Mind the Beginner

You have a passion and you definitly want to do something with it later in life? You want to work in a field where you can exploit that passion and convert it into money? Of course! We all want that and we all have the right to do so. But maybe you are not sure enough about your passion, is this really what you love to do? Is this actually your passion?

Why wait until you’ve figured out?
You can wait until you’ve figured it out all of the blue, or you can take some actual action. Start right away, and the start doesn’t need to be very big, just start exploring, experimenting. Test what you really love, go beta on your passion!

How to go beta on your passion

• Find your passion. A big one and the most important one, you would say. But this is just a beta version of your passion! So you can be wrong, you can do something and find out that you don’t ‘absolutely love it’ and that is ok, cause this is beta! Look for your passion, imagine what you would love to do for the rest of your life. Found it? Great, next step!
• If it is something you can do for yourself, do it! Is your passion sharing ideas on kind of teas, or papyrus scrolls? Start a blog about these subjects! Find a readership who is also interested in the topic you are interested about and start develop yourself on that topic. After having a blog for a year, you will be way more knowledgable than before on the subject and it will be a great experience. And with a blog, you maybe can start to cash in on your passion just a little. Besides all of that, you are building an online presence and that can be your resume when you leave college, or start applying for a job.
• Go and intern! If your passion is something you can’t do from your own home, look for a company which does what you love! If it is your passion, you would do it for free (and of course, some experience, resume building), so go interning! Find a company what is doing what you love to do and find somebody who you can talk to who works there. Tell him/her that you are absolutely loving what they do and that you want to do exactly what do, but not right now. But you want to intern right now, in order to find out if this is really your passion. You are free, you are motivated, why shouldn’t they hire you?
• Evaluate. Is this what you really love to do, is this what you can do the rest of your life? Congrats, you’ve successfully found your passion and you may be ready to take your beta version to an official version! Is this not what you really love to do? Start over again, nothing is lost! You’ve just got more experience!

If you are not ready to quit your normal job, if you are not sure enough about your passion right now, start a beta version of your passion. Test, test more and find you ultimate passion, with experience and a resume as a bonus!

This is a guest post by Stefan Knapen who runs the blog StudySuccessful.com, a blog full of study hacks and personal development tips.

A lot of blogs I follow seem to be doing an end-of-the-year review. I myself have been thinking about this a while now and see no reason not to do one. When this year started I didn’t own a blog, I wasn’t active on social media and had never earned a single dollar through online sales (not counting ebay, but that’s not business).

Three small things but I started in all three and combined they made a huge difference. It began with reading the four hour workweek. As I have the habit of writing down the date on which I bought a book inside it’s cover I an tell you that I bought it on October 28th 2008. I read it the following days and reread sections over the following months. The first thoughts about lifestyle design were born and I started reading blogs. A few months later I decided to start blogging over at mindthebeginner.wordpress.com (March 13th 2008). You might recall the adres, it’s where I build this blog to it’s first 100 subscribers. I was doubtful about starting a blog for a long time, thinking I had nothing to write that people would actually want to read. I was wrong and Taking part in probloggers 31 days to building a better blog challenge helped me get into the ways of blogging.

Blogging is not the only thing I started as said, I also got into Project Mojave thanks to my friend Carl. Although I didn’t stay there it did open my eyes to the possibilities of inernet and that things really aren’t that hard if only you believe in yourself and your own capabilities. With so many people online there are bound to be people who want hear what you have to say.

Right now I’m still not completely happy with my blog though. The look isn’t to good and reader interaction isn’t what I’d like it to be. So there we have a goal for the next year. But there are many more goals for the new year. 2010 Will be a themed year for me: freedom. Freedom in many ways, and of course something this vague needs measurable goals so let me give you an outline of what I’m going to do this year:

The Goals

Most significant of all I’m setting the goal of a monthly income of at least $500 a month through online ventures to be reached by the end of 2010. Combined with this the total spendings for 2010 will not be more than the total income. I could try and do that on a monthly basis but I pay my tuition in one go and that will most certainly be more than my monthly income. Freedom of finance.

My second area of goal setting is this blog. I want to reach the 300 subscribers mark by the end of the year and give you at least 100 blogposts over the next year, spread evenly. (So no overload of blogposts in December just to reach this goal.). Also I want to redo the layout and provide you with a better blogreading experience. I might just start using “headway” but I’m still on the fence about that one. A blog to write about freedom, minimalism and zen-inspired life.

