My language learning obsession is over, and I’m feeling more motivated than ever about doing work that matters and most of all, giving back.

You (my readers) have been here to support me through buying stuff, spreading the word and chatting in the comments. Some of you have been around longer than others, but that’s cool. You find what you need, when you need it.

During this month (September 2010), I’m going to do 10-20 telephone consultations. I’ll get on the phone for 30 minutes with you, and we’ll solve your most pressing problem(s) together.

Oh, and yeah, this is absolutely free.

No sales pitches, no e-mail opt-ins, no catches and no strings attached.

Here’s what you do: leave a comment on this blog post, telling me what your biggest frustration is right now when it comes to making your passion a reality.

We can talk about how to get over your fears, eliminate uncertainty, find your passion, improve your blog and in general, how to destroy the obstacles that stand between you and your dreams.

The deadline is 6AM EST, Monday, September 6^th, 2010. At which point I’ll close the comments and e-mail the 10-20 people I think I can help the most.

Sound cool?

Awesome.

The only requirement is that you’re serious about following your passion and that you’re committed to working hard.

Oh and I would really appreciate you tweeting and sharing this post. I know that means more competition for you, but we’re all here to help each other right?

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Worries, problems, fears and thoughts of strange things are constantly spinning around inside your head, and you just can’t seem to stop them.

Does this sound familiar? More often than not, when I can’t write, it is because I am blocking myself. I’ve got a schedule to abide by here, and sometimes I’m in a crunch. I need to write, but nothing comes out.

The best way to get my writing done is if I do it well before my post goes live. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, and I need to have a few tricks up my sleeve of how I can dip my toes in my own secret pool of inspiration.

What you are about to read is one of those sleeve tricks that I use. It’s highly effective, it makes you feel at peace, and it even improves your health (no, I’m not talking about exercising).

The (Toe Dipping) Process

What you’re about to do is sit perfectly still and observe yourself. It is sometimes called meditation, but in this case, I like to call it idea generation.

This will help calm you down and give your ideas room to make themselves heard. What I want you to do is set an intention, or a goal if you wish.

For example, I used it today to write an article that I already knew the headline for. I knew the topic I wanted to cover. My intention was to clear my mind and get the content flowing.

I sat myself cross-legged on my couch. I took a few deep breaths to get started, and I started focusing on my breath going in and out.

You can also focus on your body. I personally like to vary between feeling my whole body and my breath. When I feel my whole body, I can literally feel the energy in my body come alive.

When you first start doing this, you will have a lot of thoughts coming in. Here are a few examples:

• This is ridiculous, why am I doing this again?
• Hey, what should I have for dinner?
• Did I remember to feed the dog?
• Oh no, I have to pay the bills on Friday.
• My leg itches.
• This isn’t helping me at all. Ideas, hello?

When it happens, just observe them without getting attached. This will become easier and easier with time.

In the beginning, you may feel resistance, because if you’ve never done this, you probably have a few lingering emotions and tensions hanging out in your body. As soon as you put your awareness on them, they disappear.

As I did this for less than 10 minutes, I felt clear, at peace and inspired to write. I opened my eyes, picked up my external keyboard (I don’t like to write on laptops), and I started writing, while feeling my body and being anchored in the now.

I don’t worry about editing at this point. My focus is on getting the inspiration down on paper.

The 5-Step Process Summarized

1. Quietude. Find a place where you know you won’t be disturbed. This doesn’t work for me at all if I know that anyone can come into the room at any time, so make sure you find a place where you can relax.

2. Intention. Set your intention or goal. It could be anything. Brainstorming a topic, clearing something you’ve been stuck on, or even feeling out what steps you should take next in your life. This process is about tapping into your core.

3. Breathe. Once your intention is set, sit down in any way you like, and close your eyes. On a chair, cross-legged or lotus, it doesn’t matter, as long as you are comfortable. Start with a few deep breaths, and then put all of your focus on your breath.

4. Observe. When thoughts and feelings start arising, just observe and accept them as they are. You will get caught up in them from time to time. When that happens, bring your focus back to your breath and keep going.

5. Write. Once you’ve done this for a few minutes, you will feel a sense of calm and clarity. Open your eyes, keep breathing, and start writing. If nothing happens, I usually close my eyes and go back to breathing. You will know when you’ve done this enough, because you will feel a sense of calm, peace and joy.

And that’s that. You no longer have an excuse not to write. Hate me, love me, It’s all good. If you have your own process, please do share it in the comments below!

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What would you say if I said you could start following your passion today? Would your mind come up with an untruth to stop you from taking action, or would you be excited and ready to go?

It’s easy to come up with excuses, but in the end, you really have to think about what you want to do. I knew at the age of 17 that I didn’t want a regular 9-to-5 job.

I wanted the freedom to do whatever I wanted, and I was ready to work hard to get it. We all have that drive within us, but first, we have to peel off the layers of untruths.

1. One Passion to Rule Them All

You don’t have to choose one passion to follow and that’s it. You do, however, have to choose one passion to focus on for a while, otherwise you’ll just sit there overwhelmed, not knowing what to do.

It wasn’t until I started focusing on one thing at a time that I started making a living online. I have several income streams, but I worked on each one of them separately.

2. You Have to Quit Your Job

You don’t have to quit anything. That’s just another excuse not to get started. If you watch TV, read magazines or do anything else that could be looked upon as “wasted time”, then you can easily find time.

One or two hours of focused work per day on your passion will make a huge difference. Start with what you’ve got, and take things from there.

3. It’s Going to Be Easy

Even though you’re doing what you love, it’s not always going to be easy, but it’s almost always going to be fun, interesting and exciting.

You will have to work hard, take action and cut through your fears. No one has it all together. No one has it all figured out. We’re all afraid, confused, and overwhelmed from time to time.

4. You Have to Be a Genius

You don’t have to be what you think you have to be in order to be successful online. What you need is stick-to-itness, which comes easily when you realize that doing what you love is the only way to live.

I’ve failed countless times, but I kept going, because the alternative of doing something I didn’t like did not appeal to me at all.

5. You Have to Be Fearless

Nope, you don’t. I’m afraid from time to time, or to be completely honest, the feeling I experience most at this time is confusion, but once I breathe and accept the chaos, things become much easier.

When you take one step and one day at a time, everything becomes much more manageable and the fear shrinks. If you’re experiencing fear, know that it’s normal, acknowledge its presence and keep going.

6. You Have to Get Lucky

You do not have to “win the lottery”. It certainly may help, but if you persevere, learn and keep taking action, you will have the odds on your side.

Getting lucky is overrated. It’s the journey that excites us. We’re here for the challenge, not for the drinks .

7. You Have to Have Great Ideas

Almost all ideas are derivative, which means that it is hard or nearly impossible to come up with an original idea, so don’t get stressed out over it.

This blog is about living the life you want to live. There are probably thousands of blogs similar to mine out there, but I don’t care. This is what I want to do right now, and whatever happens, happens.

8. You Have to Have a Crystal Ball

You will never know what’s going to happen. Okay, some people might, but if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you don’t know how to predict the future, yet .

The truth is that there’s no guarantee that you will make money. There’s no guarantee of you getting what you think you want.

We don’t always know what we want, and we don’t know where this path may lead us. You may fail, only to end up somewhere else, which you later realize is where you wanted to be all along. That’s why I trust myself. It knows more than I do.

9. You Have to Be Connected

When I started blogging, I didn’t know anyone. I still don’t know a lot of people. I’m not a natural networker (yet), and besides, right now, I’m just enjoying life.

I started out commenting and guest posting, which is basically what got me where I am today. I’ve also made some interesting new friends along the way, which you will too, if you start!

10. You Have to Be An Expert

You don’t have to be all-knowing in whatever subject you’re passionate about. Being an expert is good, but not necessary, and it does not qualify as an excuse.

If you’re passionate, motivated and take action, you can write about the things you discover on your journey to mastery, and in no time, you will have become an expert in the eyes of your readers.

11. You Have to Know English

Recently, I’ve started getting e-mails about how I learned English so well. I might have to write a post about it soon, but if your English is bad, it doesn’t take long to improve it, if you’re motivated.

If going after your passion requires you to learn English then the decision is brain-dead simple, isn’t it? If you make a few mistakes here and there, you can learn as you go. As long as you provide good content, people won’t mind a few mistakes, and if they do, who cares?

12. You Have to Be a Great Writer

If you don’t like writing, you can make videos, podcasts, or you could even use a voice-to-text software.

If you’d like to get better at writing then you have to write, and read, a lot. I was pretty horrible when I started making websites online, but I’ve improved a lot, and I did it through writing, writing, writing.

13. You Have to Be Interesting

Who’s interesting? It’s all relative. You don’t have to live a rockstar lifestyle, travel the world and meet tons of people.

If you love knitting, you will attract the people that love knitting. You don’t have to be anyone who you are not. You only have to be yourself and do what you love.

Summing Up

All of the things that are stopping you are untrue. If you want to do what you love then now is the time to start.

You can always, ALWAYS, do something, even if it is for 20 minutes every day.

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My first few months of Spain were very calm. All I wanted to do was relax, work on my business and enjoy the sun, but in the last few months, something has shifted and my perspective has changed.

In this article, I’m going to try something new and go into exhaustive detail on how I follow my feelings and my intuition.

Everything in this article comes from personal experience. I personally love reading articles that tell a story from a person’s life, so I thought I’d try it out myself.

Besides, I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback whenever I’ve shared something from my own life, and if this goes well, you may be seeing more articles like this in the future. I enjoy writing them, so I might keep writing them even if you object .

Deep down we all identify with each other, so even when I write about my own experiences, you will be able to translate them into what you need at the moment in your life.

Hospital to Language Learning

In my earlier post about Spain, I mentioned that I was to the hospital. It was nothing serious, but in hindsight, it had a huge impact on my life.

What happened was that I got an earplug stuck in my ear. I had to go to a specialist to get it out. It was an interesting experience, because I do not think anything happens at random.

I lost my hearing in one ear. Was I not listening to myself enough? What was going on? It was a small poke from someone, and it got me walking in another direction, so it did work.

A few days after being in the hospital and getting the earplug out, I suddenly got an intense desire to learn Spanish. I swore to myself to learn Spanish—no matter what.

This desire came from the simple fact that I didn’t understand what was going on around me, and I wanted to be able to communicate.

Getting the earplug out was not a pleasant experience at all, but I got something positive out of it. For me, this was another perfect example of the fact that it is impossible to say that something is good or bad, because you never know where the road leads.

This happens to me often, and is the way I operate. Something or someone triggers something in me. I start feeling a pull in another direction, which at this time was learning the Spanish language.

Throughout the years I’ve learned not to get in way of this process. I could easily dismiss whatever comes my way with “logic”. I could’ve said no to learning Spanish, but the truth is that I have no idea where learning Spanish may lead me.

I may meet someone, who knows someone, who has a friend and who can help me do something I need to do. And perhaps this encounter never would’ve happened if I would not have learned Spanish.

Trust

I’ve been independent since I got out of school at the age of 18, and during this time I’ve learned to trust my feelings and my intuition.

I can try to plan, to think and to control my circumstances, but it doesn’t work. I am scared sometimes, but I know that if I started saying no to my feelings, I wouldn’t really be happy, which is why I surrender to my feelings and go with the flow as best I can.

Now, there is always the possibility of mistaking pure, guiding intuition for something else, but that is something we all have to learn to recognize by ourselves.

My intuition is by no means flawless, or to put it another way, I am not perfect in interpreting my own signals. I think few people are. I am okay with that though, because it adds a little bit of spice to my life.

Besides, I have no clue if my “mistake” leads to something amazing. Most of the decisions I’ve made in my life have turned out positive, and this is one of the main reasons I trust myself.

Many of the bad things that have happened to me have taken years to turn into something positive, which has made me realize that I can never really say if something is good or bad.

My days in high school were easy and hard. At one point, I was the popular kid, and later I was the silent one, so I experienced a lot. When I lived through it, it didn’t feel great at times, but in hindsight, I do not regret it, because it made me who I am today.

The Encounter

After a few months of learning Spanish, Ingela met someone here at the organic food store, and he asked her if she was interested in work later this year. She said yes, and gave him our telephone number.

After a month or so, he called, and was curious if we wanted to come help get things up before the official opening, and she said sure.

At first I was skeptical, but my feelings were giving me a green light, so I went with it. Thinking about going felt good. That was all I needed. The funny thing was that before this, we had thought about the fact that we wanted to do some traveling.

We wanted to see nature, and we wanted to someone to show us around. Interestingly enough, when we arrived, there was an Englishman already working there. He showed us around, and we later became good friends.

My job was to help rebuild a wall, and Ingela was in charge of cleaning inside. At first, I really didn’t like my situation, but I decided to use this time to be in the now. I do this by feeling my whole body. It anchors me in the now.

Our experience would have been completely different had we not met our “English guide” . This was another example that my feelings really do know what they’re doing.

This trip wasn’t just a chance for me to re-charge my batteries, but it also had me re-reading The Power of Now, which jolted me back to reality. To this day, it is the only book I’ve read five times, and it keeps changing my life each time I read it.

While I was working, and reading The Power of Now, I noticed that I during the last year, I had slowly fallen back into spending too much time in my mind. I was thinking, worrying, wanting and in general giving my too much energy to my past and future.

I have no problems with visualization and dreaming now and then, but we all have that problem where we just cannot seem to turn off our thinking. It becomes obsessive.

