Author: Karol

The American Dream Is Dead (Long Live The American Dream!)

The revolution begins. My first free Manifesto is now available …

About 6 months ago I had the idea for this Manifesto. I wrote part of it, then scrapped it. I came back to it about 2 months ago and wrote it again. But I scrapped that one as well.

I wasn’t trying to achieve perfection, but this topic is important. Finally, I wrote it a third time. And, as I am prone to do, I edited it heavily. The American Dream Is Dead (Long Live The American Dream!) weighs in at just 26 pages.

Although the name and graphics may insinuate otherwise, this is not just about the United States of America. Towards the end of the Manifesto I rename The American Dream into something much more inclusive. I also ask you to make a Declaration to the world. But you’ll have to download to know what that is. ;)

You can download The American Dream Is Dead (Long Live The American Dream!) free of charge, no strings attached, no e-mail form to submit, right here:

–> The American Dream Is Dead (Long Live The American Dream!) <–
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If you are having trouble reading this Manifesto download the free Adobe Reader by clicking here.

Leading up to launching this manifesto I contacted other writers I respect and asked them to answer a question for me. All of these writers either grew up in the USA or are living in the USA. That doesn’t seem to jive with my previous statement of inclusion, but I wanted to stay on theme, and that would be the easiest way to do it.

25 Incredible People Answer 1 Powerful Question

The question I asked is: “What does the American Dream mean to you?”

Most of the answers are below. One person’s answer is included only inside the Manifesto. That person is Derek Sivers. Yes, that’s a teaser to entice you to download the Manifesto. I highly recommend you read what Derek has to say.

I sent 50 e-mails one day using the 5 Sentences Rule. Most of the fantastic people I e-mailed I had never corresponded with previous to this project. Without further ado, here are their incredible answers, listed in the order they were received.

Oh, one more thing: For every one of these responses that you enjoy please visit their Web site, bookmark, and subscribe to the RSS feed.

Joshua Becker writes about minimalism from a family perspective at BecomingMinimalist.com:

To me, the American Dream has always been about experiencing freedom. Freedom to live your life the way you want. Freedom to pursue your passions. Freedom to make a living doing whatever gets you up in the morning.

Unfortunately, too many people have sacrificed that dream for what they thought would bring them happiness – making a lot of money and buying really nice things. In the process, they have burdened themselves with too many possessions and too much debt. And true freedom now alludes them.

Chris Guillebeau, author of The Art Of Non-Conformity, writes about business, travel, and world domination at ChrisGuillebeau.com:

The American dream is essentially an entrepreneurial quest. America itself is an entrepreneurial country, founded in opposition to a foreign government that restricted freedom. Thus, Americans learned to revere independence, ambition, and sacrifice.

Fast forward a couple of centuries, and something changed. The entreprenrial spirit turned to laziness and greed. “Invest your money in the market and you’ll get rich. Buy more house than you can afford, and the price will automatically go up. Put your trust in pensions and General Motors.” Just like rule by a foreign tyrant king, these beliefs were unsustainable.

Times are hard now, and times are good now. People are unlearning false beliefs and redefining what really matters. Therefore, this is a great time for dreaming, and an even better time for taking action.

You can pursue “the American dream” wherever you are. You can be an entrepreneur no matter who you work for. Bring on the American dream!

Corbett Barr helps small businesses get more traffic to their Web sites at ThinkTraffic.net:

Whatever the American Dream means, I can assure you it’s not what’s being pursued or lived by most of society. A house in the suburbs, multiple cars, a giant TV, superficial friends, massive consumer debt and a job you can barely tolerate but still spend 50 hours a week at doesn’t sound like much of a dream to me. It’s more like a numb, directionless nightmare.

The American Dream is still intact and possible, but not many people are really pursuing it. The American Dream has been corrupted over the years by being equated with money and consumerism.

The American Dream is really about happiness and having the freedom to do what you want. It’s about being your best self. Finding and living those things takes courage and hard work and the strength to do what’s right for you, not simply what your neighbor is doing. You have to really consider what the American Dream is to you, because blindly following the easy path won’t get you there.

Nathan Hangen writes about building digital empires at NathanHangen.com:

In many ways, I’d call the American Dream a lie…wait, an impostor. For years I’ve watched people fall from this dream, never finding a way to regain their footing. My family followed this dream, only to wake up to a nightmare.

That being said, the American Dream still exists, just in a different form. It’s not white picket fences and a family of 6, it’s the chance to really carve your name into the mountain of the world. With steadfast dedication and a pioneering spirit, you can achieve anything, so long as you don’t let the lure of compromise get in your way.

The dream is alive, but it’s been hidden for so long that many people aren’t sure where to look. Let’s show them how to find it.

David Damron writes about living a simple and balanced life at TheMinimalistPath.com:

I feel as though this question is flawed. Why? Because we live in a time where there is no American Dream.

In America’s past, societal norms have dictated what the American Dream is to be.

Over the last 20 years though, the chance to develop ones own ideal dream has become more realistic with more and more people taking advantage of such an opportunity.

A country does not dictate your future, your capabilities, your possibilities. A country is solely a destination that you have the opportunity to make your dreams a reality.

I do think that a person can have an American Dream. However, I do not feel it is one thing or one way anymore. I think there are people living in America who have Surf Coaching Dreams, Rocker Dreams, Blogging Dreams, Traveling Dreams, Survival Dreams, and so on. There is the same likelihood of someone having an American dream as an Australian dream…as I did. There may never be a time though, where all people choose their Dream to be that of their country and this will only improve the mindset of mankind.

Dreaming is one of the fascinating aspects of man. Constraining dreams will only lead to a culture that is unhappy with where the dreams have led them. However, opening the barriers placed upon dreams will help mankind become even more innovative, intelligent and interesting.

Let the man dream free …

Cody McKibben writes about living fearlessly on your own terms at ThrillingHeroics.com:

Honestly, to me I feel like the “American Dream” has been perverted and become a commodity: the white picket fence, 2.5 children, and a big SUV in the driveway. Unfortunately what I see in the States is that most people are trading their freedom—in almost every way possible: to corporations, to their bosses, to the government—in exchange for comfort and for stupid distractions from what’s really important. To me, the freedom of the American Dream is represented in a lifestyle where I can truly go wherever I want, when I want, set my own rules, work on projects I care about and create my own income independent of other people telling me how to live my life.

