Tag: Travel

How To Minimize Stress and Maximize Awesomeness!

If you’re stressed, here’s how to relieve that stress and live awesome …

During the courses of our lives we go through a lot of transition periods. Transitions can be both stressful and awesome.

Marriages, graduations, new careers, new relationships, new destinations …

That last one is an interesting one for me and it prompted this article.

My second night in Bangkok I hung out with Sean Ogle of Location180.com (check it out, he rocks) and we were talking about how much we love our lives. Is that nerdy? ;)

But we were also talking about stresses involved with our work. That stress being, we love what we do, but when we’re in a travel period (transition period) and visiting a new city, it’s tough to get work done. And not working is stressful because it’s something we enjoy. It’s a funny cycle. :)

Tangent (you know how I love them): Sean is also a guitar player. Like me, he gets stressed if he can’t play a guitar for an extended period of time. One of the many reasons I built a guitar in India is because when I was traveling through Australia/New Zealand for 4 months it was stressful not having a guitar.

But I digress …

While in Bangkok (I’m in Chiang Mai now, love it!) I knew it was just for a short while so I put off work even though I had stuff to get done. On both Thursday and Friday I went to one of the Regus offices in the city (free access with my Amex Platinum Card) and did 1-2 hours of work. But the city was calling me so I answered.

What Are Stressful Transitions?

Stressful transitions are different for me and you. Mine are things like being on the road for an extended period of time vs staying put in a new place for an extended period of time.

Traveling around New Zealand in a bus for 30 days? Awesome! But stressful as all get out. (I think I’ve used that phrase twice within the past 2 weeks. When will it get out of my system? Nobody knows.)

Goa, India for 2 months? Besides the first few weeks of figuring out Internet access, not stressful.

The last 24 hours were a little bit stressful:

– 14 hour overnight train (thanks to the nice British family who let me take one of their bottom, roomier, berths in exchange for my crappier upper berth!) with a bunch of loud drunk punks.

– The one vegetarian dinner option on the train wasn’t available (they did have 10 meat options, so you know, really catering to all the Buddhists) so when I got to Chiang Mai I was starving.

– The first few apartments I looked at were out of the way and expensive. Walking from apartment to apartment in the 100F/38C heat was exhausting.

But then, awesomeness:

– I quickly found a great veg restaurant.

– I found a sweet apartment for $300/month (including Internet and weekly cleaning) with 3 veg restaurants within a 60 second walk!

– All the stress immediately melted away even though I felt like I just took a shower and thought I might faint. :)

Our goal in life should be to minimize stressful transitions to maximize awesomeness.

The reason I do what I do the way that I do it is to minimize stressful transitions, which makes the fun stuff even more fun for me.

Sure, I don’t see as much as other people who travel. But I’m not here (there, or anywhere) to see everything. I’m simply living my life in a way that makes me happiest.

The Game Changer: Minimalism

My secret to minimizing the stress of even stressful transitions is through minimalism.

Minimalism and Transitions

Less stuff = less stress! ;)

My stressful transitions are less stressful because I have less to worry about.

If you’re stressed, I guarantee adopting even a little bit of minimalism into your life will do wonders to relieve your stress.

I could write for days about minimalism, but here are some rock stars who have written a lot about it:

Everett Bogue – The Freedom of Living With 75 Things

Tammy Strobel – How To Unplug From Stuff

Leo Babauta – Oh, just read everything at Mnmlist.com and ZenHabits.net :)

David Damron – 15 Ways To Become A Minimalist In 2010

Colin Wright – All 51 Things I Own

Now that I’m so quickly settled here in Chiang Mai I’m going to:

– Work.

– Eat awesome food.

– Do some fun shit.

How about you? What do you do to minimize stressful transitions and maximize awesomeness?

101 Lessons Learned After 29 Years Of Living Life

101 truths I’ve learned in the past 29 years…

When I was young I wanted to live to 100. To my mind it might as well have been infinity. (I thought China was a different planet when I was 4 so maybe 100 was infinity.)