Right now, as I am writing this, I am aware of my whole body. I am aware of my breath and I keep myself anchored in the now, as best I can, while I am writing this.

It sounds simple to just be in your body, but it is what works. When I catch my mind wandering, I do my best to take it back to the now and feel my whole body.

A Shift in Feelings

Now that I’ve reached a point where I can actually communicate quite well, I want to use my Spanish and improve my fluency, which is really a blessing in disguise, because it helps me get out of my head and interacting with people.

In the last month I’ve discovered something called CouchSurfing through Karol and Benny. I read Karol’s CouchSurfing black book to get started and created a profile. A few days later, I was in contact with a couple from Estonia and we went to a CouchSurfing event and had a lot of fun.

It didn’t immediately dawn on me that my initial visit to the hospital was responsible for all this, but looking back now, it is becoming clearer and clearer.

I’ve never liked going out much, because the people that I meet don’t interest me, but when I discovered the CouchSurfing community, I was in a bit of a shock, because the people were so real, authentic and right up my alley.

The funny thing is that I met Ingela in a pub back home, but that is a story for another time .

Reaching the Edge

Getting sick of something is a really powerful force for change. For example, it wasn’t until I got sick of relaxing and not doing much that I really felt motivated to get out there. I wanted to use my Spanish, I wanted to meet people and I wanted to experience things.

I do not worry about changing if I don’t feel like it. I can only live my own life, and if I don’t feel like doing something, I probably won’t. Even the alternative crowd have their shoulds. Everyone thinks they are right, but the only path I follow is my own.

It has taken me a few years to become comfortable with this, which is why I want to remind you that there is no rush. You will get to where you need to be. Follow the subtle signs and feelings you get and you’ll be well on your way.

When you really want something, synchronicity happens. This happened to me as I went from being a professional poker player to building websites and writing. I stopped playing poker cold turkey in early 2009. I gave myself no other option than to succeed in making a living online.

Being Authentic

This is probably one of the more personal pieces I’ve written. The more I put myself out there, the more I notice that the right things come into my life.

I do not know exactly how this happens. Is it the Law of Attraction, energy or just something else? I don’t know, and at the moment I do not care.  All I know is that it works.

The trip I took to the mountains of Spain really changed me. I came back calmer, happier and more focused.

If you’ve been on the brink of doing something, don’t worry about it. Take the jump, put yourself out there and be yourself. Whatever happens, happens. You cannot control the world, you can only enjoy the ride.

The Power of Action

Taking action is not only about working and making things happen. For me it’s also about going out there, meeting people and having fun.

I never know who I’ll meet and where I will end up. It’s interesting to observe the ways in which the universe works.

If you want something, you won’t get it delivered to your front door on a silver platter (or then again, you might). You have to take action.

Even when you don’t know what you’re doing, you can always take one step, and that is enough. When I started playing poker, blogging, learning a new language or anything else, I didn’t know what I was doing.

I had no clue, but I kept going anyway, and I kept doing my best. Eventually I got better. Everything got clearer, and I grew. This is how my life works. You have to find your own path. You have to learn how your life works and what kind of signals your soul is sending you.

Synchronicity, and following your feelings are two very powerful, yet very simple things.

All of this started with an earplug stuck in my ear.

Was it meant to be, or was it just a coincidence?

Who knows…

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This is an excerpt from my eBook Passionate Living: A Simple Guide to Following Your Passion and Doing What You Love.

You probably think you don’t have enough time to follow your passion. You may have a family, a job, kids and other obligations to tend to.

I’m going to be blunt and say that there is always time for something you want. The issue doesn’t lie in time; it lies in how you prioritize your time.

You can use time as an excuse, but at least be honest with yourself. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you will follow your passion if you aren’t willing to spend at least a few hours on it every single week.

There are many ways to create time. Here are a few of them:

1. Audio books

If you’re working, chances are that you spend a lot of time commuting. This gives you an excellent opportunity to listen to audio books and any material that you can carry with you. Just one hour a day can make a big difference in your life in the course of a year.

2. Print and Read

If you’re on a bus, train or car (without driving), you can print and read articles. You could even bring your laptop with you. Think about the people who have succeeded in living the way they want to live. They did everything they could to find these small time pockets in their life.

3. Time Pockets

Sufficient preparation will allow you to take advantage of small time pockets throughout the day. Think about all the time you waste waiting for someone or something. Individually each time pocket doesn’t seem significant, but add them together and you’ve got something to work with.

4. Work on Your Lunch Break

Your lunch break is the perfect time to work on your passion. To really get full mileage out of this, plan what you’re going to do ahead of time, otherwise you may end up wasting your time on stuff that doesn’t matter.

5. Work After Work

After you get home, get everything in order and prepare to work on your passion project for a few hours. Tell your family that you need some alone time.

Making this work will take a lot of effort and sacrifice. I realize that it is harder when you have a family, but there are people out there who have done it. In the end you have to think about what you want. If you really want this, you’ll find a way.

6. Kill Your TV

Let’s face it, TV is a huge waste of time. Sure, it’s entertaining, but after you’ve watched what you intended to watch, you often end up sitting there zapping mindlessly for hours.

Most people come to me and tell me they don’t have time. I ask them how much TV they watch, and they almost always tell me that they watch at least a few hours a day.

If you’re watching TV and complaining about not having enough time, you really need to take a closer look at your priorities.

7. Eliminate Web Surfing

Surfing the web is as addictive as watching TV. I am, of course, talking about unnecessary web surfing, and not the educational kind.

You may start off reading a news story, but end up wasting hours watching kittens and puppies on YouTube. Be disciplined about how you use your time. Give yourself time to have fun, but don’t let it take over.

8. Minimize E-Mail

We all waste way too much time checking and replying to e-mail. I’m guilty of this myself, but I still get stuff done, so it isn’t a huge problem for me.

Whenever I have a big project to work on, I shut everything down and focus on it until I am done. Close your e-mail program when you’re at the computer and create a habit of only checking your e-mail once or twice a day.

If someone needs you, they will call you. You do not have to be available 24/7. There is no urgency!

9. Avoid the News

You may think that news is an essential part of your life, but it really isn’t. The news is often negative and manipulated to promote an agenda.

If you don’t need to read the news because of your job then just give it up. It may feel important. Trust me, it isn’t. Instead of watching, listening, or reading the news, you can work on building your passion business.

10. Plan

I’m guilty of not planning enough, but I am still productive in my own way. In the end, you have to find your own groove. It is still essential to plan what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it.

When you plan, you allow your subconscious mind to prepare, which means you’ll have a much easier time getting things done, and you won’t end up wasting time.

11. Say No

If your friends and family are constantly asking you to do stuff, learn to say no and tell them you need some time to work on your own stuff.

It’s easy to get caught up in other people’s lives, but realize that if you do not take care of yourself, you cannot take care of anyone else. If you improve yourself, you will affect others, which in turn affects the whole world.

You don’t have to socialize every single day. Get rid of a few days of socializing and use that time to do you know what .

12. Get Up Earlier

I’m not a huge fan of waking up early. One of the reason I became an entrepreneur was so I could sleep as long as I wanted.

That said, if you’re low on time, you may want to look into waking up an hour or two before you go to work. That’s the quietest time of the day, and you will be able to work in a virtually distraction-free environment.

13. Minimize Recreation

This can be dangerous, because you don’t want to eliminate recreation completely. You have to find a balance. You can almost always reduce recreational activities and gain a few hours per week.

There are so many ways of finding time it’s ridiculous. Using time as an excuse is a weak attempt at telling yourself that you would do this, if only…

14. Batch

Whenever possible, do tasks of a similar nature together. If you need to make five phone calls today, do them all at once. Need to e-mail people? Do it when you’ve got 50 e-mails waiting and get them all out of the way.

Batching tasks eliminates the amount of time it takes for your brain to prepare. Switching tasks slows you down, so do them together as much as possible.

15. Outsource

How long does it take you to mow the lawn? How long does it take you to do all the things you don’t really have to do?

You can pay the kid down the street a few bucks to take care of many household chores for you.

Look at all the things that take up time and think about how you can delegate them to someone else.

16. Shopping

Stop buying things you don’t need! We all do it. I used to do it a lot more than I do now. You only need food and water. Going shopping for clothes can be postponed.

If you need food, only go once a week and stock up. You don’t have to go to the store every other day to buy a few things. Batch!

17. Leave Work Earlier

You can almost always negotiate with your boss and leave work earlier. If he’s smart, he’s only going to care about your level of productivity.

Show him you can make it work. If you present it in the right way, he can’t say no.

Excuses Not Accepted

Stop accepting excuses from yourself. Excuses can always be overcome. If you think something is standing in your way of living the life of your dreams, you’re wrong. The only thing in your way is you.

I’ve given you 17 tips on creating more time. If you still come up with excuses, you may want to examine if you really are serious about this.

Just using a few of the tips above will give you several hours per week to deal with.

This is just the beginning of increasing your productivity. There are a lot of excellent resources out there. I don’t read productivity books often, but I really liked Zen to Done.

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When I began blogging, or writing online for that matter, I was scared of not doing it right. I was scared that my writing was going to scare people off.

I wanted to know the secret formula to writing web content that makes a difference.

It took me a while to realize that the important thing is having a voice, not writing perfectly or in any specific style.

I also realized that developing your writing style and voice takes time, which is why it’s crucial to get started and begin writing as soon as possible, even if you think you suck.

I personally write what I feel like I want to write. I have a lot of excuses and blocks I could succumb to, like anyone else, but this blog is about my journey and my experiences.

It doesn’t matter if someone else has already written about what I’m going to write, because my perspective will be different.

The same applies to you. You are unique, and you have your own experiences to share, so don’t worry about being perfect, worry about being yourself.

Writing As Expression

Who really defines what’s good and what is not?

The writing that speaks to me, may not speak to you. Writing for me, is an expression of who I am. It is a way for me to express what I’m experiencing and feeling.

When you’re writing online content, you don’t have to stick to any rules. There are writers all across the spectrum, and they’re all doing well.

If you plan to write a book, or anything more old-school, you will have to conform to the rules of that domain, but if you just want to get your message out there, there is nothing you have to worry about.

Evolution

When I started blogging, I wasn’t so sure of my writing, and even though I read the same things you are reading now, I still wanted to look at how successful bloggers wrote.

If I found someone who wrote articles that spoke to me, I asked myself what was really going on. Why was I so affected by what I was reading?

Was the content just so authentic? Was it beautifully written, or was it the experiences of the person behind the writing that really made the difference?

As I did this more and more, I realized that I didn’t really care about how people wrote, unless it was riddled with spelling errors or written in a way that I didn’t like. I only cared about the content.

When I kept blogging, I kept having these small a-ha moments, and I saw that the more I was myself in my writing, the better the feedback.

Being Yourself

The more I am able to be myself, the more I attract the right people to this blog.

I feel no rush to share everything on my blog all at once. I follow my feelings and share what I feel like sharing. If I don’t feel like sharing something, I don’t share it. I pick and choose what I want to share, and you can do the same.

There are no rules!

Just look at all the different bloggers out there. The only thing they have in common is that they’re doing their own thing.

I don’t feel any obligation to share anything private from my life, but at the same time, I don’t feel any objections to it. I think about the people I want to attract to this blog, and I realize that the more open I am, the more open people I attract.

The more I specify what matters to me, the more of those people I see reading this blog and contacting me.

In the end, the most important thing I can do is be myself, and have my own voice. I’m still not sure of it, but it has come a long way since I started this blog.

Writing, Writing, Writing

Since starting my online journey (link), I’ve written thousands of articles, mostly thanks to article marketing.

This has helped me fine tune my writing, and it has helped me convert my thoughts into text. The more I’ve written, the more confident I’ve become.

If I could go back and give myself advice when I was starting out, I would tell myself to not worry that much, take action and go with the flow. I would’ve probably not followed the advice of my future self, because we need to learn from our own experiences.

I always have a tendency to want to make everything perfect before I start, but it has never worked out that well. I’ve tried it for many, many years, and it only slows me down.

The sooner I start making mistakes, the faster I progress.

The 6 Steps to Writing Content That Makes a Difference

Life for me no longer is about perfection, even if I want it to be. Life for me is about experiences, learning opportunities and personal growth. Here are a few tips I’ve used or still use in writing the best content I am able to write.

1. Accept. I can always compare myself to the most successful bloggers and writers out there, but it really isn’t a good use of my time. Once I accept where I am, I have time to look back on how far I’ve come, and that allows me to express more of myself.

2. Write. The more I write, the better I become. You can’t write a home-run every time. Writing and blogging for me is more of a marathon than a sprint. I won’t always write great stuff, but I will always write, because I love to write.

3. Listen. I do my best to listen to my feelings, hunches and impulses. They sometimes lead to unexpected places, and give birth to incredible ideas. Sometimes I have to be a little bit illogical to come up with great stuff.

3. Read. I really enjoying sitting down with a good book. By reading, I show my brain how the language works and how good writers write. I’m showing examples of what great writing looks like, which then helps me write and express myself better.

4. Experiment. There’s nothing like going with a hunch and seeing where it takes me. Experimenting can be scary, but ultimately I’ve found it to be a great way to grow both personally and in my writing.

6. Write some more. In the end, all this comes down to is writing as much as I can. The more I write, the better I become, and the more ideas I have. I’m okay with not being the best writer in the world. I enjoy writing and that’s why I write.