Erica Douglass, who sold a business for $1.1 million at age 26, teaches you how to build an inspired, successful business at Erica.biz:

The American Dream as our grandparents knew it is dead. The era where people worked for one company their entire lives and retired with a comfortable pension (as did my grandfather) is now dead. A new era is arriving, where technology changes quickly and we all have to scramble to keep up.

That means constantly honing your skills and scrambling to stay on top of ever-falling wages. My first web job, in 1996, was submitting web sites to search engines. I was paid by the job, which equated to $12-$15/hour. That job can now be outsourced to other countries for $2/hour or less.

Then I went into tech support. Now, outsourced workers can log into your computer from halfway around the world and guide you through making the required changes. I was paid $12/hour in 1999– that job can now be outsourced for $6/hour or less.

Scrambling up the ladder, I became a PHP programmer and charged $50/hour freelance. I quit soon after a client asked me why he shouldn’t hire someone from India to do the same work (while I was standing in his office talking to him face to face.) PHP programmers now get paid less than half of what I got paid eight years ago.

I went up the ladder again and started my own business. Suddenly, I found myself on the other side of the scale. I hired people at low wages and trained them, and kept prices reasonable for my customers. And I realized: The only thing that can’t be outsourced is ingenuity–applying ideas to creatively solve challenges.

Already, in my short 13-year working history, I’ve had to completely redefine the job that I do six times. This will become the norm; anyone who can’t transform who they are and how they think of themselves in a short year or two will face unemployment. We have the choice to become bitter about this transformation, and complain constantly about it, or to work with it and constantly move up the ladder.

At the top of the ladder, we may find ourselves, surprisingly, where we were hundreds of years ago–with the majority of workers being self-employed and solving creative challenges every day.

The American Dream has become undefined. And, for those of us up to the challenge of living in a constantly shifting world, we find ourselves in a time of unprecedented opportunity.

Maren Kate writes about how to start a business that will change your life at EscapingThe9To5.com:

My idea of the American dream goes back to it’s roots. America was founded the ideals of freedom and for me that is the reason I get up in the morning. I work hard on my business and my blog so I can build the type of lifestyle that gives me freedom of mobility, income and time. The mistake notion is that the American dream is about material things, but in reality it’s all about being able to wander this beautiful nation and our beautiful world, without the fear of persecution or bondage – whether it be by a hostile power or an unrelenting 9 to 5 job.

Josh Hanagarne writes about getting stronger, getting smarter, and living better every day at WorldsStrongestLibrarian.com:

To me, The American Dream means that I can ask any question I want, and pursue that question to its conclusion. America is a country of great progress and innovation, but nothing happens without curiosity. I believe that most successes and failures are either the result of someone asking enough questions, or failing to ask questions when it mattered.

Whatever good things have come to me have usually come because I can think what I want, say what I want, and ask what I want. And I know I’ll never have to stop asking.

Michael Martine is a blog coach and consultant who writes about boosting your bottom line at RemarkaBlogger.com:

The old American Dream of the nuclear family with a house and a car and a retirement package is indeed dead. Partly, it was killed by corporations that made money by continually nudging that dream out of our reach over the years (in doing so, they sucked the life and the hope out of it). This wasn’t a conscious decision, it’s just the natural progression of the marketplace.

Partly, it was killed by reality: it was, after all, a dream. And now it’s an outdated, unrealistic dream. But is there a New American Dream? I think there is, and technology is the chiefest part of it. Through the internet, I can realize a self-made business that supports me and my extremely untraditional family. Self-sufficiency combined with community online and face-to-face where we live to have the life we want is the New American Dream to me.

Leo Babauta, chosen by Time magazine as one of the top 25 bloggers of 2010, writes about simplicity and minimalism at ZenHabits.net:

The American Dream, in my mind, has always been to work hard and create a good life for your family — and if you do it well enough, to become rich. The good life often means a big house in the suburbs with two really nice cars, but it can also mean a luxury loft in a city or a vacation home in Florida or on an island, or traveling the world on vacations. This is the kind of thing you often see on television for the last few decades.

I’m not sure if the dream has changed recently — I don’t watch enough television to get a good sense of this. My feeling is there is a growing number of people, like myself, who have eschewed the dream for a simpler life. One where you need less: a smaller home, a smaller car (or no car at all), fewer possessions, less shopping, less luxury. A simpler life means less stress, less work, more time for yourself and your loved ones and doing the things that really matter to you.

This may not be a shared dream across America, but it is one that lots of people are starting to have. And those who don’t long for a simpler life are starting to find cracks in the old dream: big houses and cars are really expensive and can be a huge burden if the economy falters and your income plunges. Maintaining that lifestyle is difficult. Living in excess can lead to debt, obesity, and environmental disaster. These people haven’t realized that the simpler life is an answer to all these problems, but they might someday. I hope so.

Andy Hayes, published author, travel writer, tourism marketing expert, and small business speaker, made his choice and picked a dream travel job over white picket fences. Learn more at AndyHayes.com:

The American Dream is Dead. Kind of.

That dream was old fashioned, outmoded concept. The term brainwash comes to mind.

What if you want a brown picket fence, or what if you don’t want a fence at all. Does that mean Your Dream can’t come true?

Yes, yes, I know that the American Dream is an ideal, a conceptual goal, something to strive for. But its strength is also its weakness: by corralling everyone into the idea of a single destiny, we’ve forced people into thinking there are no other options.

You have options. But if you want to travel the world as a pilot, if you want to be a best-selling author, if you want to fly to the moon: go off and do it. If you want it bad enough, you’ll find your way around excuses, roadblocks, and the inevitable forks in the road.

I can’t tell you what Your Dream is. But you have the right to choose. And you owe it to yourself to decide for yourself what you want, not just blindly accept what somebody else tells you is Your Dream.