Then I got older and I didn’t want to live to anything.

Now I want to live to 100 again. As you know, I like the number 100. Actually, I’d like to live to infinity. (Wait, is China a different planet? What’s happening here? … help?)

Anyway, 29 is still very young, and I don’t claim to know it all. What I do know is what I know, you know? ;)

Much like Finding Your Right People I’ve had this post ready for a long time. I was a little bit afraid to post it, but it may be The Ultimate Filter (like The Ultimate Warrior with less color and no steroids). Maybe tomorrow I start with a blank slate.

Probably not.

I expected a lot of RSS unsubscribes after posting Finding Your Right People. Instead, my subscriber count increased by 83. For a regular traffic day that is incredible (for this site). Thank you for hangin’ out in my backyard.

This list was originally 99. Then I edited some out. Then I added some. Then I edited some out. Truth be told I think I could easily hit 1,000. But right now it’s 101. A nice, easy number we’ll also call Infinity + 1.

Infinity + 1 Lessons Karol Has Learned In 29 Years:

  1. Friends really do come and go. Some come back. Some don’t. That’s OK.
  2. Nobody cares about you as much as they care about themselves.
  3. Animals kill to survive. Humans kill for “fun” (also know as a psychopath) or because they’re ignorant of torture (I know I used to be).
  4. It’s OK to be different.
  5. Most people won’t agree with you.
  6. The people who really care will still care whether they agree with you or not.
  7. You don’t need anybody’s support to make things happen.
  8. Arguments are pointless. You can’t change anyone, don’t try.
  9. People will rationalize and justify anything and everything to be “right.” Let them.
  10. It’s easier to take a small action now instead of a big action “some day.”
  11. Some day never comes.
  12. If the music you listen to is on the radio or TV it’s pop music. Pop = popular. It doesn’t matter if there’s screaming or singing, loud guitars or soft piano, it’s pop music. I love pop music. I love unpopular music as well. ;)
  13. You’re not as different as you think.
  14. You can have anything you want.
  15. You never have to settle. Not in a relationship, not in a job, not ever.
  16. Somebody will always tell you your ideas suck. Take action anyway.
  17. You might think you’re not good enough, but you’ll surprise yourself when you try.
  18. Smoking is gross. Kissing a smoker is grosser.
  19. You don’t have to be promiscuous because you’re a male and you don’t have to be celibate because you’re a female. Do what you want.
  20. Don’t let the school system brainwash you into being average. They will try. Every step of the way.
  21. Society wants you to be average as well, but you can be exceptional if you’d like. It’s your choice.
  22. You will make mistakes. So what?
  23. It’s OK to feel sad.
  24. There is nothing wrong with you.
  25. Successful people read books.
  26. Passion can go a long way.
  27. Don’t kill yourself. It’s never worth it.
  28. Get tested.
  29. If you think you can do something you’re right. If you think you can’t do something you’re also right.
  30. The refrigerator light doesn’t always stay on.
  31. Whether you hear it or not, a falling tree always makes a sound.
  32. Money is not the root of all evil.
  33. Love of money is not the root of all evil either.
  34. You don’t need as much money as you think.
  35. Nobody cares what kind of car you drive. If they do, they’re not worth your time. (Also, replace car with: the kinds of clothes you wear.)
  36. Don’t be a pushover.
  37. Memories are priceless. Write them down daily. Even if they seem trivial.
  38. Nothing is trivial.
  39. Ask for what you want. If you don’t ask, you won’t receive.
  40. Don’t make the same mistake twice. If you do, don’t make it a third time.
  41. There will always be somebody more “successful” than you.
  42. Define your own rules for success. It’s a lot easier to rule your world than someone else’s world.
  43. Humans are the only mammals that drink milk after they’ve grown. They’re also the only mammals that drink another mammal’s milk.
  44. If you don’t feel good you probably don’t need a doctor. It’s your diet.
  45. Even if an apple a day doesn’t keep the doctor away it sure tastes good.
  46. Doctors aren’t all bad, but many will write you any prescription you ask for if you know how to ask.
  47. The fact that gay marriage is not recognized is an abomination. If you support Freedom, you support gay marriage.
  48. Religion causes a lot of problems.