It’s easy to get caught in trying to be someone else, or writing like someone else. In the end you have to write for yourself, because that’s what will make you happy.

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In the last 9 weeks, I’ve been learning Spanish almost full time, and during this time, I’ve realized how interesting life really is.

At the moment I can understand Spanish very well and write well. The next few weeks I will be focusing almost entirely on improving my speech and becoming as fluent as possible.

What I have realized is that no matter what I do, as long as I do what I enjoy, I grow as a person.

During these last weeks, I’ve immersed myself in Spanish and dipped my toes in a few other languages. It’s been a lot of fun, but it has also opened my eyes in other areas of my life.

For example, I now have more confidence in English. I am more aware of the sounds of the English language, and I’m having a lot more fun speaking any language.

Everything you do has an impact on everything else. Nothing stands alone, and it doesn’t matter what you’re excited about, as long as you do what makes you bliss out.

The interesting part about all this is that it is impossible for me to know where my feelings will lead me, which is what adds just a little bit more spice to my life.

With that said, here are 7 lessons I’ve learned from learning a new language:

1. Creating Your Own Curriculum

To be completely honest, I took an intensive course in Spanish a few years ago, but it didn’t do much. Sure, I learned how to order beer and ask where the toilet is, but in the end, it wasn’t useful, and I ended up not speaking Spanish at all.

I didn’t want to learn Spanish the traditional way, because it simply takes too long and isn’t effective. I started thinking back to how I learned English when my age was in the single-digits.

I learned English through watching cartoons, movies and playing video games. Later I started reading books, chatting online and so on.

This gave me a clue as to how I was going to learn Spanish. At first, I started watching dubbed TV-series. As my vocabulary grew, I slowly started reading books and chatting online.

There are a lot of myths out there when it comes to language learning. It’s hard work to learn a language, but it’s fairly easy if you’re motivated and know what to do.

2. Destroying the Box

Learning a language isn’t just a fun challenge, it also gives you a lot of freedom. I can now move around in Spain and South America without having to rely on English.

Even though my Spanish is nowhere near perfect, I can comprehend and communicate without problems.

If you still believe learning a language is impossible, or that you can’t do it, it is just because no one has showed you how to do it properly.

Just because you failed at school doesn’t mean you’re lost forever. What happens in school has no bearing on what happens in real life.

3. Having Fun / Experimenting

Learning a language should be fun. If it isn’t, you’ll not be motivated enough to keep going when things get tough.

There really is no right way to learn a language. When I did my initial research, I discovered, like in so many other fields, that there were advocates on all sides.

Some said to just listen to the language, while others said to start talking as soon as possible. The right way to learn is the way that is fun for you.

Fun for me means watching TV-series, reading books, chatting online and later speaking. I do what I enjoy doing in English, but I do it in Spanish instead.

4. Being Aware of Your Goals

It’s all too easy for me to get bogged down in the details, which is why I have to be aware of what I’m really trying to accomplish.

When learning Spanish, I got caught in being perfect. I wanted to have a native accent and I wanted to speak flawlessly.

In the end, what really matters to me is being able to read, write and communicate with any Spanish-speaking person. It doesn’t have to be perfect, because it’s impossible to speak with perfection.

Even in my native language I make errors all the time, so why should I expect anything else in another language? I will learn as I go. Reminding myself that I’m human makes me all that much more relaxed.

5. Creating Time

I’m pretty good at eliminating tasks that I don’t want to do. Of course, when it comes to time, it helps that I don’t have a job, but nonetheless, even when working for myself, I’ve found that the hours can easily slip away.

Whenever I become interested in something new, I put it first and ignore everything else. In these last few months as I’ve been learning Spanish, I’ve almost been neglecting my blog and my business.

Luckily, I do still feel motivated to write, so no harm done, and it certainly helps that I have a few passive income streams helping me pay for my rent and food habit.

6. Going Out of Your Comfort Zone

Learning a language certainly is uncomfortable at first, especially if you about it immersion style like I like to do.

At first, you won’t understand much about what’s going on in the TV-series you’re watching, but after some time your brain and ears will start getting used to the new sounds and patterns of the language.

You have to stick it out, and before you know it, you’ll understand things you didn’t understand before.

The same goes for chatting and speaking. At first you might get discouraged, because you can only utter a few words here and there, but it’ll show you where your weaknesses are.

You’ll gain vital experience points after each encounter. The worry of making mistakes will always be there, but if you keep moving forward, you’ll learn more and more.

7. Being in the Now

I’m your classical over-achiever. When I set goals, I like to achieve them. This has both its upsides and its downsides.

I learn things fast and I get stuff done, but I sometimes put unnecessary pressure on myself and can lose track of what I’m doing.

When learning Spanish, I was reminded of the fact that there’s really no rush to get anywhere, as long as I’m doing something I enjoy.

If you’re doing something that makes you blissful, you’re on the right path, no matter what people other people may think.

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We all have our own excuses. They feel unique to each one of us, but in reality, we all deal with the same core excuses.

What I’ve seen over and over again is that excuses are merely imaginary walls standing between you and your dreams.

They can keep you from moving forward, but only if you let them. Those that are successful realize this and keep moving forward even when they feel like they can’t.

If making stuff happen was easy, everybody would be following their passion. You will bump into obstacles, and you will feel like you can’t do this or that, but you can.

Here are the seven core excuses:

1. I Don’t Have Time

We all have the same amount of time to work with. Some have jobs, some have families, while others seemingly have all the free time in the world.

But that doesn’t mean that you should let time stop you from doing what you want. So what if you only have 60 minutes per day to work on your passion?

If you don’t start now, when will you?

It’s quite common to believe that if you had more time, you’d make more things happen, but in reality, it doesn’t work quite like that, at least not from my experience.

You see, there’s something called Parkinson’s Law that states: Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

What this basically means is that even if you have more time, you’ll tend to fill that time with the same amount of work.

I saw this happen in my own life when I started working online full-time. I had more time on my hands, but I didn’t work more.

If you have a job and a family, you will obviously have less time on your hands than a 20-something who hasn’t decided what to do with his life yet.

But this shouldn’t stop you from doing anything. You can always find time to do what you want. It all depends on how badly you want something.

2. What About My Family / Friends / Kids

When you embark on your path to greatness, there will always be people that will stand in opposition.

You are in effect, making them uncomfortable by stepping out of the confines of society, which in turn destroys some of their belief systems.

Sometimes you have to stand alone in what you do and what you believe in. At those times, it’s your duty to lead by example and show that this can be done.

You won’t always succeed, and the journey will not always be easy, but if you keep going and keep doing what you feel is right, you’ll get to where you need to be.

As you start moving towards your passion, some of your friends will naturally fall away. They just aren’t a good fit for you anymore, and that’s okay.

Even though I do not have a family (yet), I’m sure that most are reasonable and are more than willing to support what you’re doing. If not, you’ll just have to get creative .

3. I Don’t Know How

Since I make my living online, I talk about making a living online, so that’s what I’m going to focus on.

Making your passion a reality seems difficult, especially when you start bumping into all the technical obstacles for getting a website up, getting traffic, making money and so on.

The good news is that there are plenty of tutorials, guides and mentors out there that are more than happy to help you out with whatever problems you may have.

In the end, all excuses are just excuses. You can easily find the information you need. You may not know how to do everything right now, but you can learn.

I didn’t know how to make money online when I started in early 2009, but I am now making enough to live wherever I want and do whatever I want.

I learned how to get traffic, and I learned a few things about what makes a blog tick. I didn’t make everything perfect, but I did take action, and that helped me reach 1,012 subscribers in 101 days.

4. I Don’t Have Money

The good thing about working online is that the upfront costs are minimal. The only thing you may need to pay for is webhosting and a domain name.

In some cases, you may want to hire someone to help you with the technical stuff, and perhaps a simple design. If you’re feeling motivated, you may even want to join a course to slice a few months off your learning curve.

All in all, if you get everything, it’ll probably cost you under $500. But again, it’s not essential that you get a design or join a course.

The important part is getting started and making things happen, even if you have no idea what the heck you’re doing.

When I started this blog, I immediately joined Authority Blogger, because I already knew that the fastest way to building a successful blog was to follow in the footsteps of someone that was already doing what I wanted to be doing.

5. I Don’t Know People

I didn’t know anyone when I got started, but I’ve slowly gotten to know some really cool people like Karol, Diggy, Jordan, Nathalie, Jen and many, many more that I can’t remember off the top of my head at this morning hour .

The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter who you know. If you’re following your passion and making things happen, people will automatically be more willing to chat with you.

We’re all human beings, and we all crave authentic connections. Some successful people may be busy, but you don’t have to start with the A-listers.

Just start with the people you feel like you would want to talk to if you didn’t have a business to look after. Building relationships just because doesn’t really work out.

Be authentic and have fun. That’s how you would want people to approach you, right?

6. I’m Afraid

Being afraid is good. It means you’re heading in the right direction. Imagine your life without fear.

Boring, eh?

Okay, okay, so at first it seems awesome, but if you keep playing the movie in your head for awhile longer, it’s going to get boring!

I’m always afraid when I’m jumping into something new and unfamiliar. Throughout the years, I’ve learned to feel better about fear, but by no means have I become fearless.

I’ve learned to have a better reaction to it than I did 5 years ago.

It’s going to be there when you start out, and it’s going to be there when you’re successful. It’s a part of life, and the key to overcoming it is to accept it and keep moving on.

Easier said than done, I know

7. It Won’t Work

To be honest, it probably won’t, at first, but that’s why you’ll be persistent and patient, right?

When I started my journey, I failed horribly. I was telling people about a book I was writing and I was going to be a rockstar, but nothing happened.

I wasted $8,000 on coaching and even then I failed. Even with all these huge mistakes, I kept going, because I knew this was what I wanted to do.

As I said, it probably won’t work at first, but it might. If you fall off the horse, just get up again. It’s the only way, and it isn’t as painful as you think it is.

We have a tendency to worry a bit too much. I do it all the time, but if there’s something I’ve realized, it’s that the fear of fear is more horrifying than the actual fear.

8. I’m Not Good Enough

We all have limiting beliefs and sometimes our confidence just isn’t where we want it to be. The funny thing is that even when you’ve reached a certain amount of success, you will still be worrying about something.

We’ve been taught that success changes things, but no real change happens outside of you, it all happens inside.

So it doesn’t matter how successful you are. The proof can be seen in famous people all around the world. They have the fame, the money and the success, but most of them are still searching for happiness.

Here’s the gist of it though: you will feel like you’re not good enough, but you are good enough. As long as you can remember that, you’ll be just fine.

Keep rocking!

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Exploration often gets a low spot on our priority list. Exploration for me means going with what you feel. It means going with the flow and seeing what happens.

This is what I did when I first got the idea of moving to Spain. Before I came to Spain, I hadn’t traveled for a while.

My last trip was to Iquitos, Peru in November 2008, where I did an ayahuasca journey in the jungle. It was a long flight and it left me exhausted. I just wanted to rest after that.

After about a year my batteries were recharged and I felt the urge to travel again, so I started exploring different possibilities. I looked at countries such as New Zealand, Australia, USA, and many European countries.

I ended up going with Spain, because it felt good both in my heart and in my mind.

I’ve been an explorer ever since I got out of school. I’ve never been bound down by a day-job, so I’ve always been free to go wherever I want, whenever I want.

Even if you have a job, there’s always room to explore. You don’t necessarily have to travel. Remember, there are no excuses, except the ones you create.

Changing Your Mind is Normal

I tend to change my mind frequently. That is annoying to many, because many people are used to maneuvering through their lives with logic.

When they make a decision, they don’t want to change it, because that would mean that they were wrong.

When you’re exploring, you will be trying a lot of new stuff. Some of it will stick, while some of it will not. They key is to keep experimenting and keep taking action.

As you grow more experienced with your journey and your feelings, you will start to get a feel for what you like and don’t like, which will help you avoid giving other people false expectations.

When you do enough exploring, you’ll have realization, a-ha moments and fascinating experiences. I’ve realized that sometimes you have to go around the world to realize that you already had what you wanted.

One Step at a Time

When you’re exploring, you will most likely only feel the step in front of you. For example, before I came to Spain, all I knew was that I wanted to move.

If I try to figure out more than one step, it becomes a logical process, which is good, but you have to be careful, because it can easily become a problem.

Now that I’ve been in Spain for almost 7 months, I’m beginning to feel what my next step is. I’m not going to reveal it just yet, because I want it to grow just a bit, but I think you’ll be surprised when I write about it before this year comes to an end.

5 Steps to Better Exploration

There are a few things you can do to enhance your journey. The following five steps are what help me focus on what’s important and what’s not.

I don’t always succeed of course. There will always be days when you’re not feeling like doing anything, but that’s to be expected.

1. Logic. I’ve been on a logic-bashing parade lately. I’m not saying to discard logic altogether, but beware of when it becomes a problem, such as thinking yourself out of what you really feel like doing.

2. Worry. I see worry as a part of logic. When you worry, you try to deduce and predict the future. Usually none of what you think will come true comes true, so it’s better to acknowledge your worry and keep moving forward.

3. Excuses. There are many layers of excuses available to you at any time. But remember this: if you want to do something, there’s always something you can do to move towards it, however small it may be.

