This Simple 5-Minute Evening Habit Will Skyrocket Your Morning Productivity

Cover Photo by Seth Macey on Unsplash

“The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” — John C. Maxwell

• What do you do one or two hours before you go to bed?

• What is your evening routine?

• Do you have one?

I’m not here to tell you what you should and should not be doing during evening, as I’ve still got much to learn when it comes to evening routines.

But!

There’s one thing I learned about 10 months ago that has contributed a fair amount toward increasing my productivity.

And you can start doing it too, tonight!

Prepare Your Next Day The Night Before

Do you struggle waking up in the morning?

There are so many articles and books telling you that waking up early is a key to success, but damn it’s hard, isn’t it?

What I’m proposing you here is to simply make a list of things you want to accomplish for the next day a few hours before bed, and then review it shortly before “calling it a night”.

Don’t make it too complex. Just a simple list. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. I usually come up with a list of anywhere between 10–20 things to do.

Here’s what happens when you prepare your next day the night before:

While you sleep, your subconscious is “working on” things you “fed it” before going to bed. When you feed it with things you want to accomplish for the next day, it will “prepare” you for them.

When your alarm goes off, you wake up with a sense of purpose. You know WHAT you have to do, and potentially HOW to do it as well.

And that is powerful!

---

Conclusion

I personally found that by reviewing the things I want to accomplish for the next day the night before, I very rarely procrastinate or hit the snooze button.

I wake up, jump out of bed, and start going! No matter the time I wake up.

Your brain is a powerful thing. Make it work for you. Feed it the right things shortly before going to bed. Make one of those things reviewing what you want to accomplish for the next day.

A few days after starting this habit, you’ll see your productivity increase.

Do that every day and you’ll build lasting momentum!

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Getting Writer’s Block? Here Are 21 Ways To Find Inspiration For Your Next Story

Cover Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash

“It ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it.” — Jack Kerouac

Bonus tip: Bookmark this story for future inspiration!

Back in January, I was aiming to improve my writing capabilities and figured that by writing one story per day, I really should be improving.

But to be honest, I was afraid I would not really know what to say. I thought that after one week, my inspiration would run dry.

I could not have been more wrong!

More than six months later, I’m still writing regularly. Turns out I have much more to say then I thought I would.

But back in mid-February, I was starting to lack subjects and took 3 days off. When came time to start again, I was overflowing with ideas.

But I didn’t understand how.

I dug deep into what inspires me to write what I write and I came up with this pretty exhaustive list.

I hope this will help you find inspiration for your next story!

(The ratings I put below are about how frequently I use a trick to come up with stories. 1 means not frequently, and 5 means very frequently. This will be different for everyone. Feel free to make up your own rating.)

---

Answer a Question

1. Any answer you give to someone verbally

During your day to day conversation, almost inevitably, someone will ask you a question to which you’ll have an answer. Pay attention your own answer, and if it is insightful and useful to the other person, chances are it probably is interesting for your audience too.

My rating: 6/10

2. Write about a great answer someone gave you

One of my favourite story from MR. Molly Maguire is The Best Piece Of Advice I Ever Got. It’s a genuine story about great advice he received from his Trading Advisor. If you receive great advice from someone, pass it along to your readers!

My rating: 3/10

3. Answer a question from your audience

I’m very often inspired by questions or comments I receive in the comments section. People tend to have good follow up questions to things you’ve written in your story. I’d say about 20–25% of my inspiration comes from that.

My rating: 8/10

4. Browse Quora for questions to answer

Quora has an incredible amount of great questions waiting to be answered on any topic. If your answer is in long format, consider moving it over as a Medium story. I believe that’s how Nicolas Cole started, and look where he is now!

My rating: 6/10

---

Be Aware

5. Pay attention to your conversations

I like to think that I’m a good listener. When people talk to me, I try to genuinely get what the other person is saying and take mental notes on the key points of a conversation. Frequently enough, even in regular conversations, a good topic comes up that’s worth writing about.

My rating: 5/10

6. Listen to other people’s conversations

Sometimes you overhear people talk about a topic of interest, or argue about something. Without realizing, you make up your own opinion on the subject in your head. Articles with multiple points of views make for interesting stories in my opinion.