In the computer area I have three goals. First off, touch-typing in qwerty. I type a lot of course. Not only in blogging but I’m almost always behind my computer and touch-typing will improve my speed greatly. My education is training me among other things to be a programmer and it’s silly to have to keep watching the keys and be slow just because I use six fingers and cant’ find the [, \ , ; and ] without looking. Secondly I’m going to set up my desktop to be a Linux-only computer. Not because I’m anti-windows (actually I think Win 7 is very good) but because I want to challenge myself and I can see only advantages of knowing how to work with more than one OS. Lastly I want a laptop, so I can properly blog and work/study wherever I am. Something highly portable but capable, like a thinkpad T500. Of course this will run on Linux. The sidenote here is that I’m not going to pay for this laptop with anything else but the income I plan to make through online ventures. Freedom to work/study/play where I want.

In the category of brain-development and useless skills I have another nice set of goals. I want to be able to solve a Rubik’s cube in 60 seconds or less. (Of which I will be posting a video on this blog as soon as I reach that goal.) I know it’s completely useless but It’s something I’ve wanted to be able to do for a long time now and it keeps bugging me.
I want to be able to juggle three balls, yes it’s completely useless, or so you might think. But its a great way of training the brain and developing hand-eye coordination. Together with the cube it’s something from my childhood I never learned and watched others do. Who said every goal needs to be useful.
Speedreading, you’ve probably heard of it, is something I’ve also wanted to be able to do. Although I can reach roughly 600 wpm (words per minute) right now I want to raise this to over 1000 wpm both in Dutch and English. Thicker books will not hold me captive for countless hours anymore. Information is freedom and more information is more freedom.

The minimalism goals are next. A long long time ago I blogged about the 100 items challenge and I must confess that I’m still not there. Why would I want to do this? I want less clutter, more space and a serene living space. I will have to get rid of dozens of books, and all those things that represent cash value but are a total pain to get sold for a descent price. It’s to cluttered right now and have more things ties you down and limits freedom.

Last but certainly not least we have body and mind developments. Five points here, but three are things I’m already doing and need to keep up. (Okay, it’s more of a want but feels like a need)
I want to keep meditating daily for 20 minutes using the methods of zazen. Combined with this it’s always a good idea to take up physical activities so I’m going to run, continuously for an hour somewhere between two and three times a week. I’ve been running for a while now but it’s hardly consistent. The last physical thing I want to keep doing is continue training t’ai chi. Following a weekly class every Thursday evening and I will stay at that for as long as I can, which is probably until I finish university.
As mentioned there are five points, so two are new ones. The first is a huge things if you know anything about personal development and productivity. And of course…. it’s something I’m not doing right now so here it is: I want to become an early riser. Getting up at 6.30 Monday through Friday consistently. Seeing as I live about 15 minutes by bike from Uni and we never start before 8.45 am that leaves me with enough time to write blogposts and perhaps even go for morning runs and/or meditate in the morning as well. We’ll have to see how that goes.
The last goal on this extensive list is something I’m absolutely not sure about if I will be able to do but I want to take up Aikido. Again this is a weekly course but the timing is horrid. Mid-day somewhere and that might interfere with my roster. I just hope it’s possible.

There you have it, my 2010 shortlist:

“Freedom”

• Financial

*Monthly “internet income” of $500
*Live below means

• Blogging

*300 subscribers to this blog
*100+ blogposts in 2010
*New layout

• Computer-related

*Touch typing in qwerty
*Having Linux as only OS
*A laptop (Payed for with internet income)

• Brain development

*Solve Rubik’s cube in 60 seconds or less (and post a video of it here)
*Juggling with three balls
*Speedreading 1000 words a minute in Dutch and English

• Minimalistic living

*Complete the 100 items challenge

• Body development

*Continue meditating daily for 20 minutes (zazen)
*Continue training in T’ai Chi
*Run more consistently (2-3 times a week, one hour at a time)
*Become an early riser (6.30 am Mon – Fri)
*Take up Aikido if possible

An almost insane list to complete and I forgot one essential thing: Do all this AND get proper grades! In the new layout this list will get it’s own dedicated page so you can keep track of the developments. I’ll also be making a so called bucket list (Things to do before you kick the ..) and that too will get it’s own dedicated page. I’m sure this list will develop a bit over the year, but nothing will come off, if anything, things will be added.

With that being said all that is left is to say Thank You! for making 2009 an awesome year where I learned loads of things and finally found my path in life. I couldn’t have done it without you. Enjoy these last days and I hope to see you in 2010

Greets,

Christiaan

Introduction period at University is over, I start next Monday. As announced in a previous post I wouldn’t do a weekly update last weekend. Well, things got a bit worse, I did only one blogpost this entire week! I could apologize, but I thought better of it and wrote a blogpost on the power of silence. Nice way of solving the issue don’t you think?

