Mind the Beginner

Failure is a part of every day life for without it we wouldn’t be learning at all. Failure is level zero so to speak, it’s where we start from, we have nothing, no achievements, no successes. From this starting point we embark on a journey to get where we want to be. Without exception this is “better”, “successful”, “loved” or perhaps “being worthy in the eyes of others”. (Nobody goes forth in life trying to be miserable after all, we all have our golden dreams.)In the eyes of others is a very important statement here for we usually want things not for ourselves but so we can show others that we really are somebody. If bragging about ourselves to others would not get us higher up some social ladder would we still do it just or ourselves?

The single biggest hurdle to get over is to accept that we are utter failures in life when we start out. We can’t even take care of ourselves now can we? Diaper changes, meals served to us and all kind of other things. We don’t have control over anything, not even our own body (yet). The more we learn, the more we gain control over our own actions. The more control we have to more responsibility this brings along with it. But you -as avid reader of this blog and other blogs on personal development and lifestyle design- already know this don’t you? They say knowledge is power and most certainly knowing that, with more control comes more responsibility equals more power. You’re in control of your own actions every single day. Again this is old news if you’ve been reading about personal development.

Acceptance

Accepting the current failure is the big hurdle, getting over it can be done by realizing that you have the control to change things. You’re not a victim of your own life or a victim of circumstance. With enough knowledge (power) you can change just about anything. It might not make you a millionair rock star, but you can have a very comfortable life if only you take control and not let life slip through your fingers. Life isn’t that bad actually once you get properly acquainted with the way the game is played

But still, I haven’t written anything you didn’t know already now did I? For you see, that’s the problem with all these development blogs. We keep beating about the bush on that one issue that seems so hard to grasp: You are responsible and so it’s up to you to make the change.

Same old stuff, different day

We bloggers can write all we want and you can read every single blog out there on the subject. Fact is that reading is not the same as actually taking responsibility. I could write all I want about the major changes in my life, how I made the changes and how I’m on my path to where I want to be. Many bloggers do the same and their posts are always a great hit with the readers. Reading about how we live our lives and how we do things might give you some ideas, but reading alone will not change your life. Taking (blog-inspired) action is where the control is. Even if you do manage to take control failure will always be a part of the game of life, it’s here to stay.

I know I really enjoy reading about others traveling, about Leo planning to move to San Francisco, Alan’s latest adventures, Carl’s new blog, Sean’s escape from the 9-5 and all those other cool people out there. But the fact remains I’m not traveling, moving or having adventures. I’m just a blogger and a dreamer. I’m not where I want to be so in that respect I’m a failure. But at least I know it and want to change things. I’m not a victim, I’m responsible for my own life and so it’s up to me to make the change… I got myself into this mess, now I’m getting myself out!

Nothing new to report here, you know all this stuff

…so turn off the screen, get off your behind and start acting responsible. And you know what? It’s not about being worthy in the eyes of others. It’s about being who you want to be, regardless of others. I have nothing new to offer you, nothing that deep inside you don’t already know.

Are you with me? Let’s see what’s next. A new adventure is never far away, that’s life for you.

Chances are that you’ve read the four hour workweek, it’s also very likely that you know who Seth Godin is and the name Leo Babauta might even ring a bell. Just a few resources (almost) all people into lifestyle design have heard about.

But names these to just about anyone in daily life and they will have no idea what or who you are talking about. The whole idea of Location Independence (after all, a goal for most lifestyle designers) is completely unknown to them and they are certain you are out of touch with reality. Or at least have very romantic views on how the world works. The possibilities of Internet in the field of generating passive income streams is shrouded in mystery and above all, in disbelief. What are the actually chances of setting up such an income?
Maybe 1 in 1000 people will find a way to generate such an income, and just a few of those will be able to life from that income alone.

Blogging isn’t the way to make loads of money, we all know that right? Yes there are a few bloggers out there who have managed to do very well indeed. (Leo and Darren for example) but most Location Independent Professionals (LIP’s) have different ways of generating their income. Through sales on their blogs/websites, through affiliate programs and general advertisement.

Although I don’t have exact numbers (if you have them, please do share them) I like to believe that it’s not that hard to set up a passive income online. They key here is knowledge.