Tyler Tervooren, Professor of Riskology, writes about taking risks at TylerTervooren.com:

The American dream, to me, is the same as it’s always been – to experience personal freedom in a way that it can’t be experienced anywhere else in the world. Over time, the conventional ideas around what sort of “things” constitute “freedom” has shifted and changed to give people something to strive for like cars, houses, short vacations, and security, but those have always been the “carrot on a stick.” They’re points to hit the next time we have to make small talk.

I’d rather pick up my life and move at the drop of a hat than be tied to a mortgage that’s underwater. I’d rather ride my bike to save for a mountain climbing expedition than work an extra 20 hours a week to pay for a status symbol that I drive around the block. I’d rather run my own business with no guarantee of income than spend my life working on unimportant projects for a steady paycheck.

That’s my American Dream. Of course, it doesn’t have to be yours. In fact, I hope that your dream looks quite a lot different from mine. Otherwise, it would just be another carrot on a stick.

Srinivas Rao writes about riding the waves of Personal Development at TheSkoolOfLife.com:

The American Dream is really a thing of the past. In my mind, the American dream is based on something that somebody has created for you. It’s about trying to fit square pegs into round holes. Somewhere along the away somebody decided that if people worked towards white picket fences, retirement accounts, and a little bit more, then people would always work towards that. The truth is the American Dream perpetuates the social matrix. That’s why I’m spending my life in pursuit of a much more noble cause, something I call The Human Dream. The Human Dream to me is about living life on your own terms and doing nothing based on the approval of others. It’s ultimately the path that I believe will lead to life long fulfillmen.

Nate Damm is going to walk across America beginning March of 2011. He writes about cool lessons learned on the path to living a more awesome life at TheWayThatYouWander.com:

To me, the American Dream means that you don’t have to follow “The American Dream.” Confusing, I know. But, the “American Dream” of old meant go to college, graduate, find a job, buy a house and car, have kids, work for 40+ years and then retire when you’re too old and have too many responsibilities to actually do anything. The beauty of this NEW American Dream is that you have the ability to do anything you want, whenever you want. There are ways to harness technology, create your own income without the need for an office or single location and truly live the life you dream of. Of course, if your dream is to follow the American Dream of old, that’s great! But the ability to choose is there, and that’s what it’s all about

Adam Baker writes about getting out of debt, selling your crap, and doing what you love at ManVsDebt.com:

To me, the American Dream is no longer about white picket fences, well-branded cars, or achieving a specific status. It’s now about living intentionally.

For generations in years past, the old American Dream was motivating. It lifted spirits and inspired people from all over the world. However, the last few generations (including ours) have taken the concept for granted. We’ve ditched the ideals represented in the journey and, instead, just think we deserve the trivial details of the destination.

This entitlement attitude leads many to years of consumer debt, piles of unused consumerist crap, and mortgages that trap them in jobs they hate. We’ve shattered the concept that inspired millions of our grandparents.

In my opinion, the best way to reverse this trend is to ensure you are living intentionally. Ensure you are the one dictating the direction of your life.

For Courtney and I, this means an aggressive commitment to fighting consumerism, dedication to paying off our debt, and allowing each other to pursue work and hobbies that we love. There’s no perfect formula and it’s not all rainbows and sunshine.

But, you know what? It beats the alternative. In our eyes, there’s no better way to keep the American Dream alive.

Jonathan Mead writes about living on your own terms and discovering your passions at IlluminatedMind.net:

There is no American Dream. There never was. Well, at least not in the way you think.

See, the dream was never real because it wasn’t YOUR dream. It was just a good idea that a lot of people bought into, a kind of wholesale panacea for a class of people that wanted something more. But instead of looking in, they looked outside. To someone else, to another person’s idea of what would make them happy.

But that won’t be you. You won’t achieve someone else’s dream and find it was just a con, a distraction to keep you from what really matters… following your own path.

It’s not easy to follow your path, the one that’s waiting inside of you. The territory is uncharted. It’s blurry and full of brush and obscured by trees. It’s not the well-traveled path.

So, the question is, will you take the first step

Raam Dev travels the world and writes about laying the groundwork for sustainable abundance at RaamDev.com:

The American Dream meant individuals had the freedom to create their own future; it meant they had the power to forge a long-lasting legacy regardless of their religion, social status, education, or current financial standing. But that dream was lost when they decided to hand over that power and freedom in return for comforts and easy access to simple pleasures.

We now have a new opportunity to rekindle the American Dream on a global scale — to make the American Dream a Global Dream. New technology has given us unprecedented access to knowledge and resources never before available. As children of this new era we have the responsibility to take this opportunity to create a future that generations after us will be proud of.

We’re all free individuals when we make the choice to become free from our own preconceived notions of how the world is supposed to work. We’re all powerful individuals when we choose to be creative, to use the resources available to us, and to keep an open mind. We all live the American Dream when we choose to free ourselves from the clutches of consumerism, materialism, and ignorance; when we choose to have respect for life and a passionate drive to live life to its greatest potential.

Dan Andrews, genius niche marketer and world traveler, writes and podcasts about creating a lifestyle business at LifeStyleBusinessPodcast.com:

I think the truth is the American dream doesn’t really mean anything to me without a context. If the American dream means you can create your own destiny, its one of the most important ideas that exists and Americans are in the enviable position of being attached to it. Many of attributes that made American soil so rich for those looking to create lives has conspired to come together in an even bigger way on the internet– cheap land, access to capital, less government control, and democratization. Not everyone wants to control their own destiny. There are millions who frown upon it. For those who do, the opportunity has never been greater.

Bud Hennekes writes about personal development and plugging into your identity at PlugInID.com:

The American dream is about doing more with less. The American dream is about doing the impossible when all odds are against you. The American dream is about falling down, brushing yourself off, and accomplishing what you were set out to do. The American is dream is about being true to your values at all cost. It’s about taking responsibility for our lives and taking strides to make the world a better place. It’s about sacrifice and belief that you can make a difference no matter how large. The American dream is a life long commitment to excellence.

