These are my Momentos, short personal diary entries I write daily – since 2013 – and publish monthly. Some links are affiliate links.
1
My grandfather died about 25 years ago. I have an enduring memory of him sitting by the window in the front room, playing solitaire. He could do that for hours, just him and a deck of cards. I play solitaire on my phone sometimes. Makes me feel connected somehow.
2
I’ve been a fan of the NBA for three decades, and today’s news was the biggest shocker I can remember. Luka Doncic traded to the Lakers. Nobody saw that coming. The NBA is my soap opera, keeping me constantly entertained via YouTube clips and podcasts.
3
Was going to make a video about affiliate marketing on Pinterest, where I test out a strategy and see how much money I can make. But the “best” strategy I found requires stealing other people’s content. Nothing illegal about that, but it is unethical. Wouldn’t feel good earning money that way.
4
Got ChatGPT to write up the script for my next video. Described the concept, fed it a couple of interviews I’d done, got it to ask me questions to fill in the blanks. First draft I got back was pretty good, only had to tweak it a little. Will record and edit tomorrow.
5
We overlook a park by the river. Looks nice, dotted with trees. They have a fair there every summer, little booths for food, families chilling out in the shade. This past week they’ve been cutting down all the trees. They’re going to pave paradise, and put up a parking lot.
6
Researching more AI and automation stuff, seeing what’s possible. Not sure what direction to go with it. I could try land some client projects, or I could apply what I’m learning to my current business, hopefully boost revenue there. The latter appeals to me more, but the former is probably a better way to get back to $10K/mo.
7
Lots more research today, and talks with people I trust. Leaning heavily towards the second option now. Much more excitement there, and if I document my learnings and application on YouTube, I may end up getting some client projects anyway.
8
Six hours of sleep. Had some tourists making noise in the field beside us last night, laughing and playing in the fresh snow around midnight. Went out on the balcony in the end and yelled at them to keep it down. That kind of confrontation doesn’t bother me as much as it used to.
9
Fully decided now to focus on that second option. To start, I’ll prioritize growing and monetizing the newsletter. Feels good to have some clarity and direction, excited and eager to get stuck in, become really good at this shit.
10
At a fancy spa, celebrating eight years. Nice to go on a Monday afternoon, had the place mostly to ourselves. I like doing the sauna / cold shower combo, cycle in and out. I’m often hesitant to go to the spa – feels quite indulgent and time-consuming – but I never regret going.
11
Thinking about that Itamar Marani question…
What if you met someone with the same skills you have but they were getting better results than you but with less effort?
The difference would be their mindset. Could just be a simple shift that unlocks everything.
12
Had an hour-long call with my VA today. Zoom recorded the whole thing and sent us an impressive AI-generated summary after. Meanwhile, you go see a doctor for an hour, no recording, no written summary afterwards, best you get is a scribbled prescription.
13
Watching demos of AI browser-use agents. Mind-blowing stuff. Won’t be long now until I can record a how-to screencast of some recurring task I need done in my business, and instead of sending it to a VA I’ll send it to an AI agent and that will take care of it.
14
Walking laps by the river, talking to the man a thousand miles away. These calls are often just me complaining, getting it out of my system. Free writing serves a similar purpose. I need to rant and rave for a bit, feel better after.
15
Back when the commissions were flowing fast and easy, I regularly reminded myself not to take it for granted, to appreciate it while it lasted, because it wouldn’t last forever. Sure enough, it didn’t. Glad I appreciated it in the moment. But then there’s always something I can appreciate in the moment, because nothing lasts forever.
16
Waking up at 6am the past two mornings, an hour or two earlier than I wanted. Combination of needing to pee – definite sign of middle age – and being excited about work stuff. I’ve worked all through the weekend. Feels a bit like 2019 when I was in Bali, getting eBiz Facts off the ground.
17
We’ve got a fast-food healthcare system in Andorra, same as most places. Appointments are quick, doctor barely has time to look you in the eye, makes a snap judgement and writes you a prescription. For most people that’s grand, they don’t mind fast food. Some even like it. But I’d much rather a personal chef.
18
Trying out the spa at this hotel down the road. Mainly for the sauna. Apparently sitting in a sauna for 20-30 minutes gives you some of the same physiological benefits as jogging, hiking or cycling. Aiming to eventually have my own home sauna, use it every day.
19
Spending more time on email, trying to connect with my newsletter subscribers, understand their challenges, see if I can be more helpful. I always saw email as an inconvenience before, something that got in the way of real work. But now I’m thinking it might be the most important thing I do.
20
First time watching Before Sunrise. Brings back memories of my own travels around Europe, buses and trains, occasionally meeting someone, hitting it off, seeing where the adventure led. So glad I did all that back then. The memories have faded but they still keep me warm.
21
I redesign part of my website and stare at it in awe, like it’s some magical creation that I’ve brought into this world. Probably wouldn’t look twice if someone else had done it. I expect having a kid is like that times 1000000.
22
Researched and wrote up a dozen stories for the newsletter today. Only need 10 for the coming week, so I have a couple extra. Thought about doing the newsletter 3x weekly instead of 2x, but decided it’s best to make the 2x profitable and sustainable first.
23
More Bali vibes. Lay awake after midnight thinking about a rebrand of my biz. Up again at six, put in a full work day, energy and enthusiasm pouring off me like dry ice. Twelve hours later, still going strong. Long may this last.
24
Driving up a mountain road in Andorra, catching glimpses of fancy houses and ideal plots. You always have to consider sunlight here. Some spots get much more of it than others. A few very nice houses are hidden away in dark little corners, which makes them not so nice.
25
I’ll sometimes have a finger or two get irritated and swell up a bit, a combination of working a lot and the dry mountain air. One finger like that at the moment. Still put in a full work day, spent much of it trying to automate OG images on my site, me and ChatGPT figuring it out.
26
Only six hours of sleep again last night. Busy day, but it went fine. There was a study years ago that said believing stress is bad can be more damaging than stress itself. Perhaps the same deal with being underslept. Becomes more of a problem if you dwell on it.
27
My newsletter is essentially me sharing the best business ideas I can find. If I can crack the code and make it successful, maybe there’s an opportunity to launch other curation-style newsletters. Or help other people do so.
28
This transition period of my business is like pushing a boulder up a hill. Any progress feels hard fought. Every misstep feels like a major setback. But ending the month with a few small wins, which I hope signifies an easier road ahead.