that the actions and beliefs that have gotten you so far have become the very actions and beliefs stopping you from going any further.
17
Couple of Skype calls today with other web devs. Amazing what you can learn by reaching out to peers and role models and asking if they wouldn’t mind sharing some insights. But asking, listening, taking notes… that’s easy enough. The tough part is taking that new-found knowledge and putting it into practice. What actions will I take as a result of those calls today?
18
Giving the nightlife a rest for a while, having concluded that it’s a poor way to get my social fix. Wrecks my sleep pattern, and I rarely meet the kind of people I want to meet in bars and clubs. Going to try be more social with exercise instead, on the lookout for some group yoga sessions, might dabble in a few new physical pursuits.
19
The Olympics are happening. You’re probably hearing names you’ve never heard before, stars are being born. But consider this: there are athletes elsewhere in the world right now, not in these Olympics. They’re training hard for the next. Endless mornings in empty gyms, four more years of sweat, toil and sacrifice before we’ll know their names.
20
In bed by ten last night, up before seven this morning, a Saturday. Cycled to the park in the rain, stretched, did some balance work, stopped to watch the rabbits on the way home, then to a quiet cafe for some deep work, strategizing. Felt good, foregoing the cheap thrills, avoiding the self-sabotage, being kind to my future self.
21
There’s a great little place in Berlin where you can get a baked potato with a truckload of toppings for just €4. There this evening, sitting across from a legend of lady who started a quiet revolution, talking about drugs and dance and God and what we wish more men understood about women and vice versa.
22
A friend forwarded me along a great email from Primoz today, all about how to connect with and befriend people you’d like to have in your life. It’s pretty simple actually, just two steps (emphasis mine):
- Add value to someone you know by doing something others wouldn’t do for them.
- Keep doing this consistently over time until (and after) you build a strong relationship.
23
Sat down this morning and planned out the next four weeks. I’ll be visiting Dublin, Belgrade, Kiev, and hosting a few visitors here in Berlin. I blocked out days for client work, days for shooting video, days for editing, and so on. With that done it’s easier to see what more I have time for, how much more I can afford to say yes to.
24
Starting a new thing with the 3M1K crew: The 90 Day Money Game. I’m aiming for $15k by the end of November, which means $45k in proposals. Scary shit. Waiting on Skype today for a prospective client to come online for a call, found a part of myself wanting him to no-show. Easier that way. Let’s me off the hook. But he showed, and a better part of me is glad he did.
25
Above a pub on the south bank of the Liffey, something special is happening, a celebration of feminine art and creativity. Eight ladies take turns speaking, dancing, sharing poetry. None trying to make an impression, all striving for free expression. I believe everyone has a masculine and a feminine side. Tonight, my feminine is aglow.
26
Ten out of ten contentment today. Rambling around Dublin, exploring, shooting video, banter with strangers, a playful vibe. Coffee with a 3M1Ker, lunch with a new friend. A wander through St. Stephen’s, up and down Grafton, winning several smiles. A kind note from my host, a warm welcome from family. A day in the life of a lucky man.
27
Out at Howth Head, a beautiful spot in this small country – my small country – that I’d never been to before. Yellow gorse, purple heather, green grass, blue sky, white sails. People walking happy dogs and gulls floating on the breeze. Been around the world and seen places my countrymen will never see, but here on the island they’ve all seen more than me.
28
When you’re tired, the best thing you can do is take a nap, or get to bed early and have a good long sleep. But when you’re tired, willpower is lacking, and so you’re more likely to make poor decisions. Example: instead of going to bed, you laze around watching Netflix, maybe stay up late to watch a few more episodes. And then you’re wrecked again the next day.
29
A friend is traveling around Europe right now. Someone wrote on his Facebook, “I envy you so much it’s ridiculous.” I don’t know that person’s situation, but I know my friend’s. He worked 14-hour shifts at a hospital for a year and banked $100k. Now he’s doing whatever he wants. No big secret, no magic bullet. Work hard, make it happen.
30
Back into my routine in Berlin, back in the dome at 7am this morning, hang strength has dipped a bit thanks to the few days without training. Catching up on client projects and other bits and pieces the rest of the day. Squeezed in the nap and a good bit of reading. Now I’m on hold with the fraud department of a credit card company in the US.
31
Growing fond of this city. Strolling around the neighborhood this eve after another solid work day, a friend crashing at my place treated me to gnocchi alfresco, then to the park at dusk, plenty of peaceful people buzzing about, stumbled across a concert in the open air, the scene rich with satisfied smiles and an orange glow under the fading sky.