These are my Momentos, short personal diary entries I write daily – since 2013 – and publish monthly. Some links are affiliate links.
1
The older I get, the more I resist change. Even simple things, like how I’m learning Spanish. I have a little routine for that now and even though it’s not very effective I’m hesitant to change it. But I know I have to resist that resistance. Can’t keep growing and learning without embracing change.
2
I hear my friend has died and I’m logging in to find out if it’s really true. The dream wakes me up at 5am, third day in a row. But today I can’t fall back asleep. I get up, check for a blue moon, and ease into what will be a surprisingly productive rotation.
3
Been a bit obsessed with these DC Smith novels, on the sixth one now. I like novels that are realistic, nuanced, not everything tied up perfectly at the end. I can easily spend an hour plus reading this series before bed. Which is too much, awake too late. Putting myself on a timer.
4
Ever look back at things you did in the past and wonder how you could have been so clueless? The things we know now that we wish we knew then. Most likely we’re doing a bunch of things today that we’ll eventually look back on in the same way. But we never know what they are.
5
I’ve freed myself up from a lot of day-to-day tasks in the business, all so I can focus more on the messy one-off tasks that will hopefully take it to the next level. Got stuck into one such task today. It’s my favorite kind of work, the messy stuff. Looking forward to doing it again tomorrow.
6
Apparently only 40% of the world’s population is monolingual. So if you can only speak one language, you’re in the minority. I only speak one and a half. The guy who served me at the grocery store today speaks 4 fluently. Humbling.
7
By pretty much every measure, I’m way better off now than I was 2 years ago. But I don’t constantly feel appreciation for that. Have to stop and remind myself to feel it. Otherwise I’m too caught up trying to solve a bunch of new challenges.
8
That payment today puts the biz over $30k revenue for the month, first time I’ve done that and I’m pretty stoked about it. $1000 a day. Next goal is to hit that mark consistently, then go way beyond. Confident I can pull in $100K+ per month if I just keep showing up and putting in the work.
9
A few months back, a successful entrepreneur offered to pay me to go inspect a factory for him in another country. I declined, of course. Amazed he asked at all, since I have no experience doing that kind of thing. But maybe he just knows something about business that I don’t.
10
Sitting in the grass atop this mountain pass, eating our picnic dinner at sunset. A little kid keeps wandering over from another group, sometimes with a kitten. He tells us about his Mickey Mouse t-shirt and how he’s not scared of snakes. I hope I never forget this.
11
Had a recent tweet get 25k impressions and ~150 likes. That’s a lot for me. Not sure I like it. The more attention I get from Twitter, the more attention I feel obliged to give it. And I’m busy enough as is.
12
Woke up at 5am from a vivid dream where I was a school teacher loving my work and getting a great response from the kids. Felt for a few minutes there like I’d missed my calling, couldn’t fall back to sleep. So I got up and continued working on my actual calling.
13
I’ve had driving licenses in Ireland and the USA. Pass this test today, and I’ll have one in Andorra. But right now at the test center I’m busy calculating: a country of 80,000 people and 8 different driving schools in attendance = not a great business to be in.
14
That event in London a few months back had me spoiled. The hardest thing at meetups is to go start conversations, so they facilitated that, made it easy. This event today has a nice venue, drinks and snacks, but you’re on your own for the hardest part.
15
For the last week or so, the first hour of my day has been in Spanish. I listen to Spanish podcasts, do a little Duolingo, then watch something related to learning Spanish while eating breakfast. This little routine already has me feeling more more comfortable with the language.
16
Another legal threat from a course creator. The review went live <48 hours ago and we sent them a link for feedback. The page has had 23 unique visitors so far. Somehow it has already caused “substantial harm” to their business. Didn’t realize our reviews were so powerful.
17
Took a hike up through the woods, found these old farm buildings. There’s no road to get here, never has been. Just a trail up the mountain. People would have lived here long ago, lived mostly off the land. I wish I knew their stories.
18
I’m constantly trying to level up so I no longer have to spend time doing things I don’t want to do. But it occurs to me that one of the best feelings is having pushed through resistance and doing something I didn’t initially want to do.
19
Finally have the newsletter switched over to the new software. One of those tasks that I thought would be quick but ended up taking 2 weeks. And now the real work begins: using this new software to take the newsletter to the next level. Lots of work just to get to the starting line.
20
Started working for myself in 2010. Took almost a decade to hit my first $10k month. And another 3 years to hit my first $30k month. That number simultaneously feels big and small to me. Big because it’s the most I’ve ever earned. Small because methinks I’m just scratching the surface.
21
Took most of today off, headed across the border to the nearest town in Spain. We picked up a package and talked to a woman in a pet shop, then parked down by the river and cycled along a good trail there for a few hours. Picnic lunch near an ice well and a thousand-year-old bridge.
22
Talking to the man while I explore this town in Andorra. They built a nice walkway along the river that leads to a cluster of old buildings, tiny cobbled streets between them. Keep going and you get to a ruined church that’s as old as yesterday’s bridge.
23
Oof, this subscriber says he didn’t like the newsletter because the freelancer story was “total bs” and “not what i excpect.” I’d wager he’s never made money online and is annoyed that I’m not revealing the secret to going from broke to rich in 10 days or whatever. #doomed
24
Headed up this steep forest trail for an hour, now coming back down, fast but careful. I stop whenever I think I hear a bird or some other animal. This time it’s a squirrel. Something about seeing one makes me happy. I watch him for a minute, sweat dripping off me.
25
Been going back and archiving 200+ old editions of the newsletter. First edition was January 2019. I didn’t really notice it evolve day-to-day and week-to-week, but easy now when I go back through it all. The content has gotten way better over the years. Do anything enough times and you’re bound to improve.
26
My morning routine these days, the first 90m or so…
- Wake up whenever (usually around 7)
- Bathroom
- Start listening to Spanish podcasts
- 5m Mandela running
- Resting squat for 15m while using Spanish apps
- Make coffee
- 6m Mandela running
- Make breakfast
- Eat breakfast while watching Spanish YouTube
- Start work
27
Another day archiving the old newsletter content. My team and I have spent 400 hours on it so far. Slow, tedious work, trying to get it all tagged and organized properly. Once finished, we should have a valuable database of business-building tips and examples.
28
That famous parable of the businessman and the fisherman… never sat right with me. The fisherman works just enough each day to feed his family, but what happens if his kid gets sick and needs specialist treatment, or a storm comes and destroys his home?
29
Prioritizing. Might be the hardest thing in business. Because there are always a million different things you can try to move the needle. The trick is finding and picking the lowest hanging fruit. And it’s not always obvious if the fruit is worth picking until you’ve picked it.
30
Despite having earned $36k this month – a new personal best – I’m annoyed I don’t have the energy for a full work day today, a Saturday. Maybe that’s a good thing though. Reminds me how I’m still far from the vision I have for this business, far from satisfied.