My rating: 2/10

7. Just pause and look around you

A lot of my stories from January and early February come from me taking a moment to look around me at the coworking space or in nature. There’s something inspiring about watching other people do things, or gazing at nature.

My rating: 7/10

---

Consume Quality Content

8. Read books on the topics you write about

Chances are, almost everything you highlight in a book is a good topic for a Medium story. There are too many good books to mention, but I’m currently inspired by Tribe Of Mentors (Tim Ferriss), Willpower Doesn’t Work (Benjamin P. Hardy), Principles (Ray Dalio), Think and Grow Rich (Napolean Hill), High Performance Habits (Brendon Burchard), and more.

My rating: 9/10

9. Listen to podcasts on the topics you write about

Again, big shoutout to Tim Ferriss on that one. His podcast, his guests and his questions are just that good. Again, a lot of my January stories are inspired by answers provided by his guests. Also, quick shout to my friends Aleesha Lauray and MR. Molly Maguire for their podcast for the On The Rise publication.

My rating: 9/10

10. Start with a quote

When I started writing, and even to this day, whenever I read a story that has a quote that inspires me, I write in down in my quotes collection. Back in January, I made a compilation and shared here: 41 Short And Powerful Quotes To Make You Feel Unstoppable.

Any of these quotes is a good starting point for a story.

My rating: 7/10

---

Recycle

11. Re-write an older story you previously wrote

I often write about my 3 new skills a month approach. I try to come up with a different perspective and with new ideas on the subject, but ultimately, it’s just the same story, packaged in a different, and hopefully more interesting way.

In fact, this story is a more polished version of an older story I wrote, based on my latest learnings.

My rating: 4/10

12. Write on a topic you read from another writer

I started reading on Medium 6 months before I started writing. Every day, I would read stories from Nicolas Cole, Anthony Moore, Benjamin P. Hardy, Zdravko Cvijetic, Elle Kaplan, Tom Kuegler, Tim Denning and more. A lot of their stories inspired me to write my stories.

My rating: 7/10

13. Talk about a relatable story from your past

You’ve lived a more eventfully past than you think. Did you grow up in a weird/different family context? How was high school? How was going to college? How was your first date? Your first kiss? Your first job? Chances are you’ll find a few interesting things to write about.

My rating: 3/10

---

Do Things

14. Attend events

There are tons of great events in pretty much every city in the world. I usually find them on meetup.com or through Couchsurfing. When you attend events, both the topic and the people you meet will inspire you to write.

My rating: 2/10

15. Practice physical activities

Back in January, I started getting more serious about fitness. I was obsessed with it. To some degree, I still am. I wrote a few stories on workout routines I’ve tried and worked or didn’t work for me. Physical activity is a hot topic and many people are looking for new things to try all the time.

My rating: 3/10

16. Travel

Back in March, I had been the top travel writer on Medium for two months. I have traveled quite intensively and my travel stories resonate with a lot of other travellers. Same with my nomadic lifestyle. Anyone who travels a lot will have a few stories to share. By the nature of it, traveling tends to be quite eventful.

My rating: 6/10

---

Educate

17. Give your top tips on things you’re good at

I don’t like bragging and saying I’m good at things, but sometimes I’ve got good productivity advice worth sharing with my audience. I even did talks on the subject. You can get audio to one of my talks here. If you’re good at something, share it. These stories tend to do really good.

My rating: 5/10

18. Talk about things that worked and things that didn’t work for you

I experiment a lot with activities and skills. Sometimes the experiments work great, but sometimes they’re epic failures. A good example is Tim Denning’s story where he failed a public speech. It’s personal, emotional and shows his vulnerable side. Readers love that.

My rating: 6/10

19. Talk about your hard skills

Are you a skilled graphic designer? Guitar player? Programmer? Tattoo artist? Cook? Any hard skill you have is an interesting subject for your audience. You don’t have to be the best in the world at it either. Be honest, and give your best advice, with no pretence that your tips are the best in the world.