  49. Telling someone they’re wrong never leads to anything positive. Even if they’re wrong.
  50. You’ll never be good enough if you don’t define great.
  51. Being dependent on TV shows or sports teams is for children and teenagers.
  52. You don’t need more than 3 pairs of shoes. 1 athletic, 1 dress, and 1 casual. Even that might be overkill.
  53. If you wear the same pants every day nobody will notice.
  54. Write down your dreams/nightmares for 30 days every morning immediately upon waking up. Some trippy stuff will start happening.
  55. It is scientifically proven that if you eat meat you’re not an environmentalist. Don’t pretend to care about the environment. Care or don’t care.
  56. Whether global warming is real or made up, is it really so difficult to throw a cigarette butt in a trash can instead of the street? (Replace the following with cigarette butt: gum, paper, bottles, anything.)
  57. If you say you love animals and you kill them for dinner (physically or by shopping at the deli counter) there is a blatant disconnect.
  58. Just because somebody tells you something is true, doesn’t mean it is. Do your own research.
  59. Jealousy is mankind’s most useless emotion. Instead of feeling jealous, feel happy.
  60. Happiness is mankind’s most useful emotion.
  61. If you help people get what they want, you will “miraculously” get what you want.
  62. It’s OK to be a follower. It’s better to be a thought leader.
  63. It’s OK if you don’t like something. Just don’t pretend that you do.
  64. There are exceptions to every rule. That doesn’t make the rule invalid.
  65. You can’t break rules if you don’t learn them first.
  66. If somebody tells you they want the best for you what they mean is they want you to do what they say and follow the rules.
  67. You should play on a swing set at least once every year. It is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
  68. Don’t blame anybody for your problems. They’re yours. The sooner you establish this the sooner you can work on them.
  69. If you can’t sing, sing anyway. Especially at karaoke.
  70. Just because a billion people do something doesn’t mean it’s right.
  71. If you eat moldy bread you might feel like shit. Pun not intended. :)
  72. Don’t wish, do. “I wish I could…” is a waste of thought energy.
  73. Some people say you should do something every day that scares you. That’s a lofty goal, but even if you do something every week that scares you you’ll come out ahead.
  74. Do what scares you.
  75. If you think something is a bad idea, it might mean you should do it. Or it might mean it’s actually a bad idea.
  76. Stop watching so much TV.
  77. It really is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. Try it next time.
  78. It’s OK if you don’t want to travel the world. There are lots of things to explore in your own backyard.
  79. Don’t listen to anybody who tells you “you’re missing out” by not going somewhere or doing something. You’re only missing out if you believe you’re missing out.
  80. Don’t think of cost. Think of value.
  81. If something is expensive that doesn’t mean it’s worth it. If something is cheap that doesn’t mean it’s not. Usually, neither of those options are ideal.
  82. Maybe you can’t have it all. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.
  83. You can change the world because you define your world.
  84. Jakfruit is hard to find, but so very worth it.
  85. Give away something you love. You’ll learn a) detachment and b) it feels great.
  86. Do activities by yourself. Solo Social Activities (movies, dinner, concerts, travel) can be a lot of fun.
  87. Stop depending on other people.
  88. It’s OK to complain sometimes. Don’t make it a habit.
  89. Do what you love even if you don’t get paid for it.
  90. Stop texting or checking your phone when you’re with other people. It’s rude and it’s sad.
  91. Drink more water.
  92. Show gratitude.
  93. Make more mistakes.
  94. There is no such thing as luck. No good luck. No bad luck. You either make good things happen or you make bad things happen. Nothing more, nothing less.
  95. The secret to winning is playing. Often. (This advice does not hold for games of chance.)
  96. Everybody lies. Trust people anyway.
  97. If you dwell on past mistakes you will get depressed. Dwell or don’t dwell, but know the outcome.
  98. There is always more you can do. But that doesn’t mean there is always more you should do.
  99. Don’t compare yourself to other people. Compare yourself to yourself.
  100. Low calorie does not mean healthy. Stop fooling yourself.
  101. Seek danger.

