Location Independent Mistakes
I’ve had a couple readers send me emails over the past few weeks asking about the mistakes that I made in going location independent. Specifically, from the time I left my job to the time that I showed up in Thailand. Well, let me tell you, there were a lot of them.
Inevitably there was nothing too catastrophic considering that I’m here, employed, and having a great time. However, there are certainly some things I would have done differently.
When you make the transition from the 9-5 to having no plans and no set schedule, you may think it will be an easy transition. In reality, it’s not. No matter how many times I told myself I would set a schedule for myself, and stick to it, I had a much harder time than I thought I would. For the first three days I stuck to my routine of getting up at 6:30, working out, and then heading to the coffee shop to work. After that, the alarm started slipping to 7, and 7:30, before I finally gave up on the alarm all together. Then the work out went with it.
A few mistakes, but coming here was not one of them...
By the time December rolled around, I knew that I was coming to Thailand and I used that as an excuse to slack off. I had a difficult time admitting to it back then, but if you remember the post Stuck in a Rut? Get Out While You Can, it hit me like a ton of bricks. When I think back to those 2 months of free time, and the amount of work I could have gotten accomplished, its staggering. I could have my manifesto complete, I could be a Photoshop expert, and I could be making a nice little side income off of my affiliate marketing ventures.
In reality, I did all of those things half assed. I’m about halfway through the manifesto, I know the basics of Photoshop, but am certainly no expert, and I haven’t done much marketing at all in the last month.
So tip # 1 if you are trying to learn from my mistakes, USE YOUR TIME WISELY. Being without a job should give you an excuse to work harder, not slack off and make excuses for why you can’t or don’t need to work. I’ve been watching a lot of Gary Vaynerchuk posts lately, and his web 2.0 speech the other day really resonated with me. Check it out if you haven’t. ”Stop doing shit you hate” and “hustle”. Two of the most important lessons you can learn in life.
Another big mistake I made was not using my new found free time to network and write. I guess that could fall under the pretense of tip #1, but I should have been writing 2,000 words a day and sending a hundred emails. You have to wonder where I would be if I’d done that? Probably have a much bigger site than I do now. I think networking is the most important thing you can do in business (or life for that matter). I know it’s cliche, but it is all about who you know, not what you know. That statement has proved true for just about every big thing that has happened in my life. Go read Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi if you want to learn how to network effectively.
Arguably the biggest mistake I’ve made was not defining a plan. I haven’t done a good job over the last three months of creating a short and long term plan for my life and my business. There have been no formally defined goals for 2010, although that may be on the docket for this afternoon. I think before you can really be productive working for yourself, you have to know exactly what you are trying to accomplish and how you are going to get there. That’s my biggest weakness at the moment. Now that I’ve got the site and my new lifestyle up and running, this will be the most crucial step towards my future. If you want to learn more about goal setting and reviewing your accomplishments, I would highly recommend checking out Chris Guillebeau’s annual review posts.
In the end you realize mistakes are inevitable. You are always going to make them, it is what you do after the fact that really matters. Ask any entrepreneur and I guarantee there were more failures than successes. Learn from your mistakes and work your ass off and good things will happen. I’m working on both and couldn’t be happier with where things are going.
If you have any questions about what I’m doing, or how you can make changes in your life, don’t hesitate to send an email. Now that I’m experiencing this for myself, and fully understand how possible it is, I want to help anyone who’s interested.
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Thanks for making this post, Sean. I think that it is really important for people to see that there are always multiple sides to a story. Your journey has been an inspirational one and I know that it is going to just keep getting better!
Nothing is perfect, but it is most definitely the journey that matters most. ;o) Excellent tips here.
–Dena
Dena, It is definitely all about the journey and that is what I have been learning. I feel like there were certainly more speed bumps along the way, but they were more like things that didn’t go my way, and not so much mistakes I made. But as long as you can have an open mind and be flexible, good things will happen!
Thanks for sharing Sean! Sounds like you are having a lot of fun. When does work start for you overseas? Or has it started already?
What I’ve tried to do for the past 3 months is pretend that when I write/blog, it is my livelihood, and ignore the fact that I have a full-time job.