My rating: 1/10 (I don’t currently write about my programming skills)

---

Cheating

20. Listicles just work

Don’t know what to write about? Just make a list about pretty much any subject and people will read it. With few exceptions, listicles tend to do much better than the rest. I think the reason is because they tend to be bite-sized and easy to read. Most of my top stories are listicles.

My rating: 4/10

21. Quotes are powerful

Building upon “Start With A Quote” and “Listicles Just Work”, assemble a series of related quotes and write a story around them. People love categories, and when they’re about quotes, it’s powerful. People smarter than us have written smarter things then us, take advantage of this. My top highlights are always quotes from other people.

My rating: 5/10

---

Conclusion

I hope some of these inspirations will work for you as they did for me.

But now it’s your turn. Be the writer you’ve always wanted to be. Stop looking for topics to write about and start writing thanks to these tips!

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Why Most People Will Never Get a “Yes”

Cover Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Most people have a hard time getting help from people

• Are you like most people and struggle to get people to say “yes” to you?

• Are you tired of receiving a “no”?

• Are you willing to do what it takes to get a “yes”?

Most people have a hard time getting people to say “yes” to them. They ask nicely, they send well-written messages, etc. Some are persistent, some aren’t.

No matter what, they still don’t get a “yes”.

But here’s the truth:

Most people are not willing to do what it truly takes to get a “yes”.

---

How People Do Get a “Yes”

Do not be a beggar, be a giver

That is, in my experience, the best way to get a “yes” from someone.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

In the past year, I’ve got so many people to say “yes” to me. I didn’t immediately understand what change I did to make that happen, but it’s obvious in hindsight.

I simply started giving.

Genuinely giving.

What that means is that you never even aim to ask for anything. You just aim to give value to people.

Then, if/when comes time to ask for something, you will almost always get a “yes”. Of course, you have to be reasonable too.

Getting a “yes” is about having a mutual relationship. It’s not about asking and leaving. It’s about giving and receiving, giving and receiving, etc.

It’s a cycle.

It is, in essence, a friendship.

Now comes the question of how to add value to people. That, in itself, can be harder than actually giving, especially if you don’t know the person personally.

---

3 Ways to Add Value to Someone

1. Do some research

If you’re trying to reach out to someone you don’t know, you may want to try the following:

• Find their social media accounts and get an idea of what kind of person they are. Don’t be creepy though;

• If the person is somewhat famous, look up their personal website or their wikipedia page. Beware of false information;

• Find their most approachable friends and ask them questions. Again, don’t be creepy;

• If the person has written books, read them;

• If the person has a blog, read the blog.

Once you have a better idea of who they really are, adding value to them is suddenly much easier. They like to read? Recommend them a book. Be creative. Be authentic. Give them something they want based on your research.

2. Simply ask them how you can help them

You’d be surprised how much information you can get doing that. You’d also be surprised to see how many people don’t even try, by fear of getting rejected.

“Just showing up is half the battle.” — Woody Allen

If you don’t try, you don’t know if it will work or not.

Countless times I’ve asked and received.

When I hear people say that asking would be a guaranteed rejection, I have to put sense into their heads. It’s never a guarantee.

I’m not saying odds are in your favour when you simply ask, but it’s so easy and cheap that it’s worth trying, almost every time.

3. Give and adjust

If you know the person’s interests, you can always find something to give. It may not be spot on, but it’s recognized nonetheless.

If you get a response, you’ve opened up the line of communication. From there, you may get a better idea of what they really need. If not, you can either ask them directly, or keep trying.

---

What to give

Give something that adds value to the person, it’s that simple.

Contrary to most people’s beliefs, something tangible is rarely the solution, with the exception of a good book maybe.

If you contribute to a person’s health, wealth, love or happiness, you are adding value to them. These are what Tai Lopez calls the 4 pillars of life in his 67 Steps program.

Knowing that, you’ve got a limitless amount of options.

There’s no right or wrong.

There’s better, for sure, and it depends on the person, but adding value to their health, wealth, love or happiness is a surefire way to get noticed at least.

---

Conclusion

So,

• Are you willing to do what it takes to get a “yes”?

• Are you ready to give before receiving?

• Are you ready to give with no pretence of ever receiving anything in exchange?