Permission To Do Nothing

35 days into my current Australian travels I became utterly exhausted.

A cold, rainy time in Melbourne, 5 days in a cold (down to 6-7C at night) camper van with no heat (awesome trip along The Great Ocean Road though!), and 25 hours in a seat on The Ghan train from Adelaide to Alice Springs had me feeling tired.

Upon arriving in Alice Springs I sat down in the lounge area of my hostel and fired up Google Docs to finish some writing. As I was about to open a file called “The Iron Mind” an article called “Permission to do nothing” caught my eye.

The article had, up to that point, consisted of exactly one sentence:

Permission To Do Nothing

Whenever I have an idea for an article, essay, eBook, Web site…well, anything…I either create a Google Doc, write it in a notebook, or e-mail myself. This was a perfect example of that.

While in Alice Springs I planned on actually doing some tours. You know, doing what other tourists do.

Tangent: There is constant debate amongst people who travel on the tourist vs traveler label, but I’m not stupid enough to consider myself anything other than a tourist whether I fit the stereotype or not.

I will probably never be back to “the red centre” of Australia again, so I should take advantage of the surrounding sights while I’m here, right?

But would it change anything if I see Ayers Rock, a few hundred kilometers away, instead of Meyers Hill, a 10 minute walk from where I’m staying?

Both are beautiful. Both are works of nature. Both are a part of Australia’s history. One would stress the shit out of me right now on a tour. The other, which I could experience by taking a leisurely walk, would make me feel alive.

West Macdonnel Ranges from top of Meyers Hill
West MacDonnell Ranges from top of Meyers Hill

My travel goals are different than most. I’m more in line with what Derek Sivers talks about in his recent Freedom article:

Friends back home would say, “So what did you do in Iceland?”

I’d say, “Same thing as you. Same thing I’d be doing anywhere else. Just programming, working, writing, reading, flirting, living.”

I’m not traveling to see every sight or to do everything. I’m traveling as an alternative means of living.

What would I do back “home” on a Tuesday? I definitely wouldn’t go out to “see the sights” unless it was something special. (Friends/family in town, for example.)

I would eat, read, hang out, ride my bike, write, and eat some more. :)

The point is, I decided I’m not going to go on any tours while here in Alice Springs. I’m staying at a very small, relaxed, hostel and enjoying reading in a hammock, going to the store to buy groceries for lunch/dinner, and writing in the hot, hot heat.  (mmm, I love heat)

The beauty of life is you get to live it as you please. You may have people tell you you’re “doing it wrong” but they get a big fuck you.

“Everyone gets one life. Yours is almost used up, and instead of treating yourself with respect, you have entrusted your own happiness to the souls of others.” – Marcus Aurelius Meditations 2.6

If you’re ever at a crossroads on a decision remember to do what you want, not what others expect you to do.

And if you still can’t decide…

You don’t need it, but you have my permission to do nothing.

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You may have noticed I posted this on a Thursday even though I already posted on Tuesday. I’m experimenting with a twice/week posting schedule.

I’ve been writing a lot, but my once/week posting schedule means I’m not posting most of it. The problem is editing a post takes me a long time. I’m slow with it. What I’m getting at is there will be a post every Tuesday, and now, for the time being, every Thursday. :) Now, subscribe to the RSS feed, if you haven’t already! ;)