Not everyone lives the American dream but those who do know for sure what life is all about

Laura Roeder teaches you how to create fame by using social media to build a raving fanbase that buys everything you offer at LauraRoeder.com:

To me the American Dream is claiming your own identity, beyond the one that you were born to. The American Dream means shedding the life your parents had or the life you were “supposed” to have and questioning what you really want to achieve and experience. America now has a reputation of being gluttonous, of being over-the-top, and I think that’s a part of the larger experience of pushing boundaries for better or for worse. America is a place of radical change and transformation, where we can move from President Bush to President Obama in one election cycle. As a country we’re constantly exploring and growing, cycling through trends at faster and faster rates. The American Dream is a constant journey for more, even when the end destination is sometimes less. It’s the active pursuit of crafting your own life.

Chris Brogan, co-author of New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Trust Agents, teaches how human business works beyond social media at ChrisBrogan.com:

The American Dream means two things: one is the facade and the other is the real opportunity. See, like with all things, along the way, advertisers came in and took over the message to better suit the needs of their clients. It’s okay. I’d have done the same thing, if I were them. But that dream, the facade, is the same thing as the Matrix, a system to keep us locked to our seats.

On the other side, the American dream means that we can be whatever we want to be. We have the same level playing field, if only we believe that and do something with it.

Everett Bogue writes about how living a minimalist lifestyle can allow you to live and work anywhere at FarBeyondTheStars.com:

The American Dream was always a lie, it just took us awhile to figure that out.

For the last 50 years we woke up, flipped on the TV, and saw what they wanted us to believe.

If we’d just buy one more car, got a bigger house, or upgraded our surround sound system, we’d finally be happy. We watched hundreds of sitcom families shopping for new designer digs and we thought to ourselves ‘I deserve that too.’

Then we went out and bought so much more than we could ever afford. And you know what? That was just fine for the corporations, because they made money. And the banks, because they made money. So they loaned you all of the money you ever wanted to buy whatever it was you saw on TV.

Was it fine for you? No, because now you’re stuck in debt and living the sedentary lifestyle.

When you have it all, you can’t be free too.

Every item that you add to your inventory of useless junk in your closet or the 2nd half of your two-car garage actually contradicts your ability to achieve the true American Dream. Which if you’ve made it this far into Karol Gajda’s new manifesto, you know very well is freedom.

How do you achieve the new American Dream? Realize that buying more isn’t the answer. Burn your TV (or throw it out the window.)

Stand up from your couch and never sit down again, because this freedom is real, and you can’t buy it at Walmart.

Declare independence and start to realize that how you experience the world is the real dream.

Elizabeth Potts Weinsten writes about living your truth and creating a business that is a natural expression of who you are at ElizabethPW.com:

My american dream is that I have the freedom to be myself, to speak my truth freely without fear of censor, and to design a life that may be idiosyncratic but fits me and my loved ones.

Thank you for reading this far and thank you to all the wonderful contributors above.

There will be more updates on this topic (and an additional post about The Dream with contributions from people around the world) soon. Don’t miss the updates: subscribe to the Ridiculously Extraordinary RSS feed here.

And again: Download The American Dream Is Dead (Long Live The American Dream!) Manifesto free of charge, no strings attached, no e-mail form to submit, below.

This Manifesto includes my essay about The American Dream and a contribution from the always insightful Derek Sivers.

–> The American Dream Is Dead (Long Live The American Dream!) <–
(Right Click and Save As to save it to your computer)

If you are having trouble reading this Manifesto download the free Adobe Reader by clicking here.

Sweet Shit Saturday #020 (Dream The Dream Edition)

My first free Manifesto is coming! Plus sweet links …

My first free manifesto, The American Dream Is Dead (Long Live The American Dream!), is coming Monday! I’m excited and I’ve gotten some great feedback on the content already. AND the launch day article includes contributions from 20+ rock stars.

If you don’t already subscribe to my RSS feed, do that right here so you don’t miss this update.

Shortest update in Saturday history so far. Sweeeeeeeet linkage …

Game Winners and Why You Should Always Want To Take The Shot by Kenny Eller

“You can’t be great without some sort of risk.” Kenny is a good friend of mine. Also, he’s very smart.

Living Self Employed: The Manual They Forgot To Give You by Glen Allsopp

Read it. :) Also, you must read the first few comments when you’re done with the article. ;)

7 Things That Suck About Being Vegetarian by Matt Frazier

I pretty much don’t agree with any of these. :) If you’ve read my Stress Free Vegan Travel article and other stuff I’ve written you know that. I especially don’t get the loss in joy of cooking. Veganism has made me absolutely love making my own food. In the beginning I would make elaborate meals from recipes (Veganomican is a great cook book), but now my diet is very simple and oh so tasty. I thought about writing a 7 Things That Rule About Being Vegan response article, but this will have to do instead.

If You Could Live Anywhere… by Laura Walker

Laura asks a fun question. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Go there and answer. I’m interested in the responses as well!

So You Want To Become A Happiness Ninja? by Tammy Strobel

Tammy has been all over the place lately. New York Times, Today, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance … this article is a response to a common question from her massive new readership.

Also, Tammy is releasing a book called Smalltopia next week! Freedom Fighters: you’ll have an exclusive interview with Tammy in your inbox on Tuesday!

Also, also: I contributed to Smalltopia with an article called: How To Automate Your Business Growth With A Free E-mail Course. It’s on Page 110. :)

How To Live Anywhere: A Ridiculously Extraordinary Discussion with Cody McKibben

I’ve never mentioned this before, but if I had to think of the 3 people who inspired me to start my blog it would be: 1) Tim Ferriss 2) Chris Guillebeau and 3) Cody McKibben.