I’ve experienced a radical shift when I became more of a giver. But it’s not only me. Churchill said the same, and so do many other people you and I look up to. You don’t get a “yes” by giving not giving a “yes” yourself. You don’t get to the top without giving more than you receive.

So I challenge you. Dare give more than you take, and you’ll notice how much more willing people will be to help you.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

The Simple Formula For Success According to Ray Dalio

Cover Photo of Ray Dalio on Ted.com

Dreams + Optimism + Reality + Determination = Successful Life

In Ray Dalio’s book, Principles, he writes that he found the above formula to almost always be true.

Optimism is my own addition to the formula.

I once worked with the most brilliant guy who just seemed to be able to figure out all the problems to a solution. He had this talent of seeing so many steps ahead.

He was the most realistic person I knew.

He would almost always meet his deadline and successfully execute the work methodically.

He had everything from Ray’s formula, yet something was holding him back:

He wasn’t optimistic.

“Success”, the way I see it, is a balance of dreams, optimism, and realism — that, with a lot of determination.

I used to have dreams, was optimistic about them and had a good amount of determination. The problem was, I lacked realism.

I learned that from my colleague. And I like to think he learned his optimism thanks to me. He is now CTO of an important company in Canada.

By becoming more realistic about the things I set out to achieve, I managed to raise money twice for Power Level Studios and managed to make partners for my side businesses. I also found that people started saying “yes” to me a lot more.

But realism is still a big weakness of mine.

After all, I’m running 3 (small) companies, I’ve written two books in 3 months, and I have dreams of other side businesses. All that while learning 3 new skills a month, working out, writing every day, and spending time with my wife.

---

What About You?

• Out the four parts of the formula above, what are you most lacking? What are you most good at?

• Why are you lacking in that aspect? What’s holding you back?

• What can you do about it? Why haven’t you done it yet?

• Do you believe you can “succeed” if you focus on fixing the missing gap?

I would say in general, things happen in the order of the formula.

It all starts with a dream. Then you are either optimistic or realist about it. When the balance of optimism-realism isn’t right, you usually don’t have “real” determination to carry on.

So I suggest to you:

1. Allow yourself to dream and be optimistic about those dreams.

2. Assess feasibility. See 10 steps ahead. See what could work and what couldn’t.

3. Be realistic.

Once you are optimistic and realistic about your dreams, put all your determination at work and you’ll realize you can indeed achieve your most insane dreams and goals.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Thinking About Remote Work? Here are 8 Ways to Overcome Communication and Environment Issues

Cover Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Remote Work Is Possible When You Deal With These Issues

If you have tried it before, you know there are many obstacles to making remote work “feasible”: timezone differences, communication issues, spotty wifi, lack of proper schedule, environment distractions and more.

I have been running Power Level Studios “remotely” since it started having collaborators over a year ago. I say remotely in double-quotes because initially, it was all remote within the same city. Everyone worked from their own homes in Toronto.

Then in June of last year, I left Toronto to work from other places around the world, making me completely remote.

During that time, I grew the company from 4 people to 8.

As far as I know, we have not had any problems with me being away and still “running the show”.

So let’s address some of the problems associated with running a company remotely:

---

Communication Issues

This is likely the biggest issue of them all.

It’s already hard to have an effective communication system in place when everyone works from the same office, so of course it even harder when you can’t have face to face conversations.

At Power Level Studios, we have a simple but efficient system that has worked really well for us.

1. Have Everyone Remote

I have worked remotely for a company where pretty much everyone worked from the same office.

I was left out frequently. And it’s not that I wasn’t an important part of the team, it’s just that when everyone else is there, sometimes you just forget the “exception”.

And that sucked. I know I could have been way more productive if I felt like I was really part of the team.

By having everyone remote, everyone is on the same page. There aren’t many different ways to communicate. Everyone uses the same tool.

One of the previous companies I worked for removed their office and started working remotely. That didn’t stop them from making and releasing the successful Halcyon 6 game.

In Power Level Studio’s case, we’re releasing Soul Reaper: Unreap Commander on April 3rd. The game was built from December 2017 to March 2018.

