These are my Momentos, short personal diary entries I write daily – since 2013 – and publish monthly. Some links are affiliate links.
1
Two years ago today a friend jumped on a call with me and sparked the idea of eBiz Facts. So far this year the business has pulled in more than $110k in revenue with a very healthy profit margin. And the best part is that I’m just scratching the surface. (Hopefully.)
2
Message from a friend:
This is why I have trouble believing all those “mindset” people. My mindset was… horrific all day. One of the most frustrating, self sabotaging, anxiety ridden days I’ve had in awhile. I was nowhere close to the recommended mindset for a sales call. And yet, this day produced a $2100 sale.
3
Been in this apartment seven months. We have a dishwasher but never used it. I like doing the washing up. Usually in the evening after work while listening to a comedy or basketball podcast. Hands kept busy and a smile in my mind.
4
Watched an hour of American Pie last night. It hasn’t aged well. Plays like a movie made by young men for young men. In particular, the hidden webcam bit now comes across super creepy and invasive. Maybe it was considered so at the time. But not by teenage me.
5
One of those magical walks today, taking my time wandering around the neighborhood in a drizzle. By slowing down and paying more attention to my surroundings, I found a few routes I didn’t know existed, some trees with strange fruit, a hidden crop of potted plants.
6
Not sure it’s possible to find someone who’s 100% trustworthy when nobody can 100% trust themselves. If a person seems at least 90% trustworthy, that’s probably enough. Writing someone off because they fall short 1-10%, that’s the baby with the bathwater.
7
The ground is wet in the city, but head up into the hills a little bit and it’s looking like a winter wonderland. We start from Turtle Lake a couple of hours before dark, finding our way along narrow paths with few footprints, drinking warm tea and talking about ambition.
8
Once among the best, Georgia is now worst in the world for COVID infections and deaths per capita. Not surprised. Enforcement of restrictions has been poor. The other day I saw a cop car drive blindly past a group of people coming out of a bar, nare a mask among them.
9
It’s been a month since my laptop was stolen. Spent a few hours reporting it to the police the day after. Heard nothing from them since. Complete waste of time. The thief played his role well, did the job quick and efficient. Can’t say the same for the police.
10
Back in the woods, this time with a nice layer of snow. We see tracks from a brown bear heading to a stream, but no sight of herself. Later we meet a seasoned ranger who tells us he’s occasionally seen similar tracks but never the animal. Maybe our luck will be different.
11
Since 2020 I’ve kept a spreadsheet of all the movies I’ve watched. 364 of them on there now, though some are repeats. Works out to a movie every 8 days. I also note where I watched each movie, who with, and write a one line impression. Triggers many memories.
12
You are the hero of the story. But the Rat Race drags you down, keeps you stuck. Externally, the problem is a lack of freedom. Internally, it’s the feeling that you’re wasting your potential. Big picture, everyone should be able to live life on their own terms, become their best self.
13
I’ve lived in the Caucasus region for nine months and it only just occurred to me that this is where the word Caucasian comes from. Wikipedia with more info:
In the eighteenth century, the prevalent view amongst European scholars was that the human species had its origin in the region of the Caucasus Mountains. This view was based upon the Caucasus being the location for the purported landing point of Noah’s Ark – from whom the Bible states that humanity is descended
14
July was my best ever month for income, pulled in $18.5k. Twas the culmination of work put in the previous several months. Then I stopped focusing on monetization and did the framework stuff. Been back to monetization for a while now. Thinking we’ll have some big months ahead.
15
We only cook breakfast nowadays. Lunch and dinner is usually delivery. We’re not especially fond of cooking or grocery shopping, so we’re happy to pay a premium to have food prepped and delivered. Thankfully, in Georgia, premium doesn’t cost much.
16
Turned off ads on my YouTube channel 2 years ago. Turned them back on for most videos last week. Still no interest in having display ads on the website, but I’ve come around on YouTube. Most people never seemed to notice that my videos were ad free.
17
Traffic has been exploding the past week or so. We were already up 300% compared to last December, but now it’s getting ridiculous. Accordingly, way more people are jumping on the mailing list. Something like 150 new subs the past 24 hours.
18
Keep driving north from Tbilisi and a few clicks before the Russian border you’ll find a spectacular little town named after a saint. Stood on a hill there today with the snow and the pine cones, looking across at sunlit peaks and glaciers.
19
One more day in the mountains. Trekking up frozen slopes. Buildings boarded up for the winter. Playing tag with a random dog. Following a road not on the map. Two men from border patrol. Blood in the snow. We might be in a tight spot.
20
It’s good to think about how much time you spend creating vs consuming. Fairly content with my balance these days. There’s a binge consumer inside me, and he’s had epic unrestrained stretches in the past, but I can better keep him in check now.
21
The term “half naked” usually refers to the top half. I’m lying here half naked, but it’s more like the middle 50% of me. Two other men in this locked room. One is touching me with some contraption while they talk about my genitals in a language I don’t understand.
22
I once read that every city in the world is three missed meals away from mass riots. As city dwellers, we’re dependent on working supply lines to keep us fed. Mobile networks went down for a few hours in Tbilisi today and all the food delivery apps were screwed.
23
A tiny splinter in my foot has been bothering me for a few days, can’t get it out. Actually, not sure I even want to. I have a relative fighting cancer back home and you know she would fucking love for a little foot splinter to be her biggest health problem.
24
Been listening to Christmas tunes the last few days and bought myself a new phone this afternoon. But that’s about as festive as I’ll get. Fairly used to spending Christmas away from home at this stage, but I would love to be back there this year especially.
25
Treated today like a normal Friday, worked all the way through putting the newsletter together. They don’t celebrate Christmas on the 25th in Georgia anyway, and acknowledging it too much myself would only have heightened the homesickness.
26
Buy a little pocket diary for 2021. Pick someone you love deeply. Write something nice about them in that diary every day, stuff you admire, appreciate, or a moment you shared. A sentence or two every day for a year. Then gift it to them on January 1st, 2022.
27
The lesson I never learn: when you take regular days off work – like normal people do on weekends and such – you enjoy your days off and recharge the batteries. Alternatively, when you work too much and burn out, you feel miserable on the days you’re forced to take off.
28
We’re thinking to scope out the Italian Alps as a place to live long-term. But we’ll probably stay put in Tbilisi for another few years. Liking it good enough even without a social life, and we can build a nice nest egg here with the favorable tax situation.
29
A commonality among many of the people I hear from who are struggling to make money online: they seem averse to learning new skills. They just want to do things they already know how to do and get paid for it. In reality, if you’re not constantly learning, you’re doomed.
30
Surpassed $20k for the month. Best yet. Strangely, the faster this business grows, the more I feel I should be pushing it, making the most of the opportunity. Needed to take time off the past few days but each day off feels like hundreds of dollars left on the table.
31
Wandering around after the fireworks, see a few friends hanging out, three young men and three young women. Music coming from their parked car, the ladies dancing traditional. I’m lost in time watching them, mesmerized. Until one of the guys pulls a gun.