I started reading Cody’s blog some time around the end of 2008 or early 2009, about 6 months before I launched this site. I was fascinated by what he was doing and you can even see a tinge of domain name inspiration. Thrilling Heroics. Ridiculously Extraordinary. :)

When I was in Thailand we, unfortunately, were not able to meet up. But 4 months later here’s an interview! :)

So that’s it for this week. I leave Poland in a month and I don’t know what to do with myself. Wroclaw is a fantastic city and I hope the Hilton and all the other modern things being built here don’t ruin it. Why am I still talking …

How To Read (Because You’ve Been Doing It Wrong)

If you’re like myself and most other people, you have trouble retaining the information you read. Here’s how I finally figured it out …

I’ve been on a writing about reading/writing kick this week. It’s not on purpose (we’ll cover that next week in How To Never Run Out Of Ideas), but it’s interestingly relevant right now. Seth Godin declared he’s no longer going to write traditional books and then Tim Ferriss wrote a “rebuttal” of sorts stating that non-fiction print books are still king.

But what really spurred this article is I was having a chat with Henri a few days ago and the topic of reading came up.

Specifically we were discussing taking notes and the Kindle and how it makes highlighting easy (and much quicker than pen/paper).

Tangent: I have a lot of issues with publishers of Kindle books, but the product itself is phenomenal. Publishers, like record companies, seem to be run by idiots.

We were also discussing how when we take notes we never really go back and read over those notes. There’s also the issue of losing the notes. This all defeats the purpose of taking the notes, doesn’t it?

But rereading notes is important for retention of what you just read. Double edged sword!

I’ve been known to read complete books and not remember reading them a year or two later. 40 pages into reading something (for the 2nd time): “Wait, I’ve read this before!”

Part of the problem is I read a lot (tore through 5 or 6 books in the past 2 weeks). But a bigger part of the problem is I’ve never had a successful note taking / re-reading / retention strategy.

Until now.

I’m sharing this with you because I feel like if I’ve had a problem with reading retention then you may have the same problem as well. And if you’re like most of us, you probably also don’t have a phenomenal strategy for note taking.

1) Stop Taking Notes

It never worked for me and I don’t know many people who do it well. What I do instead of taking notes is take a few minutes after a reading session to think about what I read. Let the thoughts formulate as they will and mull them over.

It sounds very basic.

But it’s not easy for the simple fact that most reading sessions are probably not intentionally stopped, but instead, they’re interrupted. Which brings me to …

2) If You’re Reading Something You Want To Remember, Set Aside Time For It

If you’re reading something just for fun and it doesn’t matter to you whether you remember much of it then this doesn’t pertain to you. :)

If you’re reading most non-fiction books (95% of what I read) you’re probably reading them to learn something. In this case, it’s important that you’re focused on the reading, not on e-mail, your cell phone, or whatever else might come along.

If you’ve set aside 30 minutes for reading, read for 25, and spend the last 5 minutes simply playing it all back in your head.

3) Highlight

The beauty of the Kindle.

Whenever I come across a passage that I think is killer I highlight it. Kindle remembers this highlight for me and I never have to think about “where did I put those notes?” The less you have to think about here the easier it will be to stay focused. Highlighting is a quick procedure that takes a few button clicks, barely interrupting your reading experience.

4) Review

When you’re finished reading the whole book, immediately go through all the highlights. Kindle, again, makes this very easy. This will probably take less than 10 minutes, but it will help immensely in imprinting everything that’s fresh on your mind deeper into your brain.

If you’re the type of person who takes weeks or months to read one book then you’ll want to review your highlights more often. I finish most books in a few days, and I only read one book at a time, so everything is tightly focused and fresh on my mind.

This sounds like a sales pitch for the Kindle. In a way, I guess it is.

Not only has the Kindle revolutionized the way I buy, read, retain, organize, and travel with books, but it has revolutionized the publishing industry in general. And although I’m pissed I can get a new one for half the price I paid for mine, I’m happy that lower prices means more people will embrace the inevitable future of publishing.

The Incredibly Simple Secret To Being A Better Writer

Advice from an English “failure” …

From Elementary school all the way through University, English was always my worst subject. (I did get mostly perfect marks, but that’s only because school is a joke.)

I hated grammar (I still don’t know it, which is glaringly obvious), I disliked reading boring stories about boring topics, and I absolutely despised being told I had to write my own stories or essays in the same boring way.

I’m not lying when I say I fell asleep in class at least 4 out of 5 days/week. (My books had the drool puddles to prove it, haha, gross!)

And yet, I loved writing.

When I was 14 we had an English poetry assignment without any rules. We had to write a poetry book and the poems could take on any meter, any style, any topic. I was in my element.

After I turned in the assignment, my teacher Mrs. P (tangent: everybody had a crush on Mrs P; she was married to my math teacher; they were both pretty young) asked me if I wrote a lot on my own time. Embarrassed, I said no. (I was shy, didn’t want attention.)

Then she said something that has stuck with me ever since:

“It’s very good. Very honest.”

I get a lot of questions about how to start writing or how to start blogging. Usually my advice is to do what I did: spend 30 days before you launch your blog writing at least 1,000 words/day. Get into the flow of writing. Don’t worry about it being perfect, or even good. Just write.

But I always forget about that other important element of writing. (Thanks Mrs. P!)

Stephen King says to be a great writer you have to do two things:

1) Read a lot.

2) Write a lot.

Stephen King is a far better writer than I am, but I’ll bet he’d agree with adding the third element: write honestly, from the heart.

If you listened to the interview I did with Kelly, you know I don’t write 1,000 words/day anymore. Some days I only write a few hundred. Some days I write a few thousand. The number isn’t important to me. What’s important is that I write consistently and write what feels right. ;)

I don’t consider myself a particular good writer. So why do you read? Why are a few thousand other people reading this site every day? Because it’s honest.

So there it is, take it for what it’s worth from someone who doesn’t know a preposition from a (shit, I can’t even think of anything else to put here), if you write consistently and honestly a lot of people will connect with your writing. It doesn’t have to perfect. It doesn’t have to be great. But it must be honest.

If you follow that you might even make a full time living from your writing. ;)

Sweet Surprise Saturday #019 (Oops, I Wrote A Book Edition)

I wrote a book called Luxury of Less + a manifesto + sweet links inside …

When I wrote that title I kept thinking “Oops, I did it again” by Britney. But that’s neither here nor there. (BTW, don’t ever get me near an acoustic guitar or you *will* hear my atrocious cover of Toxic. Fair warning.)