• Americans under age 60 with incomes under $30,000 per year and those with a high school education or less are considerably less likely to use a computer than their higher income and more educated counterparts
• 49% of adults say they’re keeping up (with computer development); 49% say they’re being left behind
• 75% of Americans use the Internet and spend an average three hours a day online
• Only 30% of cell owners send text messages – but that’s double what the number was two years ago
• One in three cell owners doesn’t know how to use their cell properly (that is, simple configurations)
• a new blogger [joins] the crowd every 40 seconds
• 94 % of high-school seniors have Internet access

A few random statistics that tell us that certainly not everyone is keeping up with all the online developments and there are enough people who -quite harshly said- simply aren’t tech savvy enough to make full use of the networks on offer. Yes, there are millions upon millions of bloggers out there. But what percentage of those bloggers has heard of lifestyle design? It’s a small niche. I’ve been asking around in class and nobody seems to have taken a serious look at things. (and mind you, I’m talking about future software engineers and information scientists here)

If you think what you know about lifestyle design is general knowledge, ask around on the following topics: polyphasic sleep, speedreading, outsourcing, raw food, flashpacking, purple cows, tribes and vagabonding to name but a few.

Grasping the possibilities

If these people, who spend almost every waking hour in the vicinity of a computer with Internet access don’t seem to grasp the full potential of the passive income stream chances are very few people out there really give it a go. Of those who try, most will fail, quite simply because they haven’t done enough research to find out how things actually work. Finding a niche is one of the toughest things you have to do if you want to be successful at this game. Mind you, although in your real life you might be the only one thinking about these things (I know I am…) there are thousands out there trying to do the same. Of those thousands there are a few hundred with enough knowledge to make it work, of those a couple of dozens found a viable niche….

Now putting it all together: Although the Internet is huge and expanding faster than the universe right after the big bang there is just a statistical handful of people who seriously explore the possibilities of lifestyle design and location independence. We’re right there at the front edge of the field, the early adopters. And being here gives us a huge advantage. We know what others don’t know yet. If you’re able to put all the knowledge to action and really give this a go you’re a very rare breed indeed.

You can be the one type, those who don’t try and those who don’t know are the other. Who do you want to be?

It won’t have gone unnoticed by now that my posting frequency has dropped dramatically. There is a high correlation between this phenomenon and the hours I’m spending on my homework. Take this weekend for example, I’ve been working roughly eight hours spread over the last two days trying to solve SQL queries. Problogger warns against this type of post but I’m still going to put it up: I’m sorry for the lack of posts and I must confess I don’t see things lighten up in the next weeks.

So here’s the new plan:

You will get at least one (1) proper post from mere on this blog every week! I’m temporarily backing down a bit. After all, the real world still is just that bit more important than the online world. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s just that I’m working on a sure fire way to have a good income through the 9-5 way. It’s everything we lifestyle designers are against but blogging about it, or blogging in general will never support my life. I have to find better ways, and more importantly, safer ways.

I’ll be more than happy to spend weeks without working, knowing that I can get a very good paying job quickly than linger in the online world kicking against that evil wage slave world while I can’t seem to sustain myself. I’m hoping to set up some sort of side income through the online world, but I don’t (realistically) expect it to ever make me enough money to fuel all my dreams. But that’s okay, I know there are a lot of lifestyle designers out there that make it and earn more than they can spend while traveling all over the world. I’m just not one of them (yet). It’s all because I chose a different path, a traditional one and one that I want to finish before I try all sorts of crazy/insane/brilliant ways of generating a side income.

Seeing as most passive side incomes are generated through internet and I do have a soft spot for this type of income (who doesn’t) it’s not more than natural I will try this in the future. At the same time I’m currently learning all sorts of new computer skills (new to me at least) through university and I expect to be able to do some simple programming within a year from now. That alone will generate an income. Blogging will chip in a bit when I move over to my own domain.

But as things stand, this blog is put on a slow simmer with an occasional proper blogpost. After all I’m still a quality seeker and I’d hate to flood you with all kinds of bad blogposts just so you have something to read.

Actually it’s a trait I’ve been seeing develop on more blogs in this area of the sphere. Less frequent posts but the ones that do come out are good stuff. So my dear reader, that’s what you can expect on this blog the oncoming weeks/months. Less posts but “still kicking ass with a zen twist”

I’ve had several questions lately about what certain terms are that I’ve been using here. Well, to make things a bit clearer I’m going to provide you with a post on  terms that are being used in the personal development and lifestyle design niche. It’s by no means complete though and I urge you to add more in the comments.

• Let’s start with some names first

Tim Ferris This name really should ring a bell. It’s the guy that started it all (for me at least) He’s the author of “The four hour workweek” and blogger writing about “experiments in lifestyle design”. He’s living the life so many of us want to. It’s probably why his book is so popular, it talks about a something that seems a fantasy and he claims can be reality. However, there are those who believe the four hour workweek to be a lie.