4. Focus. When I’m focused on one thing, I tend to get more out of my adventures. If you go after a lot of interests at the same time, you won’t have the time to explore the subject deeply.

5. Excitement. Always focus on what makes you excited at this very moment. The future or the past doesn’t matter. Focus on what you feel like now. If you feel like lying down for a day then do that, but do it fully and allow yourself to rest.

Doing nothing seems like a waste of time, but when you allow yourself to do what you want, you will naturally progress to other things when you are done.

Bonus Tip

If you try to force yourself to do something, it will eventually back-fire on you.

Here’s a bonus tip for those that don’t know what to explore: go after your procrastinations. What do you tend to procrastinate with? That’s usually a good hint.

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I’ve always worked hard at whatever I’ve been doing. My work-ethic comes from doing what I enjoy, and not forcing myself to do something.

Highly passionate people aren’t just lucky, they share common characteristics. They work hard, they trust their intuition and they persevere.

I personally don’t see myself having any other options than following my passion. Without doing what I truly want, life would be without color, without joy and without meaning.

We all have the habits necessary, we just need to let them out.

1. Excitement

When I was in my late teens, I wasn’t even remotely familiar with terms like “follow your passion”, “listen to your heart” or “go with your intuition”.

As the years have passed, these concepts have grown and I’ve realized that the only thing that matters is what I am excited about in this very moment.

It’s far too easy for me to start questioning what I’m doing. Let’s take language learning for example. It’s easy for me to argue that it’s a waste of time.

But in the end, what matters is how much I’m enjoying myself. You can never know where you’ll end up, so might as well enjoy the ride, right?

We’ve been taught that logic is superior, but is it really? Life isn’t a game where all the variables are known, so there’s no way you can predict the future (unless you have special powers).

2. Courage

Courage is something you build up. When I was younger, I was afraid a lot more than I am now, but I didn’t let it control my life.

Many seem to believe that following their passion should be effortless. Unfortunately it’s not. It requires a lot of hard work, but the good news is that you’ll be loving it, because you’re doing something you’re excited about, right?

I’ve never worked a real job in my life. I became a professional poker player straight out of school. I had no idea if I was going to succeed. In the beginning, a lot of people naturally doubted if making a living playing poker was possible.

I had a passion for playing poker, so I kept at it and eventually started making a comfortable living. That took courage, but it wasn’t anything extraordinary. I just took things one day at a time and worked hard.

3. Determination

If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that results usually don’t come fast. Following your passion doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of hard work. In my case, I wasted a lot of money until I started making money off of my websites.

People tell me that I’m lucky. I seem to get good at everything they say. I’m not lucky. I’m just determined and I make sure to pick something that I like doing. It’s pretty easy to get good at something you love doing.

In the beginning, you may not be 100% determined, but that’s okay. Be as determined as you can be and keep moving forward. Many people mistake a temporary failure for a permanent one.

There are no permanent failures. There are only learning opportunities. If you learn everything you can about blogging, try it for a year and then lose motivation—that’s cool!

You never know. Maybe you unconsciously picked up a few skills that will help you down the road with something else.

My #1 priority is doing what I feel excited about. If I can’t do that, I might as well be dead.

4. Positivity

I have bad days like anyone else, but in general I’m a pretty positive guy. I feel good as long as I’m doing what I feel I should be doing.

There’s a fine line between being blissfully ignorant and positively realistic. It’s something you have to figure out for yourself. Try both and find your own balance.

I personally enjoy being blissfully ignorant, especially if it upsets someone else. There are a lot of people out there that try to tell you that you can’t go after your dreams.

Those are usually the people that have given up. They aren’t really in a place to give advice. Giving them a few pokes usually (hopefully) provokes new thought.

By being positive you lead by example. There is really no better way to change the world than to be the change you want to see. There’s no need to convince anyone.

5. Single-Mindedness

Being passionate doesn’t mean limiting yourself to one passion per lifetime. I’ve been passionate about health, martial arts, websites and now languages.

My passion changes all the time, but what remains constant is my single-mindedness. I work best when I’m 100% focused on what I do.

For example, right now I’m immersing myself in language learning. I’ve practically eliminated everything else from my life (except the essential).

I want to be able to spend as many hours as possible on what I truly enjoy. That is what I mean by being single-minded.

6. Growth-Oriented

By following your passion, you automatically become growth oriented. You tap into something greater than yourself.

That source of guidance can only lead to one place and I think you know what it is. We all have different words, definition and concepts about it, but we all mean the same thing.

I’m always looking to grow in every way possible. I want to become better, smarter and happier.

But you don’t want to lose the fun.

Let’s say you have to choose between two paths.

Path #1 is faster, but requires more discipline and is less fun. Path #2 is slower, but you’ll enjoy it more. In the past I would’ve chosen Path #1, but now I’d choose #2, because if I’m not enjoying myself right now, it’s not worth it.

7. Selective

In the past I’ve had the problem of jumping into too many things at once. I think we all have many interests, which is good, but it can be a double-edged sword.

I think we’re familiar with the feeling of wanting to do everything at once, right? Usually when I ask someone what they want to do, they rabble up a dozen different things.

What works for me is relentless focus. I pick one thing, maybe two, and focus on them until I feel like it’s time to move on.

For some, this may seem irresponsible, but to me, it’s the only way of living life that makes sense.

8. Non-Perfectionistic

I don’t even believe in horoscopes, but I’m a Virgo and apparently they are perfectionists. I am no exception.

Throughout the years I’ve learned to ease up on my perfectionism. Instead of focusing on the little details, I’ve started focusing on the big picture.

I think about what I want to achieve and am more concerned about making progress than making everything look good.

Let’s take blogging as an example, just because it’s on my mind right now. If you want to start blogging, just start! You don’t need an awesome design or to have everything planned out.

All you need is to get your blog up, get it looking okay and start writing, recording podcasts or making videos. That’s the only way you’ll know if you even like it.

So often we think we like something, but when we actually start, we realize that it doesn’t feel right at all. That’s why it’s important to get started, get your feet wet and see how it feels.

9. Prioritized

Prioritization goes hand in hand with being selective. I know people that don’t have time, and I know people that make time. It’s not that you don’t have enough time; it’s that you fail to prioritize.

I’ve received a lot of e-mails about time issues. I know some people are single-mothers, working two jobs while juggling two kids. I have no idea how tough that is, but I do know that if you really want something, there are ways to make time and prioritize, even if it starts with a few minutes per day.

No matter how tough your situation is, you can always do something to move towards your goals. Don’t worry about reaching your goal, just worry about making today more fulfilling than yesterday.

10. Self-Motivated

As long as I’m doing what I want to be doing, I don’t need self-motivation. It’s only when I do the boring tasks that I have to throw in some ninja-motivation techniques.

For example, when I was working on Passionate Living, I had to get the technical part fixed in order to start selling it. It wasn’t fun, but I knew that it had to be done.

My focus was constantly on how good I would feel when I was done. Whatever motivates you is fair game. There are no rules when it comes to self-motivation.

I sometimes use negativity to motivate myself. I don’t care, as long as I get things done. I try to be proactive and avoid these situations though.

The more I follow my passion, the more motivated I am.

11. Acceptance

Sometimes things don’t work out the way I want them to. I do my best to accept whatever comes my way, but I don’t always succeed. Sometimes life just isn’t that easy.

If there’s something I try to portray on this blog, it’s the fact that I’m as human as you. Even seemingly god-like personal development bloggers like Steve Pavlina are human.

We all make mistakes. We’re all afraid. The people that seem to be the most successful are the ones who’ve figured out how to keep taking action despite the obstacles on their path.

There’s no one out there that can really tell you what to do. You have to figure out your own stuff. While I do recommend that you learn from others in the beginning, you also have to be willing to take the wheel after awhile and start experimenting.

12. Generous

Service to others is really service to self. I’m going to be honest and say that one of the main reasons I want to help you is because it makes me feel good to see you succeed.

I’ve been on both sides of the fence. When I was a professional poker player, I was focused largely on myself.

It was nice, but it wasn’t fulfilling. I’ve since discovered that helping others makes me feel much better than just helping myself.

Something I also want to point out is that sometimes you need to help yourself before you can help others. Looking at it from that perspective, personal development is really world development.

13. Non-Balance

I have a tendency to get obsessed about the things I am interested in. When I started this blog back in December 2009, I was obsessed. I read, listened and did nothing but blogging. It was all I wanted to do.

I am now doing this with languages. I have no idea how long I’ll be doing this, but at the moment I’m having an awesome time dipping my toes in Spanish. My goal is to become fluent. I don’t know if it will happen, and I don’t really care, because I’m enjoying just learning.

The most important thing is that I’m having fun doing it. I’ve already connected with many people in the language learning community, and they’re all awesome people.

I work best when I’m non-balanced. I may do something 10 hours a day for 3 months and then take a break, or I may do it less. It all depends on how I’m feeling.

14. Personal Power

When I got out of school at 18, my personal power level was very low. As the years passed, I’ve realized that the best place to look for guidance is within. If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I say that a lot .

This has helped me build confidence. I by no means have a perfect guidance system. I fall into traps. I make a fool of myself, but that’s cool, because I know that I would not want to be doing anything else.

We all have a kid inside of us who wants someone to tell us what to do. We want validation and all that good stuff. That’s okay, but in the end, you are the only one who really knows what you want.

15. Happiness

I used to think money was the answer to happiness. The only way to happiness was having millions in the bank and relaxing on a nice exotic beach, but that no longer interests me, because I know the artificial happiness it creates would not last.

I need something to work on. I am constantly being pulled in different directions, and I love it. If I were to take a “vacation”, I’d probably get bored after a week and start looking for something to do.

We don’t really need to retire to a nice beach in Brazil. All we need to do is find what makes us tick, to find our passion(s).

I couldn’t imagine myself doing nothing for an extended period of time. Happiness to me is doing what I want. It may mean something different for you, but that’s what it means for me.

16. Fun

There’s a need for discipline, but there’s also a need for fun. I used to be a lot more disciplined than fun. I’d say no to requests to hang out, because I had my eyes on my current goal.

I wanted to reach my goal as soon as possible. I wanted to get things done. I’m not going to say that I’ve overcome this, because I love my obsessions too much, but I’ve gotten a lot better at relaxing and having fun.

There’s no rush. If you feel like taking a break, then take a break. Who cares if you reach your goal? Who cares how good you look on paper? Who cares what other people think?

17. Perspective

It’s easy to get bogged down in the details, which is why it’s important to take a few steps back and look at what you’re really trying to achieve.

I have a very easy time falling into the trap of looking at numbers in my blogging. I look at how many people unsubscribe from my e-mail list instead of the thank you e-mails I receive.

I compare myself to the big guys and think about how far I still have to go instead of  looking at how far I’ve come.

In the end what this all comes down to is following my excitement. I have to remind myself of that once in awhile. I have to remind myself that I can relax and enjoy myself.

I have to remind myself that there’s no rush. The only pressure you experience is the pressure you put on yourself.

18. Realistically Dreamy

Most of the things we today take for granted were thought to be impossible in the past. The simple point I want to make is this: don’t listen to the nay-sayers, because you will run into plenty of them.

I enjoy being what I call realistically dreamy. If I feel good about something, I’ll go for it. I don’t care if the chances of me succeeding are small, because even if it doesn’t work out, I will most likely gain some vital experience points in life.

If at some point you don’t doubt yourself, you’re probably not being uncomfortable enough. Going after your passion means being uncomfortable. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different.

19. Conditionally Open-Minded

Being flexible and open-minded means different things to different people. I like to think of myself as conditionally open-minded.

If I’ve set my sails for something, I shut out everything else and start taking action. There’s no need for me to keep distracting myself with more information if I know enough to take action.

There will always be people telling me that I’m doing things wrong, but I don’t listen to them, because the only thing that matters is how I feel about what I’m doing.

Maybe I need to fail in something to succeed at something else down the road. This is why I’ve stopped looking at things in isolation. I’ve started to trust the force. Yoda was right all along.

20. Excuse-Free

Last, but definitely not least is the fact that I don’t take excuses seriously. If I want something badly enough, I will overcome any excuse.

If I succumb to my excuses, I know I’m not really ready to head down that road. It may also be because it’s not a road that’s a good fit for my at this time.

When I’m on-fire about something, excuses fly out the window. When I started playing poker, I knew that I could make a living if I put in the work.

I was afraid, shy and had all the usual problems 18-year olds have, but my goal was to make it work. I didn’t want a 9-to-5 job like everyone else. It just wasn’t for me.

The excuses you have right now don’t matter. What really matters is what kind of life you want.

Images by Daniel, Bart, Jeremy and Geof

Life isn’t logical. There’s no way you can predict what’s going to happen. Well, at least not if you’re like most humans. Who knows, that might change in the future, but for now we’re stuck.

There are better ways to live your life than let your mind control every single move you make.

Think about all those things you’ve wanted to do, but never did, because you thought they were silly. Have you noticed how that approach is slowly sucking the enjoyment out of your life?

There are better options.

Following Your Procrastination

Recently I read a really, really good article over at Steve Pavlina’s blog on How to Fall in Love with Procrastination. I find it interesting how often Steve’s articles are synchronistic with what I’m experiencing.

In the last two months I’ve immersed myself in language learning, specifically Spanish. I’m a forward thinking person, and I have a tendency to want to get things done as soon as possible.

This leads to doing tasks that aren’t fun. In language learning that would be studying grammar, word lists and what have you.