I love to write. Probably only 5% of it ends up on this blog. And so, somehow I wrote a new book called Luxury of Less – The Five Rings Of Minimalism. I don’t mean to steal from Leo’s The Power of Less title, but it just fell into place. And luxuryofless.com was available. ;)

If you know me, you know where The Five Rings reference comes from. That book (an ancient Samurai text actually called Go Rin No Sho) has greatly influenced me over the past couple of years and this is sort of my homage.

I’m going to release Luxury of Less on October 4 in a way nobody in this industry has ever released a book before. If you have a book that fits into the niche of minimalism and you don’t hear from me soon, please get in touch. This is going to be a very interesting launch that helps get your book in front of lots of new readers. :)

The Dream Is Almost Alive!

What I should be talking about is The American Dream Is Dead (Long Live The American Dream!). It’s a long time coming, but it’s coming (freeeeee!) on Monday, August 30. It’s not just for people who live in the USA … you know I’m not gonna exclude the rest of the world!

I’m also pretty sure nobody has ever launched a free Manifesto quite like the way I’m launching this one. (Ugh, did I really state that TWICE about two different books in the same post? Yes, I did. WTF is wrong with me? Too much cinnamon rooibos I tell ya.) It will be fun. And hopefully big. You’ll see what I mean soon. :)

Surprise! Sweet links …

The Failure Manifesto by Erica Douglass

Wow. This was an incredible read. “Sold my company for $1.1 million, and I don’t even have enough money for a house down payment. I am angry.”

Nice To Meet You: 13 Ways To Make New Friends by Bud Hennekes

As you know, I’m a big advocate of the “hello.” Bud hooks it up with 12 more ideas.

Take This Job and Shove It by Tyler Tervooren

Subtitle: A Riskologist’s Guide To F*** You Funds. Personally, I wouldn’t censor it. ;) This was a great read. Whether you have a job or not I recommend it. If you’ve already gone job-free then some of it might not pertain to you, but that’s cool. $100 free inside for using Tyler’s bank links to start your F*** You Fund!

Blogger Gems Volume 2 from BlogCastFM

Go ahead, it’s free, download it. Thanks for including me Srini and Sid!

Ridiculously Extraordinary Launch Strategies interview with Kelly Kingman

Damn me for linking to shit I’m involved with twice here. Kelly interviewed me about the original launch of How To Live Anywhere as well as some other stuff. It was a fun time. I get pretty scatter-brained during interviews as you’ll hear. ;)

Sweet shit … that’s all for this week. See you on Monday!

Has Minimalism Turned Into A Sick Game Of Keeping Up With The Joneses?

The minimalist movement has taken on elements of exactly what it’s shunning …

“Simplicity is the peak of civilization.” – Jessie Sampter

A few days ago Naomi Seldin posted about going through her last 2 boxes of stuff, thereby finishing the process of uncluttering her life.

If you go there you’ll see I left a comment. Essentially, what I wanted to say was that just because she still has stuff (more than 100 things) doesn’t mean she is not a minimalist.

Note: none of this is not a knock on Naomi. She’s great! Her thoughts simply spurred these thoughts. :)

This is the part of Naomi’s article I’m referring to:

I still don’t consider myself a minimalist. I got rid of so much crap, but I still own about 100 books, 20 pairs of earrings and scores of CDs. I’m living lighter, but I’m also happy, and more appreciative, about what I chose to keep.

Minimalism is not about a number. Naomi and I had a brief e-mail discussion afterwards and she simply likes the numbers. It makes things tangible.

I completely understand.

But you know what’s more important than a number? “I’m living lighter, but I’m also happy, and more appreciative, about what I chose to keep.”

That is what minimalism is about. Pare down your belongings until you’re happy and appreciate of what you have. If something has no value to you and you keep it, you’re cluttering your physical and mental space with it. That is consumerism not minimalism.

There’s also the problem of determining what actually has value and what we simply think has value, but that’s a discussion for another day.

I’ve never counted my things. I don’t care. I have enough. If I decide I need more I’ll have more. If I decide I need less I’ll have less. If I had to guess, I probably have around 200 things. Guess I’m not a minimalist. :)

Quick mental count of just my guitar: guitar, case, extra set of strings, capo, 2 picks. 6 things already!

Bike stuff: bike, pump, allen wrench tool, lock, arm band light. 5 more things!

Toiletries: tooth brush, toothpaste (stopped using Bronner’s!), floss, Bronner’s, comb, deodorant, vitamin e oil (dry skin!), anti-itch cream (dry skin!), q tips. 9 more things!

Already at 20 things and we’re not even close to finished.

To get my life down to 100 would be an incredible hassle and go against living an extraordinary life. I have exactly what I need. Nothing more, nothing less.

What’s important is that my stuff doesn’t bog me down. Not just physically, but also mentally.

The Problem With Setting Arbitrary Limits

Limits are a different way to “keep up with the Joneses.” In the case of minimalism it’s only owning “100 things” or whatever other arbitrary number of things that you didn’t choose.

Remember Life Lesson #42? Define your own rules for success. It’s a lot easier to rule your world than someone else’s world.

My rules for minimalism are simple, and I already stated them, but I’ll do it again: owning exactly what I need, nothing more, nothing less.

The rules are different for you and me. For example, I need a guitar and a bike. If you owned these items maybe they would never be used and they’d waste valuable physical and mental space. I use them almost daily.

If you consider yourself a minimalist I’d like to know how you define your rules …

How Much Is One Dollar Worth To You?

One dollar can change your world. Here how …

You’d almost think this was going to be a political post or maybe me shedding light on the Third World.

Nope, this is about making money.

One Dollar Can Change Your Life

I’ve been hanging out with some very successful people in a top-secret location somewhere in Europe. ;) (Hence my train ride last Thursday.) It got me thinking.

Can you figure out how to make one dollar?

If you can figure out how to make one dollar, do you think you can figure out how to make $2?

How about $10?

If you can do $10, you can surely do $100, right?