2. Limit The Need To Communicate Verbally

We never communicate verbally at Power Level Studios. I don’t remember the last time it happened.

In fact, we rarely communicate at all. It’s all about our streamlined process.

We use the Kanban approach.

We have a series of steps a task needs to go through. When the person working on the task is done with the step, they move the card to the next step, where the next person in charge of the task will automatically be notified. In review steps, if it passes, the card moves forward, if it fails, it goes backward, where the person responsible for the work will automatically be notified.

It’s all about the automation and having a clear indicator of who needs to do what when.

3. Be Fully Transparent

With the Kanban approach mentioned above, we have different boards depending on the type of work. We have boards for Art, Design, Admin, Programming, etc.

Every board is public to everyone at the company.

I’ve got nothing to hide.

Everyone can see what I’m working on at any point. That is very important. People working with me need to know that I’m not just barking orders from the beach working on my sun-tan.

4. Trust Your Team

I rarely make decisions. I’m not sure if that throws my team off or not, but that’s my management style. I like to have everyone’s input on aspects I trust them on. I would not ask an artists’ opinion on programming, but I will definitely ask them about monster and loot design.

Everyone can submit their design ideas and we collaborate on it. I rarely get the ideas all by myself. We vote on design ideas, names of monsters, etc.

If my artist tells me A is better than B, I rarely argue. They’re the expert.

By trusting everyone, I know they trust and respect me more in return. They know we’re working towards the same goals.

---

Environment Issues

Spotty wifi, distractions, hard to follow schedule, loneliness — we’ve all been there. How do we overcome those things?

It’s all about making your environment productive and removing anything that goes against it.

1. Removing Distractions

I hate working from home. I’m way too distracted. I have games, books, and no one to judge me if I’m not working.

When I was working from home in Toronto, I would put console cables places where it would be so much work for me to get that I wouldn’t do the effort to get it.

In my apartment in Toronto, we didn’t even buy furniture, except for a mattress and the desk to work from. The place really was only good for working and sleeping.

Whatever it is you find distracts you while you work, change your environment so that it’s harder to distract yourself as opposed to doing your productive activities.

If your distraction is in your physical location, hide stuff, or better yet, make someone else hide it.

If your distraction is on your computer, use software that blocks access to apps and websites during certain hours. Have someone you trust lock the schedule behind a password so you can’t easily disable it.

2. Finding Good Wifi

Depending on where you are in the world, wifi can be an issue. Especially public wifi.

I’ll give you my favourite trick straight up: co-working spaces.

I’ve never been to a co-working space (yet) that doesn’t have usable wifi. I’ve seen anywhere from 10 mbps (slow but usable) to 1,000mbps (very fast).

Check using speedtest.net.

Never trust your Airbnb host or hostels to tell you their wifi is fast. It rarely is. Below 5mbps for me is hardly usable. In some countries, they call that fast. My 4G/LTE is 3x faster than that.

3. Fighting Loneliness

Building on the co-working space idea from above, having other hard-working people around you is extremely motivating.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m 10x more productive when I work from a co-working space.

It’s always nice to meet other people who work on their own crazy ideas. Entrepreneurs care so much about what they do that it’s contagious. You want to work harder and share your ideas with the others around.

You build great personal and professional relationships just from being there. I even made myself a business partner by working at The Living Room in Spain.

4. Keeping A Schedule

This is key to build momentum. I’ve written about this extensively in the past.

By working remotely, it’s hard to stick to a schedule because you don’t have office hours.

But to be honest, I don’t like office hours. Not everyone works great from 9–5. In fact, I don’t think anyone at Power Level Studios work from 9–5.

I start my day at 4am, but start my actual work at 9am. I take two naps during the day, usually around 8:30am and 2:30pm. I’m always super tired in the afternoon. I don’t work well unless I do a power nap. I try to reply to my messages only between 1:30 and 2:30, after lunch. I then finish work around 7pm.

I’m much better at sticking to this schedule when I’m at the co-working space. I know no one is monitoring me, but I need to feel like someone could judge me for not following my schedule.

---

Conclusion

Running a company remotely is possible but not easy.

I’ve been doing it long enough now and have found strategies that work for my video game company, but I know could work for other types of businesses.