When I go to work, I pretend that’s all I have as well, and have no distractions.
I figure in order to stand my ground in the blogosphere world, I have to pretend like I’m a full-time blogger, and give it everything. Otherwise, why bother?
FS, I started working the day I got here, although it is just now really starting to ramp up. I usually spend my time working in the mornings 8-1 or 2ish and then take the afternoon to run, swim, explore whatever, come back and get another hour or two of work/blog stuff done and then hang out in the evenings. Work is the priority, but I am finding more and more free time to make progress on the blog as well, so its been exciting.
Life is much simpler over here. Very few distractions, which really allows you to get a lot done when you want to.
A piece of advice…
I try to write out 5 major things to accomplish the next day on paper. I have that sitting by my desk at all times and check them off as I go. By writing the goals out for the NEXT day on not on that day, you aren’t dreading what has to get done today, rather looking forward to what you will accomplish.
When I write my 5 point list, it can include “go to post office and change address” or “write 3 pages of eBook”. That way I am knocking out everything that needs to be done in my LIFE and not just work. I feel I am accomplishing things that get my life to progress.
Just a sugg….
I am super unproductive at times, so you are definitely not the only one.
David Damron
LifeExcursion
Very eloquently stated, Sean.
I have two passions I’m trying to navigate to a successful conclusion: contract bridge and voice acting. Both will take up a considerable amount of time if done effectively. I tend to lag in the telephone marketing of my business, and I rarely if ever set short or long-range goals. I simply fly by the seat of my pants.
Networking is as natural to me as breathing, as I make connections with people very easily. My problem is one of focus, drive and perseverance.
When David asked me to do a blog, I wondered how I could possibly add blogging to my cup-runneth-over life and work. However, after listening to your video, I’ve come to realize that staying connected to like minds is crucial to my becoming a minimalist and getting rid of all the chaotic clutter in my household.
I must say that I’ve done a pretty good of job of saying no lately and doing only those things that are important to me and which highlight the gifts I would like to share with society at large.
That being said, I’ll take a look at the Networking link you mentioned as well as the one about setting goals.
I have been blessed with so many talents (so I am told), that I must work very hard to keep the weeds from choking the growth in my garden.
Thanks so much for a great post. I know that you will reach your goals. You are more than capable.
Best wishes to you.
Peace and Love.
Vita Reid, The One Minute Minimalist
http:\\vitalynne.wordpress.com
I think you are doing an awesome job, Sean. Despite any of those mistakes, your gains in the past few months have surely outweighed them. And, that’s the only way to learn… mess up! But you’re very smart to review what you would have done differently….
I’ve definitely become much better over the past month or so when it comes to productivity. And most days I do the exact same thing, I write down my “top 5″ that I need to get done for the day and that allows me to stay focused. It’s the long term goals that are lacking, I have vision and ideas, I just need to get it down on paper.
Thanks for the thoughts!
what kind of work are you doing while there?
Hey Sean,
It is great that you can acknowledge your mistakes because then you know where you can improve. It is the people who think they are doing everything right that have the problems.
Good to read this. Great tips. I have recently quit working and in school very full time(overloaded). I find it hard to make a plan for my day and stay on schedule. I get up everyday very early(usually 5),I have a morning routine of reading, blogging(most of the time), kids to school , and working out. After that….I just get all sidetracked with misc. chores or whatevers. Then I find myself busting ass the rest of the evening to get homework, housework, and a meal cook. I start each day with good attentions but I always allow something to steal my time. I want so much more!
Bry
It’s always nice to read honest reflection and know you’re not the only one going through similar challenges. My husband and I were in almost constant movement for much of 2009 in South America. We thought that once we were “stable” in Buenos Aires for a month (or two) our productivity would skyrocket since we wouldn’t have to struggle with internet connections or spend time figuring out where we would sleep each night. We realized that we needed to reevaluate goals and short/long-term plans; otherwise we might spend our time and energy in projects that sounded good but took us off the path we wanted. It’s been a more slow-going than we had hoped. Sometimes you have to go through a few speed bumps in order to get on the right track again.
This is great, no offense.