Leo Babauta Blogger over at zenhabits.net and author of the book “the power of less”. Has radically redesigned his life to what he wanted. I could explain it all but it’s easier to read this page.

Jonathan Mead Blogger over at Illuminated mind and author of “reclaim your dreams”. He also writes for zenhabits and lateral action. Someone who really kicks ass in the virtual world stating what it’s really all about without being gentle. He regularly kicks against what people think is reality and gets your head back out of the clouds.

Carl Nelson A friend, blogger at slacker reform, professional lindy hopper, vagabond, philosopher and rising start in the location independence world.

Corbett Barr Blogger at freepersuits writing about lifestyle design, another rising start in the community.

Rolf Potts Author of “vagabonding”, the second book that’s an essential read to anyone who wants to become location independent. Not from the perspective of how to get there, but on what to do when you’ve got it.

Darren Rowse Also known as problogger. A full time blogger making a six figure income through it and a huge name in the blogosphere. Anyone who takes blogging seriously has heard is name and has probably visited his blog as well. A great resource for anything blogrelated.

Seth Godin Writer of a lot of (11 so far) books on diverse subjects in the direction of market development and business.  A name you’ll see pop up from time to time, so I thought I’d mention him.

Steve Pavlina This guy might just be the original personal development blogger. He’s been blogging since 1 oktober 2004

• Some essential literature

The four hour workweek (4HWW) The book that got it all started, or at least put things on the map. In a nutshell this book teaches you how to find an online market, set everything up, automate it and reduce the number of hours you work to the bare minimum while keeping a descent income so you can spend your time on other things.

The Power of less Leo’s book, a nice summary of all his blogposts that will get you up to speed on minimalist thinking when it comes to daily life.

Vagabonding The book about extended world travel or how to “live out of a backpack” for months or yours. Perhaps even giving up a home and constantly traveling the world.

Reclaim your dreams An  eBook on getting away from the 9-5 till 65 life. You can read my review of it here

• Some often used terms

Lifestyle design Everything that has to do with living your life like you want to live it. Severing the ties that keep you from doing what you want to be doing. For most people this means quitting their job (a major timesuck where they are not in control) and setting up an alternative income through Internet. This frees up time so one can do all those things that one dreams of but never does. It’s getting rid of preconceptions that life has to be a certain way just because your parents lived that way or the education system has taught you how to live.  In short: It’s thinking for yourself on how you want to live your life and doing everything you can to live that life right now! Corbett over at Freepersuits has dedicated a blogpost to the subject that’s far more comprehensive that the definition I give here. If you’re interested you can find that blogpost by following this link. It’s a great read and will get things crystal clear.

Muse. A term used by Tim Ferris to describe the thing that generates the Internet income. His muse is a food supplement he’s selling online. Probably by now it’s also his blog and his book.

Vagabond. A person who travels for extended periods of time where not the destination but the travel is important and where at times there is no plan on where to go or on how long to stay there.

Digital Nomad. A vagabond with a laptop and other technical devices who has an Internet income and manages that through his laptop while vagabonding.

Location Independent Professional (LIP). A professional who isn’t bound to a location in order to make an income. More often than not these people generate their income through Internet and might just be called digital nomads as well. That is, if they choose to travel. Being location independent means you can go wherever you want, it doesn’t mean you have to.

Freedom business. This term is used in Project Mojave to describe an Internet business (selling an information product) that generates an income that’s significant enough to quit ones dayjob and become free. This means it consistently generates an income of some 2-4k a month depending on your needs. Also, this business requires little “maintenance” so you have an income that costs little time as well. Although you might not reach the 4 hours a week, it’s definitely doable with about 10 hours a week.

Project Mojave An online program where Clay Collins and some others teach you how to set up a freedom business, in three months or less.

Personal development The ongoing effort to develop oneself and keep learning. Learning new skills, keep questioning ones thoughts, beliefs and habits. You probably know people who do the same thing every day like clockwork. Have a dayjob, don’t read, don’t try new things or whatever. These people don’t develop any further for they don’t expose themselves to new things.

Well, that’s it for now, I hope you will all contribute to this blogpost by adding more names, blogs and terms to the comment section.  If you have any questions or if what I’ve written in this blogpost is just pain wrong or hopelessly incomplete please do let me know.

If you liked this blogpost please to give it a “thumbs up” on stumble, digg it, tweet it and use smoke signals to tell others. I’d really appreciate it.