Instead of doing that I’ve started watching TV-series and movies in Spanish. I’ve also started listening to Spanish podcasts, reading Spanish books and chatting with Spanish natives.

The problem with only doing something to reach a goal is that there will always be more goals to reach.

Blogging has taken a back-seat, because I’m enjoying the fruits of my labor. I’ve spent the last few years building up passive income streams online so I can live a life of freedom and do what I want.

Don’t worry though. I will keep blogging and sharing my experiences. When I say blogging has taken a back-seat, that just means that I’m not guest posting or doing anything other than writing my own posts.

As I’ve let go more and more, I’ve realized that I can take breaks. I can take a day off and watch 12-hours of Lost in Spanish (I know, I have problems, but hey, at least I’m learning Spanish! )

How Much Fun Are You Having?

It doesn’t matter if I’m learning a language, learning to paint or just sitting and talking to somebody. There are always lessons to be learned.

In the last few months of immersing myself in language learning I’ve grown more patient and started focusing on having fun instead of working myself to death.

Learning another language has helped my English as well. I’ve become more aware of intonation and pronunciation. I’ve started looking at speaking as a way to practice languages as well as connect with others.

I used to look at everything as a means to an end. I was always looking to reach my latest goal.

As time passed, I’ve come to realize that enjoying the current moment is more important than reaching any goal. If I’m not enjoying what I’m doing, then why keep going?

There’s a big obstacle to all this though, and it will hold you back if you let it, and it’s this: What you feel like doing won’t always make logical sense.

The truth is that you never know if your short dabble in learning Spanish will lead to something else. Maybe you’ll meet someone who knows someone and things start rolling from there.

Are You Aware of the Adventure?

I work best when I can immerse myself in something for an extended period of time. For example, I immersed myself in blogging for 6 months and did almost nothing else during that time. Now I’m easing up on it and experimenting with something else.

I’ve learned to follow my heart and trust the process. I’ve been following my own path for over half a decade. I’ve trained myself to listen to my heart, even if it sometimes doesn’t make sense.

I’ve received many e-mails from people asking me advice on what they should do with their life. The answer is always the same: follow your heart.

We’ve been taught to look for validation, but when you realize that all you have to do is listen to that thing in your chest, everything becomes much more fun.

You start looking forward to what’s going to happen. I have no idea what I’ll be doing in six months. I’m excited to see what I come up with, where I end up and what I’ll be doing.

I Just Love What I Do …

The last few years of playing poker, I just held on, because I was afraid of letting go. It was familiar and it was the only way I knew how to make a living.

My heart was telling me to play around with websites, but my mind was full of fear.

“It can’t be done! You can’t do it” my mind said to me.

In early 2009, I finally let go. I started building websites and I did what I felt like I wanted to do.

I worked day and night on my early websites, because I loved it.Many have commented on my work ethic, but I don’t see myself as an incredibly hard worker, I just love what I do.

The income from my websites and this blog are what allow me to take months off to study Spanish, take a swim in the pool and walks with the missus.

This is what life is about. Life is about freedom. Life is about doing what you truly feel like doing, even if it doesn’t make any sense at all. Life is about being a child and doing whatever you want.

Have you ever wanted to learn a language, but never felt like you could?

There’s a reason you feel drawn to do the things you want to do. If you don’t start following your excitement today, when will you?

Stop pushing away the things that bring fulfillment, enjoyment and happiness to your life. Start following your hunches and start playing.

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When I think about Spain, I think about the food, the beaches and the typically Spanish activities, such as taking a siesta when the day is at its hottest. While living here I’ve come to realize that the siesta is essential to life, especially during the summer.

Moving to another country takes you out of your comfort zone. You travel to a place you’ve never been before. Being uncomfortable the first few days or weeks is normal. Your body and mind are adjusting to the new shapes and colors around you.

I’ve always liked Spain. I don’t know why, but it’s close to my heart. This article is about my experiences with moving and living in Spain.

The Decision

The decision to move to Spain came suddenly. It was partly brought on by the high taxes in Sweden for small businesses (Sweden, you need to get this handled). In Sweden, a small business pays a 55% flat tax, and that got me thinking of moving.

While Spain isn’t a tax haven, it certainly has much lower taxes than Sweden. I was also getting fed up with the cold and darkness of northern Sweden. Our summers are short and our winters long. In December, when it is darkest, we only have a few hours of very weak sunlight per day.

Most of the day is darkness, so you can probably imagine that it isn’t that much fun. Darkness and cold isn’t a good mix, at least not for me.

I enjoy the warmth of Spain. When we arrived in January (in winter), the temperature was around 12C (53.6F for you across-the-ponders). The only problem is that it rains a lot between December and March, but I’d take rain over icy-cold weather any time, especially since I’ve lived in Sweden for pretty much my whole life.

And finally, the most important factor in my move was the feeling I had. I felt like I wanted to go live somewhere else. At first I didn’t know where, but as time passed, I started to realize that Spain was the only place I wanted to live in, so that’s where I went.

Life is so much more fun when you follow your heart. I have no idea where I’ll be one year from now, or what I will be doing. All I know is that I will be doing something I enjoy.

Travel Arrangements

I really dislike the way transportation works in our current day and age. I’d much rather have some kind of teleportation or anything that’s faster and more comfortable than what we have now.

We traveled with a dog (her name is Cleo), so we needed to make sure everything was go on that front. It also cost a few hundred euros extra to pay for Cleo.

She was just a tad too big to travel with us inside the plane, so she got to hang out with the luggage. We were apprehensive about this at first, but everything went fine and she came out unharmed.

Other than the pain of traveling, everything went smoothly. We traveled within the European Union, so we didn’t have to get a VISA or do any paperwork. All we had to do was book our flights and let the Swedish government know that we were leaving.

Finding a Place

Finding an apartment felt overwhelming, because there were so many options. I started by looking at common Spanish websites, but nothing felt quite right.

I kept searching and finally discovered that there were a lot of Swedish agents that helped people find apartments on the Spanish coast.

At first I thought the commissions they took would be huge, but apparently they don’t take any commissions. I don’t know how they make their money. Maybe they make some kind of affiliate commission? Perhaps someone with more knowledge can chime in here.

I finally found a website with a Swedish agent where they had listings of “their” apartments. I started looking through them and one of them stood out. It just felt right. My heart said yes, so I said okay, let’s go.

We currently live in a 1-bedroom apartment that costs us €600/month. That includes electricity, water and 24-hour reception. It’s one block away from the train and buses, so we have no problem getting around.

It’s also in the same building as a big supermarket, so getting food is easy. This strategic location was important to me as I don’t want to own a car or anything else. I want to keep my expenses as low as possible, at least for now.

Getting Settled

Moving to a new country is always scary, because you have to learn how everything works. There’s a new language, new systems and new routines.

To help everything go as smoothly as possible, I hired a Swedish accounting firm that helped me get my documents and business up. I also use them to get my accounting in order.

The first thing I had to do when I arrived in Spain was to get something called an N.I.E number. Opening a bank account or getting anything done would have been very hard without it.

Getting my N.I.E number went surprisingly fast. I went to the local police office, filled some papers (with the help of my accountant) and submitted them to the officer behind the desk. Within 5 days I got to pick up my papers.

When my brother (who also lives here) got his N.I.E, it took several weeks, so I guess they may have improved their system, or my brother just got unlucky and caught a busy period.

All in all, while getting settled was a bit disturbing since I don’t like things to be out of control, it was very painless. Within a month, everything was up and rolling.

The Language Barrier

Everything from TV-series to movies are dubbed in Spanish. The Spaniards love to dub everything. This is great if you want to learn Spanish (which is another article on its own), but not so great if you want to learn English.

I grew up in Sweden, where almost nothing is dubbed. I still remember answering the phone when I was around 9-10 years old. It was an English-speaking person asking for my brother.

I had no trouble telling him that my brother wasn’t home and that I could take a message. The reason I was able to do this was because I had been watching several hours of cartoons in English every single day (without subtitles at that time).

I’ve lived in Spain before. At that time I took an intensive 30-day course in Spanish. I didn’t learn much, because I didn’t immerse myself in the language on my own time.

Luckily, the aparthotel I am living at has an amazing staff. They have helped me get my ADSL connection. And as I mentioned earlier, I got someone to do my accounting for me, because that would have been impossible otherwise.

I knew that I wouldn’t stand a chance doing things on my own, so I found people that could help me. Most Spaniards do not speak English, especially in the less-touristy cities.

I am immersing myself in learning Spanish at the moment, so I’m loving the fact that I have to use my severely broken Spanish wherever I go .

The Food

I haven’t been eating out much, because my girlfriend’s cooking is just too good. And also I’ve begun to realize that the restaurants that are here don’t deliver food that’s worth it.

It seems to me that food all over Europe is becoming the same. Sure, there’s paella and other Spanish dishes here, but they don’t feel like anything special to me.

I’m sure that would change if I would go to a city that was less touristy, but at the moment I really like living in Málaga. It’s a great starting point with its 25% of foreigners, which means you can easily find Swedish, Finnish or English-speaking people if you need them.

The price of food in Spain is almost exactly the same as in Sweden. Since the euro has been adopted in Spain, all the prices have risen to a higher level. Some items are cheaper, while some are more expensive.

We currently spend around €300-400 on food on a monthly basis. That includes dog food. Note that we do not eat out more than a few times per month, and we eat a whole-food diet.

Medical Care

Spain has two options when it comes to medical care: they have a public option and a private one. My girlfriend has private health insurance, while I have public.

I’ve already got a chance to test out the public health insurance. In general, I’m very happy with the way I was treated. I went to my local health center (centro de salud) and got an appointment to see a doctor who sent me to another doctor.

People usually believe that the health care in Sweden is amazing, but I would say that Spain is right up there.

I have read many individual testimonies on the public health care system in Spain, and most people seem to really like it. The service is good and the people are nice. What more can you ask for?

The Differences

The main differences between Spain and Sweden, which apply to me, are mainly the people and the weather.

It seems like the southern coast is a place where many Britons, Scandinavians and foreigners in general come to enjoy themselves. Some come here for a quick one-week vacation, while others buy an apartment and move here permanently.

That means more people come here by choice, which usually means that people are happier, because they are where they want to be. I see more people holding hands, laughing and in general enjoying life than I saw in Sweden.

Then there’s the weather. There’s a lot of rain during winter, but the weather starts getting much better after March. The summer temperature varies between 25-35C (77-95F), which is perfect for me.

I’m sure there are a lot more differences that I haven’t experienced yet, but those are the two big ones. Everything is much more relaxed here. There aren’t as many rules and restrictions. People are generally calmer and happier.

My Future Plans

At the moment I have no idea where I will be next year. I may stay here, or I may end up in India for all I know.

I’ve followed my heart ever since I finished school. Making a living as an online poker player helped me practice my intuition. I didn’t have to worry about money, so I could follow my impulses at any time.

At the moment I feel great staying where I am, learning Spanish, enjoying the culture and enjoying life.

I always follow my highest excitement as best as I can. If in 6 months I feel like going back to Sweden, I will. But right now, I have no idea what will happen, so I guess you’ll have just have to stick around and find out .

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Today I want to introduce you to someone I’ve known since I started article marketing. She’s someone who’s been working really hard and always impressed me with her consistency.

She keeps on going and her income keeps on increasing. This isn’t a quick way to riches, but it works, if you’re ready to put in the work. Her name is Ingrid Palmer, a mom, a grandmother and an overall awesome person.

1. Tell us a little about who Ingrid Palmer is. Where you grew up. Your family. Your life and so on, whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

I grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and spent most of my life there.  Went to high school and college.  I have two children; a son 28 and a daughter 22.  I also have a granddaughter who is 4. Very beautiful.

She is one of the inspirations for me trying to do more for my family.  I am happily married and have been for many, many years.  I currently reside in Miami, Florida, however planning on returning home to Jamaica in another year or so.  And will certainly be doing more affiliate marketing.

2. How did you choose a method for making money online? How did you find article marketing and what made you choose it?

I came to the US in the year 2000 with very little money and no job.  I was fortunate to find a job after two months.  I started my online search as I was tired of working for other people.  I am a very hard and dedicated worker and was always given big responsibilities because of my work ethic.

My first 3 or so years online was spent chasing scams.  I took part in so many scams that I could write a book.  I took a break from the internet as I thought it was a waste of time.  But because of my desire to have my own business I could not give up the idea.  So I started searching again

I really had no idea what affiliate marketing was.  I thought it was like MLM where you had to recruit people and build downlines and I did not want to do that at all.   I found several affiliate marketing membership sites which I joined however I did not know anything about building a website or how to get traffic or find keywords.  I continued searching until I came across a company called Jadeion which is now Affiliate Article Writers.

What attracted me to Affiliate Article Writers was the fact that they build a presell site for you and teach you how to write the articles and provided you with keywords.   With this system you could start making money quickly.  They actually hold you by the hand and help you take your first steps.

That was it I was hooked.  Affiliate Article Writers paved the way for me to begin making money online.  However it is a learning process that takes time and effort to see real result.

3. What kind of obstacles did you run into when you first started making an income online and how did you overcome them? A lot of people get frustrated when they do not see results immediately. Talk a little about how you were able to persist and become one of the few that make more than $100 a month online.