And once you reach $100, you’re really not that far off from $1,000. So on and so forth.

The point is, don’t get caught up in making a million dollars right now. Don’t get caught up in making job replacement income right now. Do get caught up in how to make that first dollar right now.

You do need to think big, but there is no shame in starting small. Too many people get so caught up in trying to hit home runs that they never even swing the bat.

Once you make that first dollar a “switch” will go off in your mind. A transition of sorts. Making money for yourself will no longer be a dream, but a reality.

The One Dollar Experiment

Many years ago (2002) I had a Web site called the One Dollar Experiment. The goal then was to start with $1 and grow it into something much greater. It took me 6 months to get than $1 to $450 and then I quit the experiment. I was doing it more for publicity than to make money, and the publicity was non-existent.

So I thought, why not do another One Dollar Experiment?

But this time it’s your experiment. The only rule is that you have to earn $1 for yourself.

True, it’s just one dollar, but every single person in history had to start at that point. You’ll be in good company. ;)

Is one dollar worth your future, your freedom? I hope so.

You don’t need to let me know if you’re in. I want you to let me know when you succeed. You can e-mail me or post here in the comments.

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Will be back in Wroclaw tomorrow and will catch up on e-mails/comments then. I’ve only responded to about 5 e-mails in the past 4 days, sorry about that!

What Does It Mean To Be Cultured?

Does traveling the world automatically make you cultured?

Buying a very closed system Apple computer and putting a Creative Commons sticker on it is culture? Hmm...
“It is not part of a true culture to tame tigers, any more than it is to make sheep ferocious.” – Henry David Thoreau

If I met you on the street (or at BlogWorld, see you there?) and asked you “What does it mean to be cultured?” how would you respond?

Rabah tweeted that I’m cultured because of my wide and varied musical tastes. I know he was just joking, but it got me thinking.

Is that culture? Being into artists like Death, In Flames, Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Trick Daddy, Merle Haggard, Lady Gaga and others?

I don’t fully agree with that.

It’s a topic that comes up a lot with travelers. Like you’re automatically cultured if you’re a traveler. Or if you’ve been to a lot of countries you’re more cultured than someone who’s been to less. Well, that’s just not true. Because I believe if someone is cultured they’re not prejudice or racist. And let’s just say I’ve run into lots of close-mindedness over the past year amongst very well traveled individuals.

So, what then? Is there a good definition for a cultured individual?

According to Dictionary.com it means enlightened; refined. As most text-book definitions go, that’s pretty meaningless.

I know what cultured doesn’t mean to me.

If I hear someone say “I hate [insert style of music/art/books/etc]” I feel like that’s someone who’s not cultured. I understand not liking a particular artist, piece of art, or thing, but not liking a whole genre or group is impossible to me.

Personal example: I don’t like reading fiction, but I give it a shot regularly. Lo and behold, a few years ago (after a recommendation) I read The Alchemist and I’ve been hooked on Paulo Coelho books since. I give other fiction books a try if they come highly recommended as well even if, on the whole, I dislike fiction.

Another example: I used to say I hated country music. It’s true, I hated what I had heard up to that point. Then somehow, some way, I heard Merle Haggard. Now I can say I love country music, even if it is just Merle Haggard at this time. :)

So am I saying I’m cultured? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I curse a lot and I wear the same clothes almost every day. Do cultured people curse? Do cultured people wear incredibly plain, not particularly nice-looking, clothes? Or maybe cultured people only curse when the public is not watching? And maybe being cultured means you wear nice clothes in public, but in private it’s sweats and Ts? You know, put on a facade.

Mostly, I’m saying I’m ignorant of a lot of things and open to a lot of things.

What’s My Definition of Cultured?

Respect what you’re ignorant of.

If we all followed that rule we’d live in a much happier place.

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Note: I’m on a train right now. (The magic of WordPress scheduling!) I’m not sure when I’ll get back online so comment moderation might be slow. But please do leave a comment if you have something to say and we’ll chat when I can. :) Also, no Sweet Saturday update this weekend. It was always meant to be occasional, but we went 18 straight weeks! :)

5 Sentences To Freedom (or How To Start Living Outside Of The Inbox)

Here is why the 5 sentences e-mail rule is so important and why I expect you to use it …

I’ve written about sending short, succinct e-mails in the past (Fear of Competition Is Bullshit), but I’ve never delved deeper into the subject.

I’ve been utilizing the 5 Sentences E-mail Rule for a while now. I first heard about it a long time ago in Leo Babauta’s The Power of Less, but I never thought it was possible for the majority of my communication. In October of 2009 Leo published The Art of Brief E-mails and I decided to give it a shot. Although it took me a while before I felt comfortable using it for almost every e-mail.

I don’t follow a lot of what Leo writes in that article. For example, when I get an e-mail without a subject line I get a weird feeling of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. Kind of a “What the hell is this?” That’s probably just social conditioning so I’d like to thank David for always sending brief e-mails without a subject line to help me out with that. :)

The most important part of Leo’s article, to me, is the section on Editing:

Edit. I know, you want to write it and send it and forget it. Well, that’s rude, to the recipient. You’re saying they don’t deserve a good email. I’m not saying you need to spend hours making every email perfect, but if you can take 10 seconds to go back over an email, remove unnecessary sentences and words, you’ll be doing your recipient (and yourself) a favor.

At first it was a struggle for me …

“But there’s so much back story! This person needs to read the back story before I can get to the question/reason for e-mail!”

When you first start utilizing the 5 sentences rule that will probably be your biggest challenge. You’re convinced whoever is reading your e-mail needs every single extraneous bit of information before they are able to respond.

That is simply not true.

What I’ve found when I receive really long e-mails (not everybody respects the 5 sentences rule) is that usually right at the end there’s the golden ticket.

“So what I’m getting at is … [insert question].”

Everything after the “So what I’m getting at is” part is usually all that is necessary for an e-mail.

Example E-mail

“Hey [Person]!

Thanks for rocking. Quick question: [insert question]

Thank you so much,

Karol”

Mission complete!

Questions or proposals never need a back story. Never.