Two weeks ago I asked you to fill in the survey on Location Independence and Digital Nomads set up by freepursuits.com and locationinedependent.com. Well, the two weeks has passed and the result are in.

268 people took the survey that was promoted by a group of lifestyle design bloggers. Of course I immediately took a look at the section where all these blogs were mentioned to see how many people actually know about my blog.

Among the people aspiring to become location independent (n= 174) 4 are regular readers, 10 are familiar with this blog and the rest never heard of my blog before.

Among the people who are already location independent (n=94) also knows as LIP’s 2 regular readers, 7 are familiar with this blog and again, the rest has never heard of my blog before.

A quick scan over all the locations tells me there are 4 people who are currently located in The Netherlands who filled in this survey and I’m one of them. A useless fact, but still…

Well, there are a lot of readers out there in this niche I still need to convince to read my blog don’t you think?

What more is the survey telling us

• There are only 3 people in the survey who seem to be taking part in Project Mojave.
• The vast majority of aspiring LIP’s are full-time employee and work their ass off (40-60 hours a week)
• Within the already LIP there’s a also a high number of hard workers although self-employed. So far for the myth of the 4 hour workweek.  Only 8 claim to work less than 10 hours a week. By contrast 15 work more than 50 hours a week.
• The most common  jobs among the LIP are web design, marketing and writing, Corbett (Freepursuits) wrote about 64 ways the location independent earn a living yesterday.
• One LIP is a professional poker player
• Internet is vital for the LIP to earn a living. (But we knew that already didn’t we?)

And now the most important question that was asked those who aspire to become location independent:

“What could the blogs you read provide you with or write about to help you achieve your lifestyle goals.”

Now this is where things get interesting and to me it’s one of the most valuable part of the entire suvey.

What you’ve asked for

• Motivation
• Success stories and case studies
• Money management
• Support & encouragement
• Technical aspects of the digital nomadic life
• Networking with digital nomads (Apparently there is a need for a true online community)
• Practical tips
• How to’s/tutorials

Is I’m part of the lifestyle design community it’s up to me and my fellow bloggers in this niche to answer the questions people have. Now that we have a good view on what it is you people want to know we can write more specifically about those subjects.

The two biggest fears I’ve concluded from the survey are failure and running out of funds. (although that could be called failure as well). Tomorrow I’ll provide you with a full list of all the fears people have named in the survey. This list is has a few recurring themes and  provide it just to show you you are not alone with your fears. We all suffer from them and there’s no need to give up just because of those fears.

Of course I’ll writing about stuff inspired by this survey, and as you’ve come to expect from me, I’ll make sure to put zen into it.

I want to thank everyone who took part in the survey, if there is anything else you want to know about the results that I didn’t cover I’ll gladly provide you with answers. All the participating blogs have received the results from the survey to you can expect them to write about this as well.

To help bring the community together Corbett Barr from Free Pursuits and Lea Woodward from Location Independent are hosting a “Location Independent and Digital Nomad Survey.” This survey is made for both those who are already location independent and those who aspire to be.

Seeing as I somewhat write about lifestyle design and have touched the sbject of digital nomads and vagabonds on several occasions I consider this blog a part of that community. So naturally this blog -as part of that community- and through that you as my reader would benefit from the results of this survey. 

What’s in it for you?

• A better blog here at Mind the Beginner
• A better blogging community
• An understanding of the community
• The opportunity to be recognized (with a link to your Twitter page or website) in an upcoming post about the survey results at freepursuits.com.

You can find the suvey by following this link Thanks for participating and stay tuned.

In addition you might want to visit the other participating blogs on Lifestyle Design:

WebWorkerDaily, Digital Nomads, Nomadness, Slacker Reform, Muselife, Mind the Beginner,Technomadia, Exile Lifestyle, Intrepid Lifestyle, Jet Set Citizen, Live Uncomfortably, Mine Your Resources, Thrilling Heroics, Most Likely to Die Alone and Vagabonding 

(and the hosts, Free Pursuits and Location Independent).

The Survey is an opportunity for the growing location independent and digital nomad community to understand more about the group (and those people who aspire to become location independent).

Do you ever wonder what other location independents do for a living? What about how many hours they work and whether they make more or less money than when they worked a regular job? What about where they live, how much time they spend traveling or whether they maintain a permanent home somewhere?

This is the type of information we will gather with your help. Answers to these questions will be indispensable in helping all of us better understand who makes up the community, and how we can better serve them.