My biggest obstacle was that everyone told me to build a website and get traffic.  How you do that I had no idea.  I tried building several websites, but never got anywhere.  I just did not know how to start.  Then I heard about article marketing, writing articles and submitting them to Article Directories.  That to me was the easy part.  Finding a niche, doing keyword research and building a website was the tough part for a beginner, like me.

After I got into the habit of writing and submitting articles I began searching for methods to scale up my efforts and getting more traffic.  So I learnt about building squidoo lenses.  This method is taught very thoroughly and simply by One Week Marketing.  That is also another great way to begin online as you can use this method to make money without spending much.  It is very newbie-friendly and will help you get started on the right path.

4. How much money are you making right now and how long did it take you to get there? Share whatever number you are willing to share. The more specific the better, but only as long as you feel comfortable.

I am making a little over $1,000 currently.  It took me about 14 months to get to where I am at right now.  I know that I can triple that with just a bit more effort and when I quit my day job which I will be doing this year.

5. What are some of the common mistakes you see new article marketers make? Why do they fail and what separates you from the pack?

New affiliate marketers fail because they tend to take on too much at once.  Going after every shiny things that come their way and not doing one project and then moving on to the next.  I was guilty of this for a long time.

Learn a system and then duplicate it.  Write as many articles as possible, this is the best way of getting traffic.  I don’t know that I am different, I am just determined that this must work for me.  I have no alternative.

It is also very important to have a daily plan to track your work, without this you will be all over the place and not accomplish much.

6. How do you use article marketing? What is your process? How do you use keywords? Where do you send the traffic?

I use article marketing to get traffic to my website so they can buy whatever product I am selling.  I make my articles informative giving genuine information or advise so people will be interested in purchasing what I am selling.

Building trust with people can make the difference in whether you succeed or fail.  Long term success is what is important.

7. It’s easy to run into plateaus and fear when you’ve run out of the initial motivational burst that happens in the beginning. How did you keep on going through this? What is your secret to writing articles consistently?

Yes I have come upon the occasional road blocks. However my determination comes from knowing this system works and that the only way to success is not to give up.  I have to make this work as I have no other choice and I am extremely tired and fed up of having a boss.

This is my main motivation.  The thought of handing in that resignation is so stimulating to me it drives me to work harder.  Every time I think about my job and how much time I have to spend in an office is motivation enough for me.

I write articles daily. The secret is that there is no secret. I know that the more I write, the more sales I make.  Sometimes it is slow but that is the nature of this business.

8. I’ve talked to you a little bit and you’ve said that you want to make a living online. How are you going to do this? What are your plans?

I plan to continue selling the products that I am currently selling through Affiliate Article Writers and also build blogs around these and many other products.

I also think I have gained quite a bit of knowledge that I can one day impart to other aspiring affiliate marketers to try to help them not to make the mistakes I made.

9. Do you think making money online requires a special trait or talent? Or do you think anyone can do it? What advice would you give someone just starting out?

Making money online does not require a special trait per se, however it takes discipline.  What is required is hard work, consistency, the ability to learn new things regularly.  You must have an action plan in place without a plan it will not work.

I was sadly lacking in putting a plan in place and until I did I was just all over the place.  With a daily plan I accomplish more tasks each day.   Affiliate marketing is not an overnight thing.  It takes months to begin to see results.   And then you have to scale it up.  You have to take what you learn and personalize it, make it your own.

A lot of new affiliate marketers give up when they do not see immediate result.  Especially when they see everyone else make thousands monthly, then you begin to wonder if something is wrong with you.

Or you begin to ask yourself if this is right for you?   I know how frustrating it can be but you must be patient and do a little each day.  It will come together with practice.  And trying to learn from too many different people can become quite confusing too because each person has their own method.  You have to eventually develop your own set of skills.

10. How can someone learn to write faster and get more articles done? What are your strategies for writing more articles in less time?

The key to writing more articles faster is first to do your research on the topic you are writing about.  Once you have a good knowledge and good facts on the topic you can write a good quality information rich article in 15 or twenty minutes.   Writing to me now is like talking to a friend.  I write my articles as if I was answering an email.

As long as you are able to provide quality information your articles will eventually make you sales.  Give and you shall certainly get.

A huge thank you to Ingrid for doing this interview, and if you’re interested in diving deeper into article marketing, check out my article marketing guide (it comes with hand-holding).

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The amount of useless information that can be found both online and offline is astounding. I am not speaking in absolute terms, because what is useful depends entirely on what you.

Lately when I’ve been browsing the web and hanging out on Twitter, I’ve started seeing more and more trashing of stuff that works.

The talk not so long ago was that blogging was dead. People embraced Twitter and other platforms, but in the end, you’re best of ignoring this kind of information and going with your heart.

Sure, listening and learning is good, but the problem is that there’s so much noise that it leaves you confused and paralyzed. If that happens, then it does you no good.

I used to read everything that came my way. I needed someone else’s opinion to form my own. As I’ve grown, I have become more independent and I have found myself consuming less and less.

I still read, but I only read a few blogs regularly and tend to lean towards books. Most important of all, I tend to produce more, because I am focusing on what I can put out, instead of consuming what is already out there.

I Don’t Care

I don’t care if something I do has already been said. If I feel like I need to say it, then I will. There will always be people out there that will tell you that you’re doing it wrong. You have to cultivate the courage to follow your heart, because that is what will give you peace in the long-term.

A good example of going with my heart was when I was producing my first ebook: Article Marketing Traffic Booster. I was constantly bumping into articles, interviews and information that told me that ebooks were going out of style.

If I wanted to make a living, I shouldn’t focus on ebooks. When I heard that, instead of changing direction, I trusted my own feelings to guide me. It felt good to write an ebook, because getting it done was easy for me.

And I knew that I had to start somewhere. There’s nothing wrong with starting small and taking small steps upwards. I knew that I could always move on to other things if my ebooks didn’t pan out.

The key here is to get some momentum going, even if you’re not doing what is most optimal from a money perspective, you are doing what is optimal from a life perspective.

Selective Ignorance

Cultivating selective ignorance has been a very important part in my productivity. I value my own feelings more than anything else.

I also know where I’m going, which allows me to reject anything that comes my way that doesn’t fit my plan. It gives me clarity, strength and motivation to move forward.

Increasing your trust in yourself is as easy as taking action and making mistakes. As you make more and more mistakes, you’ll start to see that failing isn’t all that bad. It’s another widespread myth that making mistakes will somehow make you a bad person.

Once you get comfortable with your fear of failure, you’ll naturally start to trust yourself, because it just feels so good to go where your feelings take you.

At this exact moment, I know you may not feel like trusting yourself, but it will come. Accept what you’re feeling right now, do your best and for fracks sake relax!

Minimalistic Production

Having your own opinion and standing out may not be good in high school, but it’s good if you want to create a following online.

The more of yourself you can be, the more you will attract the right people. Sure, you will attract people that are against what you stand for, but that’s just a sign that you’re moving in the right direction.

Trust your feelings. Trust the force to guide you where you need to be. Getting to a place where you trust yourself completely isn’t going to happen overnight.

Trust the fact that you will be able to trust yourself more and more as time passes. It has always been hard for me to trust myself, because I am constantly bombarded with external messages telling me that I have to be something that I am not.

I need that car. I need a certain amount of money, and I need to have a certain sized house with a nice fence to be worth something.

When I realized that I can release all these shoulds, I felt a great weight lifted off my shoulders. I now live a minimalistic life with my girlfriend in Spain.

Who knows what the future holds, but I do know one thing: I will keep following my heart and my highest excitement as best I can, because that is what truly matters to me.

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I’m addicted to quotes. They are inspiring, motivating and they have the power to provoke new thoughts. They have the power to break down old beliefs and inject wisdom into your life.

I’ve always gained inspiration from quotes, which is why I’ve decided to gather some of my favorite quotes into a post. Each quote comes with an elaboration from me.

The meanings of the quotes will probably not be the same for you as they are for me, so use whatever I say however you like. I can only share my own experience. After that it is up to you.

Enjoy!

Courage

1. “Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.” – Tom Krause

There are no guarantees in life. Even the false security of having a house, a family and money in the bank will pass. The only constant in life is change. The sooner we can accept that, the smoother life will be.

2. “The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” – Sven Goran Eriksson

We all fear failure. It’s a learned habit. It is said that the only fears we are born with are the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises, the rest is learned. There’s nothing wrong with failure. In fact, if you never fail, you will never grow.

3. “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.” – John Maxwell

I couldn’t agree more with this quote. The more comfortable I get with being uncomfortable, the faster I grow. When you’re moving forward and making progress, you will feel uncomfortable, and that’s okay.

4. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell

We grow up with the idea that we have to look for others for answers. Instead of seeking approval, look inside of yourself and feel what is right. We are all unique, therefore we are all on our own path. No one can tell you exactly what to do, because their destination is different from yours.

5. “They can’t hurt you unless you let them.” – Unknown

When I read this quote, I think about our imagination and our fears. Almost all of us are suffering without a cause. The fear of fear is worse than fear itself. You’ve probably heard it many times, but that’s because it’s true.

6. “The key to change… is to let go of fear.” – Rosanne Cash

The more you can let go of fear, the faster you will grow. I’m not talking about eliminating fear or being fearless. When I think about letting go of fear, I think about acknowledging it and letting it be there. There’s nothing wrong with being afraid.

7. “If you wait to do everything until you’re sure it’s right, you’ll probably never do much of anything.” – Win Borden

I’ve gotten many e-mails from people asking me for advice. The common thread that runs through them all is that they want to make sure they’re doing it right. My answer is always the same: you have to try, fail and try again. There are no guarantees. There is only the path.

8. “Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” – Raymond Lindquist

What is familiar is comfortable. Even though the familiar might be worse than the unfamiliar, we still tend to hold on to it, because going into the unknown is uncomfortable. Having the courage to go into the unfamiliar can be tough, but not impossible. It requires a shift in perspective. Become curious. Become an explorer of life. This is an adventure.

9. “Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

This is another good take on courage. What we have to remember is that definitions and perspectives are constantly in flux. There are no absolutes. Courage for me isn’t the same as courage for you, which is why, in the end, you have to trust yourself.

10. “There is far more opportunity than there is ability. “ – Thomas A. Edison

Most people are afraid to take action. Sure, they have ideas, but they don’t do anything about it. It’s scary to go down that path, which is why so few do. In the end, you have to determine what kind of life you want to live: one of mediocrity, or one of greatness?

Motivation

11. “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean

Dreams are important, but they do not come to fruition if you do not take action. Don’t procrastinate. Start living the life you want to live today. There is always a step you can take. There is always something you can do.

12. “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” – Unknown

If you never start, you will never get anywhere. If you want to find your passion, it starts with trying. You will fail, you will make mistakes, but that’s a part of the journey.

13. “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Brian Littrell

I’ve found that going after my goals rigidly only makes me unhappy. I now make goals, but I am flexible about them. I am open to new possibilities. Having a goal is essential, but use it as a guideline and not as something you have to reach.

14. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

Everything that you see around you will pass. Whatever success you may achieve will pass. Whatever failure you may run into will also pass.Doesn’t that make you wonder if life is more than chasing success and avoiding failure?

15. “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Ziglar

Following your passion isn’t effortless. I know many who think it should be, which is another obstacle holding them back from taking action. This is not a ride in the park. It’s a path of rapid growth. It contains both joy and fear.

16. “Never, never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill

Whatever you do—keep going. When I started playing poker professionally at the age of 18, I knew I was going to succeed. I was prepared to do anything. I knew that others were making money playing poker, so I thought “if they can, so can I.”

17. “Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” – Abraham Lincoln

You determine your happiness. There are several studies out there that show that even if you win the lottery, your state of happiness will return to its previous level in about a year. What happens outside of you is of little importance, as long as you have the basic necessities.

18. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn

Motivation ebbs and flows. When I started blogging, the first few months were easy, but then I started bumping into periods of low energy. Habit and a focus on helping people is what kept me going. I constantly reminded myself that this was what I wanted to do.

19. “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer

You are responsible for how you feel. You can blame external things if you want to, but it will never change how things are. It is only when you accept your own responsibility that you can change.

20. “There’s always a way – if you’re committed.” – Tony Robbins

If you’re passionate enough and if you care enough, you will overcome any obstacles. Excuses will be a thing of the past, but if you’re not determined, you will let the smallest excuse hold you back.

Inspiration

21. “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” – Confucius

If you’ve been trying to make your passion a reality, please do not quit. If something doesn’t work, all you have to do is change your approach. Look at people who are already doing what you want to do, and learn from them.

22. “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney

Everything that has been invented has at one time or another been thought of as impossible. Don’t let other people hold you down when it comes to going after your dreams. Trust your heart and follow your highest excitement.

23. “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock

I know you may doubt yourself when it comes to listening to your heart, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. The sooner you embrace an attitude of curiosity, the sooner you will start trusting yourself. So what if you make mistakes? Who cares?

24. “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

The people that can do the things they think they cannot do are the ones who succeed. Following your passion and living your purpose is not always easy.

25. “Action will remove the doubt that theory cannot solve.” – Petryl Hsieh

You can spend your whole life thinking and theorizing, but it is only through action that you gain clarity. I’ve noticed that theory can only take me so far. When I actually start taking action, things are much different than in theory.

26. “Using no way as a way, using no limitation as limitation.” – Bruce Lee

Sometimes you have to be the pioneer. The only limitations you have are the ones you impose on yourself.

27. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

If you want a better life, all you have to do is get started. It doesn’t matter if you believe yourself to be a slow learner, because if you never start, you never get anywhere. It’s better to start than to live a life of regret.

28. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” – Confucius

This is an excellent follow up to #27. You can try to learn as much as you want, but if you do not take action, you won’t get any results. You cannot know everything before you start, so don’t even try. Just begin and expect mistakes. Learn from them and keep going.

29. “Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.” – Buddha

It can take a while to find your passion, but when you do find it, it’s your duty to give it your all. It’s not enough to find your passion; it takes hard work to make it a reality.

30. “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson

Dwelling on past mistakes does you no good. You can change everything today if you want to, or you can keep living the life you’ve always lived. It’s up to you, but remember this: every moment is an opportunity to change your life.

Success

31. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” – Buddha

Your thought patterns and beliefs determine your life. If you are not happy with where you are, take a look at what beliefs are holding you back from having the life you want.

32. “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” – Aristotle

Find your passion and purpose in life. Love what you do and the end result will reflect it. If you do the work with joy, you will have no trouble perfecting every detail.

33. “God helps those who help themselves.” – Benjamin Franklin

This is an excellent way of saying that once you start taking action, the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place. I’ve experienced this first-hand. It wasn’t until I showed the universe I was serious that I started getting “lucky”.

34. “That some achieve great success is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” – Abraham Lincoln

You can do what you love. There are people just like you, doing what you want to do. I may have different strengths than you, but in the end that doesn’t matter. If I am more tech-savvy than you doesn’t matter. We all have to find our own path.

35. “A jug fills drop by drop.” – Buddha

You do not need a crystal ball. Knowing what steps to take makes life boring. Take life one day at a time. Enjoy the surprises life throws at you.

36. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Don’t look at successful people and feel like you are not enough. You are comparing yourself to someone who has worked hard at perfecting his craft. All you can do is start. If you want to get good at something, go do it.

37. “Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” – Bruce Lee

Keep an open mind when you are following your passion. There will be surprises and obstacles on your path. What impact they have is determined by you. You have the ability to choose if they are positive or negative. Be flexible. Be like bamboo.

38. “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” – Bruce Lee

What your goal is doesn’t matter, as long as it is something that inspires you to take action. There are is no reason to be overly serious about what you do. Think back to your childhood years and your playfulness. Emulate it and your life becomes effortless.

39. “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” – Chinese Proverb

In order for you to be successful, you will have to go through trials. You will make mistakes, you will screw up and you will be scared. It’s a part of life, so stop running away from it and start running towards it.

40. “Everyone who got where he is has had to begin where he was.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

It’s easy to look at someone who’s already rocking it when you yourself haven’t even gotten started. It’s easy to forget that the one you admire has been where you are. It’s easy to forget, so remind yourself of the fact that we are all the same, and if that is true, you can do this as well, even if you doubt yourself.

41. “Fall seven times, Stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb

The most successful people are the most persistent. When I began my journey with making my passion a reality, I didn’t succeed right away. I spent years and thousands of dollars trying to learn. I didn’t give up, which is why I am here today.

42. “The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” – Tony Robbins

Take action. Take Action. Take action. I can’t say it enough. If you want something, you have to take action. Plan, learn and absorb as much as you want, but without action, you will never get to where you want to be.

43. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. “ – Thomas A. Edison

This is another good quote illustrating the importance of action. How many ideas you have doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you take action!

Wisdom

44. “When the solution is simple, God is answering.” – Albert Einstein

The human mind has a funny tendency of trying to make everything complex. It takes effort to keep things simple. The more stuff you can eliminate from your plate, the more you get done. Focus on simplicity.

45. “Know thyself.” – Plato

We are all different. You have to find how you work and what makes you happy. Stop looking at others for answers and find your own. It takes time, but there’s no rush anywhere. Enjoy the process, because that’s what life is about.

46. “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Lao Tzu

If you’re unhappy, you can’t expect something or someone outside of yourself to fix it. You are the only one responsible for your life. If you want to change and start living with passion, you are the one that has to act.

47. “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” – Confucius

There is so much war going on in the world. We need to start treating each other with respect. We are the same species. We are brothers and sisters living on the same planet. We are in this together. Everything that separates us from each other should be reconsidered.

48. “Only the shallow know themselves.” – Oscar Wilde

There is always more you can learn about yourself. Personal development is a never-ending journey. Once you think you know what you’re all about, life will throw a curve-ball at you and you’ll discover new, subtle facets.

49. “Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.” – William Shakespeare

Take it easy. Once you’ve rushed enough in your life, you will realize that there is nowhere to go. The need to go fast comes from a feeling of lack. This feeling can only be remedied from where it originates—the inside.

50. “When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.” – Abraham Lincoln

This should be the religion of all people on earth. What good is a religion if it separates us? Who cares if your god is better than mine if all it leads to is hatred and war? It’s time to sit down and think about what we’re doing.

51. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” – Buddha

You may think that being successful or having something will make you happy, but do you really believe that? Once you have strived enough, you may start questioning what society has taught you. We do need the basics, but no more. If you want to be happy and at peace, look inward.

52. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee

Do not overanalyze. Err on the side of taking too much action, rather than thinking too much. Most people are thinkers, because it is easy, but few are doers. It’s hard, frustrating and sometimes painful, but it works.

53. “Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” – Thomas Jefferson

You have to beat this point into your head: take action, and do it now! The stars will never align. Circumstances will never be perfect. The sooner you get started, the better off you will be. You will have to make mistakes, because it is the only way.

Truth

54. “Simplicity is the key to brilliance.” – Bruce Lee

The human mind wants to complicate. It takes awareness to keep things simple. It is only when you embrace simplicity that you start to realize how much you are capable of. This is what Everett did, the author of Art of Being Minimalist.

55. “Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu

You already have everything you need. Be grateful for the things you already have. It’s easy to get caught up in the drama of life. Focusing on negativity is easy, but focusing on the positive is what makes a difference and spurs you into action.

56. “The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.” – Confucius

Instead of telling people what to do, go and do it first and then speak. I have had more than a few people tell me that they were going to do something, and they never did. It doesn’t leave a good impression.

57. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

Always maintain the beginner’s mind. Whenever you think you’ve got it, you’re mistaken. You are never too old to play. You are never too old to have fun. It all comes down to your perspective.

58. “We acquire the strength we have overcome.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you face your fears, you grow stronger. Each time you do something you’re afraid of, it becomes easier. This has been true in my life, so I have no doubt that the same will be true for you. When you start out, it’s hard, but it gets easier. Trust me.

59. “Every choice you make has an end result.” – Zig Ziglar

Be aware of the actions you take and the consequences they have. It’s easy to act in haste. It’s easy to do selfish things. They may look good in the short-term, but in the long-term you’ll be digging your own grave. The same goes for going after your passion. It may be hard in the short-term, but it is more than worth it.

60. “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

When Michael Jordan was a kid, he was horrible at basketball, but he kept failing, practicing and trying, which is why he became great. If you want to make something happen in your life, you have to start failing, trying and moving forward.

Life

61. “Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” – Unknown

Everything around you and inside you is constantly changing. The people that resist this process are the ones constantly whining and complaining. They are in constant internal agony. Keep going, be curious and remember to breathe.

62. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu

There is no rush anywhere. The perfection of life lies in the ability to accept the perceived imperfection. This is why I recommend you find your passion, because life is a process that never ends. If you find something you love doing, you will be at peace. If you strive for a big payday, you will be striving even when you hit your goal.

63. “A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu

Have plans, but do not be rigid. Be present and focus on each task. Thinking about an end goal will cause stress, because your mind is focusing on the future, on lack, instead of focusing on what’s in front of you.

64. “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” – Confucius

This is such a simple quote, yet so powerful. If everyone lived by this, the world would be a better place. Treat others with respect and kindness, because that is how you would like to be treated, right?

65. “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” – Unknown

One day you will die. Why not make your life worth it? Every fear you have will disappear. They only exist because you have given credence to them. They exist because you allow them to.

66. “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason” – Jerry Seinfeld

You don’t have to re-invent the wheel if you’re starting something new. It’s perfectly okay to learn from someone who’s already been where you want to be.

67. “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other” – Abraham Lincoln

You determine your success. No tools, strategies or courses can do it for you. If someone has resolution, but bad tools, he will succeed. But it someone has poor resolution and the best tools in the world, I certainly wouldn’t bet on him or her.

68. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato

We’re all going through this journey together, and we all have our own problems. Remember to be kind. Remember others, because you are not the only one that has problems. Focus your energy on being kind and helping. You will see a difference in your life.

69. “People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within.” – Romana L. Anderson

There is nowhere to go. There is nowhere you have to be. Happiness comes from within and looking for it outside of yourself will only lead you deeper down the rabbit hole.

70. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammed Ali

You have to be willing to take risks. I’m not talking about going for broke with a slim chance of success. I am talking about jumping into the unknown and going after the things that excite you, even if you are afraid.

Time

71. “Procrastination is the bad habit of putting of until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” – Napoleon Hill

Take whatever you’re procrastinating on and do it right now. Get into the habit of using your awareness of procrastination as a trigger to take action. When you make it a habit, you are no longer slave to that which we call procrastination.

72. “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” – Albert Einstein

Time is an interesting beast, because it is relative. Put your hand on a stove and time moves slowly. Watch an excellent movie with someone you love and time flies by.

73. “Beware the barrenness of a busy life. “ – Socrates

You can do a lot of busy work. Actually doing the work is when you get results, but it’s hard and we tend to procrastinate a lot. If you’re just going to be busy, you might as well do something else. Do something that matters or nothing at all.

74. “Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste. “ – Benjamin Franklin

Remind yourself to be present with whatever you are doing. Keep your focus on one thing. Avoid multi-tasking. It doesn’t allow you to get into the flow and dip your soul into the eternal nature of all that is.

75.  “Time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time.” – T.S. Elliot

There is nothing wrong with wasting time. I tend to force myself to work, so I’ve had to learn that wasting some time and having fun isn’t a deadly sin. It’s essential to a happy life.

76. “Don’t let the past steal your present” – Cherralea Morgen

We all dwell on the past too much. I know I do. Don’t let your past determine your future. Focus on what you want to do, and go do it. Release the past and step into your potential.

77. “Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.” – Japanese Proverb

Last, but not least, remember to enjoy your life. Remember to be grateful for the little things. Remember to be kind to the people around you and remember to follow your heart.

Photo Credit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8

Take a step back, breathe and put things into perspective. Why are we chasing something that is unattainable?

Sometimes you have to stop and say “hey, wait a minute. Is this really what I want? Am I heading in the right direction?”

The eternal pursuit of happiness is nothing more than an illusion. I’m not talking from a philosophical viewpoint, but from a practical one.

If we’re going to go after something, why not make it something that is attainable and that makes a difference in our lives?

For a long time I thought I needed to get happiness from outside of myself. Sure, I had times where I felt better than others, but they always passed.

Life is cyclical in nature, and so is everything else on our planet. Perhaps it is not happiness we should seek, but peace. The search and pursuit of happiness may look innocent, but it can lead to greed, war and depression.

Expectations

To be at peace, your expectations have to be fluid. There will be ups and downs in your life. Expect them and realize that they are a part of being human.

There is no good without bad. There can be no forward without backward.

Having proper expectations simply means that you have an accurate view of reality. It does not mean that you’re cynical. It means that you’re prepared. Whenever I’m creating something, like I did with Passionate Living. I accept the fact that no one may buy it.

I am okay with that. I don’t expect massive success right away. If it comes, that’s cool, but growth almost always happens when we are faced with adversity.

So in essence, we should be thrilled when problems come our way. There are times when I am excited about my problems.

You may feel like your problems are stuff you’d like to get rid of, but think about the lessons they bring. If the going gets tough, I think about how it will feel when I have solved them and learned from them.

Acceptance

Life is a rollercoaster ride. The rollercoaster ride in and of itself does not have any meaning until you enter the picture.

Some people, like me, enjoy riding all kinds of rollercoasters. The thrill of observing yourself while being scared out of your mind is fascinating.

Then there are some people that think rollercoaster rides are horrible. The same goes for life. Two different people can experience the same situation, but come out of it with two different meanings.

Life is what you want it to be. Sometimes it’s negative, sometimes it’s positive. When you can accept life with its ups and downs, you will be one step closer to peace.

Growth

I still remember being 16 and embarking on the path of personal development. It all started when I got interested in lucid dreaming.

After that I slowly went to meditation and one thing lead to another. It’s been almost eight years of constantly growing and challenging myself.

When I look back, I realize that I was a completely different person back then. I see the hardships I went through and I see the growth that occurred during those periods.

The first few years were tough and painful. I had to release a lot of beliefs that weren’t serving me. I am still constantly improving myself, but as I’ve shifted my beliefs to more positive ones, I no longer resist change as much.

I know how hard it is to stay aware when you’re going through what seems to be the biggest emotional storm of your life, but you don’t have to be aware all the time, you only have to do your best.

You will have times when you’re pushing yourself too hard. That’s a part of the learning process; at least it is for me.

It is all too easy to get caught in the drama of life. The little details suck you and you don’t even notice it.

The more you breathe, stay present and look at life through a lens of curiosity and adventure, the more fun you will have.

While total happiness may not be possible, total peace is.

Photo Credit

I first got introduced to Dave Navarro through Jade, who is a networking genius.