I Love To Help

No joke. I love reading e-mails, I love getting to know you, and I love answering questions. I love to help. The problem is, the more this blog grows, the more e-mails I receive and the more difficult it becomes to respond in a timely manner. By putting these rules in place now it will be much easier in the future as this movement continues to grow.

I ask you to utilize the 5 sentences rule not just for me, but out of respect for your fellow Freedom Fighters. They have questions and want answers as well. If you send short, succinct e-mails, that means I can more easily help more of you. Woohoo!

Practice and Social Conditioning

The only way to get better at this is to practice. Start sending very short e-mails to everybody.

More words does not mean higher quality. Unfortunately we’ve been conditioned to think the opposite. In school you had to write a “10 page essay” when 5 pages would do. In blogging an article over 1,000 words is “high quality” while an article of 500 words is “thrown together.” We need to change that because it’s simply not true.

Two of my favorite blogs are by Derek Sivers (Sivers.org) and Seth Godin (http://sethgodin.typepad.com). You will very rarely find them writing posts longer than a few hundred words. Interestingly, they both also respect the short succinct e-mail. Coincidence? No.

The One Situation Where You Should Never Break The Rule

Break rules, except when you need to follow them.

The 5 sentences rule can be broken and I do break it myself. I would say 95% of the e-mails I send are 5 sentences or less and the other 5% are of varying length.

Here is where the 5 sentences rule should never be broken: initial contact.

After the initial contact, you might be asked to go into more detail on your question/comment/statement. In that case, fire away!

It boils down to what Leo mentioned: respect. Sending a busy person (in other words, everybody) a 500 word e-mail is disrespectful of their time. Send them a short e-mail and they will love you for it.

Sweet Salamander Saturday #018 (Big Plans Edition)

My future travel plans and sweet sweet salamanders …

I decided to start eating meat, but only salamander. It’s the ultimate super food and they don’t have nervous systems or brains so it’s basically like a plant. You could literally live off of just salamander since it provides every single nutrient your body needs in precisely the right proportions.

Kidding. About all of that. ;) I got sick of using Sweet Shit Saturday so you’ve probably noticed I’ve been replacing Shit with whatever other random “S” word I can think of at the time of writing. :)

Onward with Big Plans! Michigan, Vegas, Austin, Brazil and more!

As you probably already know I’m heading back to the US in October. What you probably didn’t know was that I planned on leaving in early November and heading to Curitiba, Brazil, Bogota, Colombia, or Panama City, Panama.

Curitiba is supposed to be one of the most bike friendly cities in the world and that will help if I’m training. Do you know anyone in Curitiba? Figure I’d start the apartment hunting sooner rather than later. :)

But I’m actually not planning on leaving the US until early January now. Here’s the deal …

I’m heading to Michigan on September 29. This was originally going to be October 1, but my friends are playing at the Magic Stick in Detroit on October 1 and I wanted to hang. So I tried to find a flight on September 30. That didn’t work. September 29 it is!

I decided that after Blog World (Oct 14-16) I’m going to hang out in Austin, TX (still my favorite city in the world) for ~2 months so I can play with my kitty Jessie every day. I saved Jessie when she was a sick, dying stray after Hurricane Charley and I miss her. Then I’ll head back to Michigan for the holidays, including an annual New Year’s Eve party with a bunch of my favorite people. THEN I’ll head to somewhere in Central or South America. Most likely Curitiba, but still undecided. :)

It feels weird to plan so much life so far in advance.

Sweeeeeeeet salamanderssssssssss …

Template : Magazine by Ross Hill

Don’t let the lack of a catchy title fool you, this is a great post. In it Ross explains why he doesn’t have comments on his blog and why his blog theme is so simple. I’ve been considering shutting off comments here (besides just on Saturdays) as a test. I love interacting in the comments (as you know), but I love testing and it would be interesting to see what would happen.

Bonus from Ross Hill’s blog: Traveling lightly across the world with 35 things

FREE eBook: Minimalist Workday – 50 Strategies For Working Less by Everett Bogue

Just go download this free eBook now. Even if you’re like me and you love to write all day long you’ll get some good stuff out of it.

Is there a way to make an arrow point up? ^ <– is that good enough? What I’m trying to say is go, go, go download. If I could hold your hand and click on the link I would, but I can’t! As much as I know you’d love that. ;) haha, OK, too far …

If You Don’t Ask, The Answer Is Always No by Adam Baker

Guess who’s back? It’s not Slim Shady. Baker’s back up in the cut and posting his sick wit. Enough rap mumbo jumbo. What I’m saying is, Baker’s writing rules and it’s good to see him posting again!

Consider This by Danny Brown

Short, powerful article. Just how I like them. :) I need to work on a few of these things, especially the first on the list.

The Art of Enough and Fake Abundance by Jonathan Mead

If you’re an HTLA member you already know how much Jonathan rules because I interviewed him for the course. This article is especially relevant to me currently. And he doesn’t even mention the word scarcity. :)

How Much Are Your Visitors Worth? Google Will Tell You … For Free! by Karol Gajda ;)

This is a post I did for my friend Corbett Barr’s ThinkTraffic.net site. If you have a blog or Web site and you’re currently selling anything or plan to in the future this is a must read article. Or else I wouldn’t have written it (ha!). ;)

Ethical Marketing

Speaking of Corbett, on Tuesday he’s releasing his Ethical Affiliate Marketing For Beginners Course. It’s actually only called Affiliate Marketing For Beginners. I added the “Ethical” because, like myself, Corbett preaches doing good stuff and not selling crap. Yes, there is a ton of money to be made selling shady stuff online. But you know what? There’s also a ton of money to be made selling stuff that people want and will love.

I’ll tell you more about Corbett’s course on Tuesday if you’re a Freedom Fighter. Look out for that e-mail! If you were interested in getting my Zero To First Affiliate Sale Course then especially look out for that e-mail. ;)

If you’re not a Freedom Fighter then what are you waiting for?! Here are 7 Reasons You Should Be A Freedom Fighter. ;)

That’s it for this week. I hope your weekend is kicking ass! See you Monday …