The month is almost at an end and just a few minutes ago I reached a new all time record. I was planning to have more pageviews this month than last week and I just passed that number with one whole pageview! So again, another month of continues growth on my blog.

Let’s have a look at that first number first. I’ve got some bad news that I’m keeping for the end of the blogpost.

Average numbers of pageviews a day this month so far:176 (period 8-1 till 8-28) A number that’s significantly lower than my last update but at the same time is a bit higher than last month’s average. With only 49 hours to go until the end of the month (according to my pc) I’ve managed to reach the goal I set myself. The goal of having more pageviews than last month. Although not a huge increase it’s growth and so I’m content.

Number of subscribers to my RSS feed: 85, Not my all time record (that was 87 on August 19th) But the 100 subscribers will be here by the end of September and you know what that means :)

Where the traffic is coming from: I’m feeling more and more that this part of the update is useless. There hardly ever are any huge sources of traffic, most come through google and others through blogs all over the place who refer to me. Everyone please do spread the link, it’s the single most effective way to help other bloggers out there.

What I have done this week to get my blog bigger and what I learned: Another useless item on the weekly update as I’m not actively doing anything at the moment, I’m just writing what’s on my mind and comment on other blogs from time to time. I also keep using twitter although I’m rarely really there. I usually autopost on twitter. Seems unfair somehow, I really should become more active again. But that’s going to claim resources.

Which brings me to my bad news: I quit Project Mojave. For one simple reason, I currently don’t have the resources to participate and with a new semester starting in two days I doubt I could invest as much time as I wanted/needed to. I will be back there when the time is right, but for now I just don’t have enough resources to spare. Time to cut my losses so to speak.

Well, that’s the weekly update again. Next month will bring me my long awaited goal of 100 subscribers. I’ll transfer the blog to it’s own domain then and I’ll need to find a new goal, how does 500 views a day sound?

Today I’d like to address a huge issue I’ve been fighting with all my life. A problem that through reading other blogs and talking to people seems to be a quite common problem: Not having the guts to take responsibility. I’m responsible for my own life, my own happiness and my own accomplishments in this life right? But I keep waiting for others to solve issues for me.

Take the Project Mojave for instance, now that I’ve found a probably viable niche I haven’t done anything to further the development. I’m scared shitless of the unknown and somehow the act of being in the project seems by itself a guarantee to success. (”If you do these simple steps you’ll get there”).. So I hang around and wait for the steps to happen. Laying responsibility outside myself. If I don’t do anything, nothing will happen. So I need to reclaim the responsibility.

I’m not making much sense here so let me try it from a different angle.

Playing the Blues

Beginning guitar players are constantly looking to buy a better guitar and amplifier. As if just the act of owning such a “perfect” instrument will make them a better player. “If only I can buy such and such… I’ll be so much better at it.” Likewise with gaming mice, running shoes, backpacks, Project Mojave. Maybe their hero is using a certain item and now they must have that thing too, being convinced that owning this item will instantly transform them. Of course the marketing divisions realize this and churn out “signature” items all the time. (Especially true in the guitar market.)

So it is with me and Project Mojave at the moment. There mere act of being in there should earn me money and my freedom. (Or so my subconscious is trying to convince me at all times, so I don’t have to actually do anything.) We shall not discuss the fact that I own several guitars and a stack of perfectly good books that -if I ever do more than just own them and really start to work though them- will make me quite proficient on a guitar.

Realizing you’re stuck in these patterns is the first step towards dealing with them. But how do you deal with them. This is where my problem is at. I don’t have a clue on how to deal with this issue other than to write about it and hope for an external ass kicking. As I’m writing this I also realize that the ass kicking should come from the inside. I should be angry at myself or disappointed or something, beating myself up about it.

Beating yourself up as reward

But that’s not going to be very fruitful. Beating yourself up about something won’t make you want to do it more right? I should reward myself for the things that I am doing, creating a positive feeling associated with those things I want to be doing.

So here is how I’m going to deal with the issue:

1. Write this blog post and let you know that I have this problem
2. See whatever external virtual ass kicking this brings (and perhaps some useful suggestions)
3. Make an inventory of all the things I want to accomplish
4. Define them according to “SMART”
5. Break everything down to manageable steps. (I think this is the most important step)
6. Schedule these small steps. (Using google calender)
7. Doing the small steps and reporting back
8. Looking for people who can help me with this. (I’ve already found someone who is going to help me get through those guitar books.)