I’m glad you wrote this — I plan on leaving my job in May-ish, will be moving and plan on remaining fairly unemployed until sometime next year. Various reasons, one mostly being the transition to a climate with plenty of snow in the winter and I don’t want a job that looks at me funny when I say I’m not sure I can drive in the snow. (I really haven’t now for a few years, and never in a RWD car… All I’ve got.)
Not to say I won’t want to keep myself busy — blogging, going to events, making new friends and online classes are all in the future. I’ll make sure that I set myself some sort of schedule and pay attention to all the work that needs to be done! And, of course, stick with it.
Sean – I’m really glad that you wrote this. Like REALLY glad. I think this line in particular resonates: “Ask any entrepreneur and I guarantee there were more failures than successes.”
The journey you are embarking on is definitely amazing, and I read your posts in utter amazement at how cool you are.
So it is nice to see this…to acknowledge that location independence or entrepreneurship itself is really a difficult thing, and though sometimes we “make it look easy” there really are some simplistic challenges that cause big issues. Suddenly having to “be your own boss” and monitor your output and work, networking the hell out of yourself and have a plan rather than “winging it.*”
You’re doing a great job, and continuing to grow and improve – good things are most definitely in your horizon. If only I could tunnel through the center of the earth to get to Thailand and see it all happen!
PS – I know you didn’t “wing’ this endeavor, it was just the quickest metaphor that came to mind.
Sean, how are you making out with the cultural and language differences? I found Thai culture to be completely opposite of American culture. At first it was a wonderful experiment in cross-cultural relations, but I did have my breakdown, WTF!?!??! moments as well. I’m interested in hearing how you’re handling it.
Sorry I missed your call Sean…hope you and Marty are having fun.
-Nick
WOW!
This sounds like I wrote it. Crazy!
We have so much in common it’s eery.
Yeah dude, it is REALLY hard to stick to a schedule
here. There’s just SO much to see and do.
Since I made my transition to Thailand
I did All those things too. What was supposed
to be only 3 weeks of fun before work time, turned
into a 2 and a half month long holiday. Hahaha!
It wasn’t all bad though.
I got to see the whole of Thailand, meet amazing
people and truly live life to the max. I wouldn’t
change a thing. Even though I spent way too much
money. Hahaha!
Yeah dude, Gary V is the man. Full stop. Gotta
agree there, he’s of my heros for sure.
He is however, a total workaholic too, let’s be honest.
A total anti-Tim Ferriss in a way. But I guess if he’s
loving every second, who can argue with that right?
Not me.
Weird, I’ve been thinking about looking more into networking
lately. You’re so right, it’s a major part of any business.
I’m definitely gonna check out that book.
In terms of goals, I think the key to goals is regular reviews,
like every month cos I find they can change quite a bit and
priorities change too.
David’s tip of writing your to-do list the night before rocks.
I do it and it’s so powerful. You mind wakes up firing on all
cylinders. Definitely do this…
Awesome blog dude. I’m gonna be glued to it.
Way impressed,
Wilding Penderis.
Great post Sean! The good news is what you learned from your mistakes as all of life is just feedback to help us improve!
“A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honourable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” George Bernard Shaw
We’ve made lots of mistakes in our LI/4HWW life since we started in 2006, but it’s all good as it has led us right to where we need to be.
Live & learn. When one is pioneering a new way of being one is bound to make some mistakes.
Mistakes are a good thing! It’s great that you are embracing them to learn a little lesson from each one. I know how frustrating it is to look back and realize how much work you COULD have gotten done in a period of off-time. It’s a bad feeling, but all you can do is push forward. Great idea for a post.
Thanks for the post, Sean.
It is great to be able to look back and see what you could have done differently, or what you would do differently next time around.
I am finally getting to a point where I am focusing more on doing things to create a passive income, than telling myself it can be done, and not take any action.
2010 has started with a bang for me, and I see many things happening that didn’t last year. You have been an inspiration and a guiding light for me. Thanks dude!
Rasheed
The only way to learn from mistakes is to realize you made them. You’ve done that and you are on your way to figuring out the location independent thing, no doubt.
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