At first glance, you may think that Dave is another marketing dude

But when you dig deeper, you realize that he’s a down-to-earth kind of guy who cares about his customers.

He jumps over all the hype and gets straight to the point.

He is honest about the fact that making a living isn’t easy. He’s human, just like you and me.

He experiences fear, anger, worry and frustration. He also has an amazing library of content [opt-in], which I highly recommend you check out if you’re interested in making a living following your passion.

Enjoy!

The Interview

1. Who is Dave Navarro?

I’m a product launch manager at TheLaunchCoach.com and I specialize in helping bloggers and online professionals build a fan base and create/sell information products based around their expertise.

2. How did you get started?

I actually started as a time management / personal development coach over at RockYourDay.com and created some audio products based around getting more out of your day.

When blogging turned mainstream I took what I knew about making and selling products and helped a few up-and-coming bloggers sell their stuff.  Word got around that I knew how to launch products, and I started getting calls from people who wanted to hire me.

My passion has always been helping people, but I discovered I could leverage my time a lot better selling business solutions to businesses than I could trying to “motivate” people, so I shifted into the business-building niche. I love helping small businesses learn how to get ahead financially, so that’s pretty fulfiling.

3. A lot of people get paralyzed when it comes to finding their passion, they think it has to be perfect before they start taking action. Did you encounter this? If so, how did you deal with it and what were your experiences?

Absolutely, this held me back for years.  What I had to do was forget perfection and focus on adding value to customers’ lives.  I couldn’t compete with the slick packaging that other people had, but I could help people move forward, so that’s what I focused on.

I also discovered that people don’t want perfect – in fact, they resent it.  Just watch how much people like to see celebrities fail … what people really want is to see someone just like them working to succeed, because that’s something they can relate to and model.

I still get paralyzed sometimes (even this week), but what I do is focus on specific people who need my help, and I think that it’s silly to hold off on releasing products and information that can help then right now just because it’s not polished enough.

4. I’ve read a lot of your articles and listened to a few interviews, so I know you’re not a fearless person. I’ve heard you say that you’re just as scared as anyone else, but the difference is that you take action. How do you deal with the fear and get into taking action mode?

Again, it’s back to focusing on the value that you provide to others.  You’ve got to shake yourself out of the paralysis and think of how much people appreciate your help, and about how stuck they’ll remain if you don’t take action. Then it’s not about your fear and it’s more about their need.

Also, I keep an archive of emails where people say “Wow, you’ve helped me so much,” and I skim through that when I’m feeling down.

5. If you could start over again, what would you do differently in terms of following your passion and making things work?

I wouldn’t have tried to be the next Tony Robbins or the next Copyblogger and instead just focused on tossing out quick videos and posts where I deliver the goods and help people.  I would have bought a flip camera because they make recording so easy (it took me forever to get the hang of getting something decent looking/sounding at home).

And I definitely would have raised my prices earlier.  That’s where the leverage comes from – you can’t get breathing space charging peanuts.  It’s not good for you and it’s not good for your clients.

6. What is the one tip you would give people just getting started, those that just figured out that they can do what they love, but are too scared or confused to begin.

This is going to sound self-serving, but I’d say go check out my free workbook “7 Steps To Playing A Much Bigger Game” because it can get you out of the fear and get you focused on what you’re truly capable of.  I wrote it specifically with this question in mind.

7. I always emphasize that if you haven’t found your passion, you will find it by taking action. Sometimes you have to figure out what you don’t want in order to find what you do want. How has your business and perspective transformed throughout the years? Did you have the same goals 5 years ago as you do now?

Well, this is absolutely true – I started out wanting to be the next Tony Robbins (because I thought that’s where the leverage was, in selling to millions), and I did some pretty stupid things working myself to death, not spending enough time with my family, etc..

But it was a learning process that helped me identify things that I didn’t want in my business.  I didn’t want to be on the phone all day for clients.  I wanted a flexible schedule.  I didn’t want to be tied to a desk.  I didn’t want to be around low-energy people.  I didn’t want to have someone else calling the shots about how I could run my business.  I didn’t want to conform to the popular culture of blogging.  I didn’t want to have to chase sales.

So yeah, a lot has changed.  5 years ago I wanted to have a massive following.  Now I want to serve a tighter niche who can afford to pay more for high-end training (where I spend time with them), and have a lower price-point for people who want training without the one-on-one pricing.

But did I see myself doing this 5 years ago?  No.  You have to jump in and see how your goals “fit” to figure out what you really want.

8. You’ve created some great products, so I’m naturally curious about your product creation process. It’s a big stumbling block for a lot of people. What’s your mindset when creating a product and how do you overcome procrastination and other obstacles?

I try not to be clever and instead dig into what people are struggling with, because then I know I’m developing something in demand.  I read blog posts, comments and tweet streams and follow the trends of struggle people have, and the ideas flow.

As far as procrastination?  I set a public deadline, and then I’m forced to hustle to make it happen.  I’m naturally lazy so I need that kind of pressure to force myself to take action, and I’ve done it enough that I know if I set a crazy deadline I’ll do it.  Usually it requires streamlining my original plan because things happen to put me behind, but hey, that’s where the “avoiding perfection” comes from.

And again, this is going to sound self-serving, but I have a another free workbook about how to create a simple, small, in-demand product in 3 days that was designed specifically to help people push past that stumbling block.  If this describes you, check it out.

9. Any last words you want to impart to anyone just realizing that they have the power to do what they want and be free?

Hang out with supportive people on Twitter who will hold your feet to the fire.  See that other people just like you are doing this.  A lot of people think I’m a “big name” but I had a full time job until April 2010.  I built my success step by step on the side, and it took a while.  Hang out with people who will encourage you to keep growing.

Takeaway Points

Dave is one of the few people online that I enjoy learning from, so I definitely suggest you check out his library, which contains more value than most paid products.

With all that said, this interview clocks in at almost 1,500 words, so here are a few takeaway points if you’re just skimming along:

• Look for the intersection between your passion and what solves a problem
• Forget perfection and focus on adding value to people’s lives
• Don’t try to be the next Tony Robbins. Find your own groove and listen to your heart
• Take action and discover what you want and don’t want in your life
• Experiment with public deadlines to eliminate procrastination
• Surround yourself with supportive people

Thanks for reading, and as always, stay awesome!

Have you been trying to push yourself to be more productive? Are you still not getting as much done as you’d like to? Are you still feeling semi-stressed out?

There are a lot of shoulds in our life when it comes to productivity. For example, I’ve always been an overachiever and somewhat of a work-a-holic.

Looking back at my life, I see that I often start out doing what I love, but I end up hating it, because I force myself to work more than I want to, and more than I need to.

There’s a divine flow to life. Going too fast is no better than going too slow. It has taken me a while to realize that it is okay to not get everything done at once.

It’s okay if you’re not where you want to be right now. At the same time comes the realization that the process and the journey is what life is all about.

And that is why I always recommend you follow your highest excitement from moment to moment. The milestones are cool, but enjoying the process is what makes a difference.

Elimination

When I was working on Passionate Living, I eliminated 95% of all other tasks.

I didn’t write as many blog posts. I spent less time on social media and I didn’t take on anything else that came my way.

You don’t have to do all the things you think you do. Often if you step back and take a look at your life, you will see that you can eliminate a large percent of stuff that doesn’t make a difference.

When you read and learn too much, you start believing that you have to follow other people’s paths when the only path you have to follow is your own.

Elimination means saying no to projects that do not resonate with you. Elimination means that you are okay with doing less, but getting more done.

This is counter-intuitive, because we equate productivity with constantly doing something, even if that something is checking e-mail every five minutes. But real productivity just means doing things that matter without killing yourself.

Focus

When you eliminate, you get focus. If I didn’t eliminate as much as possible when I was working on Passionate Living, I would not have got it done in 2 weeks.

Each day I woke up, I knew that the only thing I had to work on was my ebook. That gave me clarity and eliminated procrastination, because the task was so simple.

If I feel overwhelmed, I take out a pen and a piece of paper the night before I go to bed. I write down three tasks I am going to focus on the next day.

For example, I may write down three chapters I want finished. You have to listen to yourself and find your own rhythm. The most important part is how you feel.

Remember, even if you’re doing something you’re passionate about, if you’re working too hard, you’re stuck in another cage.

Being Okay With Less

I’ve always been very impatient. I can’t wait to get things done, but I’ve come to realize that there’s never an end.

When you finish one thing, there’s always something else.

I saw this clearly when I played poker. At first, I wanted a certain sum of money in my bank account. When I hit my goal, I wanted more, and more, and more.

The cycle never ends. It’s how our minds work. Remind yourself that it’s okay to have less, work less and relax more.

The Essential Ingredient

If you want to enjoy life and get stuff done, you have to rest. Action and rest are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.

If you work hard for a long period of time, plan in some rest. Don’t jump into the next project right away.

I’ve done this the last few weeks. I’ve focused on improving my Spanish, practicing martial arts and hanging out with cool people.

Productivity doesn’t mean you have to work, work, work. It just means that you have to focus on that essential 20% that gives you 80% of the results.

Listen to your heart, breathe and relax.

Stay awesome!

P.S. I did an interview with Srini from BlogCastFM on how I gained 1,500 subscribers in a few months and launched a product. You also have a chance of winning a free copy of Passionate Living if you re-tweet the interview. Check it out now by clicking here.

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It’s here, the ebook that summarizes everything I know about passionate living. I’ve been working on this day and night to get it just right.

I’ve gotten help from great people, such as Charlie (design), Danny (programming) and Sean (copy).

I also got a lot of inspiration from Everett, author of the Art of Being Minimalist. After I read Everett’s book, I realized that I had a lot of stuff inside me that needed to come out.

There are a lot more people that I’m forgetting (such as Jade and Jen). You know who you are. Thank you for your support!

I was getting questions left and right from my e-mail subscribers, and I started noticing a pattern.

We aren’t as different as we think we are. It may feel like your problems have nothing in common with mine, but when you look deeper, you start seeing that they all come from the same source.

All of our problems and self-created obstacles are facets of fear.

You Are Not Alone

You are not alone in the fears you carry around. The difference between successful people and not-so-successful is that they take action.

It’s easy to look at someone who has a blog with hundreds of thousands of readers, but you have to realize that they have the same fears as you do. The difference is that they did it anyway.

No one is fearless. There are no excuses. We all have strengths and weaknesses. You can do what you want, if you want to.

Passionate Living

Now is the time to go after your passion. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student eating noodles, or a single mom working two jobs.

All that matters is where you want to go.

Do you want to succumb to your excuses and obstacles, or do you want to start taking steps towards living a more fulfilling and passionate life?

I understand that you have your problems, but we all have them. We all have things standing in our way. They are there to keep the tire-kickers out.

Living a life full of passion isn’t easy. It takes hard work, but it’s fun, it’s rewarding and it’s what we are here to do.

We are here to transform the obstacles in front of us, and there’s no better time to do that than now. Think about what you want, and start going after it.

If you want to learn how I did it, and how you can too, check out Passionate Living: A Simple Guide to Doing What You Love.

If you want to live a fulfilling and passionate life, you have to face your fears and take action.

You have to eliminate your excuses and keep going. You can succumb to whatever you think is stopping you, but in the end you are responsible for the life you live.

I know there’s a lot of stuff that comes up when you begin moving in a new direction, but it’s all part of the game.

Most people aren’t cut out to create a passion business. You are different though, because the mere fact that you’re reading this means that there’s something inside of you craving change.

Problems, Obstacles and Excuses

I know you have fears that are holding you back. We all have them, but if you really want to do this, you have to keep going.

This is not easy, but it is what you want, right? The stars are never going to align, so you might as well get started.

You are good enough to do this, even if you’re confused right now. So many people have come to me saying that they don’t know how to choose, because they have so many passions.

If you have many passions, just pick one, because it doesn’t really matter. What matters is getting started, taking action and learning from real-life feedback.

I know you want it to be perfect, but this isn’t a decision that will define your life. This is just the first step on your journey.

Burning Your Bridges

When I started on this path, I burned all my backup plans. I knew that this was what I wanted. It felt right in my heart.

I was determined to succeed, which is why excuses and obstacles were dismissed as soon as they entered my mind.

I was still afraid, but I had no other options. If I didn’t go through with this, my life would be as it was before, and that wasn’t good enough for me.

Learning how to make your fears insignificant is part of the art of living a passionate life. It is up to you to learn how your mind works, but it doesn’t happen if you stand still.

Passionate Living (the E-Book)

If you’re on my newsletter list, you know that I asked you about your biggest obstacles to making your passion a reality.

I’ve been in the process of writing an ebook, and I’ve used the feedback from my readers to pack it with information that actually matters.

Everything in it comes straight from my heart. I’ve never written anything like this before. I am putting everything on the table and sharing exactly what has worked and what hasn’t.

I’ve lived an unconventional lifestyle for the last six years. I’ve gone through a lot, and I’ve learned a lot. It’s time I shared everything with you.

There will be is a generous affiliate program for this ebook, so if you’re a blogger and want a free review copy, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.

The launch will be like my last. It won’t be huge, and it will only be announced to the subscribers on my blog and my e-mail list.

If you like the book and would like to help me promote it, you’re more than welcome to. I would really appreciate that.

The ebook is called Passionate Living: A Simple Guide to Doing What You Love.

The launch date is next Monday, May 17th. See you then!

Passionate Living has been launched!

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