If we boil that down a bit we can make this list usable by everyone:

Commit by telling others

Get their reactions

Inventory goals

Define goals through “SMART”

Break down into manageable steps

Schedule small steps

Doing the steps and reporting back

Find people to help with the steps

Well, there you have it. My eight step plan to claiming responsibility over my own life. Now to make the inventory… and celebrate every step of the way.

This blog has been running now for about six weeks and it’s time for me to tell you why I chose to blog, what I want from it and what’s in it for you. It’s a bit of a lengthy post, but I want to let you know who I am and what I’m aiming for.

About me

The “about” page on this blog does tell you some things about me but to keep it easy to read I haven’t told you everything there is to know.  It states that I’m an exercise therapist. (A bachelor’s in Health) What it doesn’t tell you is that I am now 26. If everything went according to plan I should have had that degree at 22. Four years that don’t really make my resume shine. 

So what happened? It took me a long while to decide what I wanted to do after highschool. I dabbled in chemistry and physiotherapy but neither of these quite did it for me. To make matters worse when I was about half way through my bachelor’s the realization came that this wasn’t for me as well. After investing 2 years already I thought I might as well get it finished otherwise I would have spent all that time (and money) without having anything to show for it. Little did I know that there were a few huge walls ahead that would slow me down even more. Walls in the area of social interaction and empathy. 

I’m not the most social guy around, it’s what you get when you grow up in a family like mine. I don’t want to blame it all on them, it’s just that to me it was normal not to interact with people so much and try to sympathize. A gap in my skills that became apparent when I started working with patients. Part of the problem was that I was constantly drifting off with my thoughts. How to manage that? That’s where my zen training started. The rest as they say, is history. It changed the way I thought and allowed me to develop empathy (finally). I got through the last part of my training with flying colors. 

Seeing as exercise therapy wasn’t my calling I started to look round for other things to do with my life. I’ve always been “good with computers”, I enjoy working with them so much that I wanted to pursue a career in the IT sector. Many people have written about being good at something doesn’t mean you should make your job of it and kill all the pleasure you have with it but I feel that for me it would be the best choice. 

I’ve decided to get a masters in information science. The link between the programmer and the consumer. You can see it as the architect, whereas the programmer is the contractor and the consumer is the client. A mix of computer technology and people, just my niche. 

Why I started this blog

Although zen is the main reason for me to get through university it’s not the only thing that made my life easier.Over the years I’ve picked up all sorts of skills, habits, lifehacks and whatnot that got me where I am today. 

When my teachers told me I had a writing style that was very accessible and a pleasure to read they advised me to do something with it. Although they have only read my assignments in Dutch I’m sufficiently bilingual to try and write in English. Although my grammar isn’t perfect at best I do my best to put my thoughts to words. This blog is constantly helping me with developing my language and writing skills.This blog is my channel to develop myself and to tell you what I have learned and how I did it. 

I have started to think more about what I want to do with my life and I can tell you it’s not a full-time job and retire when I’m 65. I want to see the world and have a degree of freedom. To pursue this further I will be using this blog to generate a side income if I can. Although I won’t do this shamelessly with all sorts of advertising. You deserve better than that. No ad sense…Personal development, development of my writing skills, geting to know people and a very modest side income are what’s in it for me. 

What’s in it for you

I believe that I’ve acquired certain skills in my life that can help others with developing their goals. I want to help you with reaching your goals in life, with the use of elements of zen and (un)common sense. I want to get you to feel excited about what you do and thoroughly enjoy your life, even if what you want to do is nonconformist. 

I want to get to know you so I will be interacting with you and try and find out what I can help you with.

What will happen on this blog

This blog will continue to get at least five posts a week. Currently I post every single day, I don’t know if that will stay possible when I go back to university but that’s not until September 2009. For the time being I will keep posting daily. (update 2009-05-14: I’ve reduced the number of postings a week to somewhere around 4. This because my posts were lacking in quality and I was making that up with quantity. In favor of quality I will no longer churn out posts just to say something but will blog only when I truely feel I have something to say.) 

Posts will become better as I develop my writing skills.

Aside from the blogposts I will start writing a few longer essays that will become available as eBooks. 

This blog will slowly grow over time and I aim to reach over 1000 readers a day in the course of a year.

Within a few months this blog will move to a different domain: www.mindthebeginner.com. Once there I will tinker a bit with the layout but the feeling will stay the same.

I hope this post gives you a better understanding of what mindthebeginner is. If you like what I’ve written so far and want to keep up to date on all my posts please subscribe to my RSS feed. If you ever have any questions, suggestions or just want to talk feel free to mail me.