Having everyone remote and limiting the need to communicate makes project management more efficient. Be transparent and trust your team. Apply these principles and communication will not be an issue.

Remove distractions, find good wifi, fight loneliness and keep a schedule.

Make your environment work for you.

You can do this!

Let me know what you tried that worked or didn’t work for you in the comments below.

Thanks for reading! :)

Need More Time in a Day? This Just Might Help You Get More!

Cover Photo by Tristan Gassert on Unsplash

Being Aware — In Anything — Makes All the Difference

Last night I saw one of my brothers for the first time in 6 months. It was really nice catching up with him.

In our family, we’ve always grown up playing video games, so it didn’t take too long before we started talking about the Nintendo Switch, which we both own.

What’s nice about the Switch is that he can play on his big screen TV and I can play in handheld mode, and we get the “same” experience. So even when I travel, I still manage to catch up on my video game time.

He’s had the Switch for about two months and he’s played 50 hours of Mario Odyssey, 135 hours of Mario Kart and 20 hours of Zelda.

He’s got a full-time job, his girlfriend, his nephews next door and he also draws frequently, so it’s not like he’s not doing anything else.

If we do the math, that’s 205 hours of gameplay time in, let’s say, 8 weeks. That’s a little more than 25 hours per week.

If that sounds a lot to you, maybe it would be an interesting exercise to also analyze how you spend your free time.

---

Analyze Your Free Time

I frequently post my detailed and crazy schedule on Medium. I know exactly how I’m spending my time every day. You don’t have to be that structured though when analyzing your free time.

Playing video games is easy since most platforms log the time you spend.

If you watch TV shows on Netflix, it’s simple math to add on all the episodes you’ve watched times the duration of the show.

We all know the duration of each movie, so it’s easy to add those up as well.

Sports and other physical activities are usually easy enough to calculate.

Make sure to count the commute time as free time. This can be one of the biggest time sink. By having close to no commute time, you get more time to spend on things you want to do, not things you have to do.

---

But Why Analyze It?

A lot of people are “busy”. They are stressed by time and refuse to do things because they are busy. Yet when you analyze how they spend their time, they could definitely spare some of their free time doing other things.

I’m obsessed with time. We all have limited time before we’re gone.

I’ve lived that yet again yesterday when I went to the veterinarian with my mother and she told her that would likely have to resort to euthanasia very soon if she doesn’t want her cat to suffer.

Life is short. We all have to go at one point.

I personally like to know I’ve spent my time here doing the best I could.

I very much enjoy learning, so I spend a lot of my free time learning new skills.

Tomorrow I’m seeing my grandparents. They’re old. I’m putting myself in their shoes and I want to think for myself at that point that I’ve got no regrets. At least on how I spent my time. I want to say that I’ve lived the best life I could.

And that starts with knowing how I spend my precious time.

---

Conclusion

We do have a lot of free time. We are not *that* busy.

When we analyze how we spend our time, we realize there are better ways to spend it.

Spend it the way you want to spend it. Don’t be a slave of your bad habits.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Are You An Introvert? Become a Great Storyteller With These 3 Powerful Tips

Cover Photo by Spencer Backman on Unsplash

Results of months-long research and practice

Almost all the world leaders are great storytellers. It’s one of the most important skills you can ever pick up, and for introverts like me, one of the hardest.

Introverts have a hard time telling epic stories. By nature, introverts don’t like to attract too much attention, therefore lack the practice in telling their story, or any story really.

You’re not sure if you’re an introvert or not? No worries, read these 8 Signs You Are an Introvert article and you’ll know.

I’ve always considered myself to be an introvert. Yet in the past 7 months, the people I met on the road would never believe me. Without knowing it, I had become good at storytelling. Not the best, but good enough that people started listening to what I had to say. Like any skill, it’s something you need to develop over time.

Before we jump into the tips, think about people you met or know who are good at story telling.

• What do they have in common?

• How do they behave?

• What kinds of stories do they tell?

• How do they tell the story?

• What is their body language?

In my months of passive-to-active research on the topic, I came to some observations that helped me become more skilled at the art of story telling, and that’s what I want to share with you here.

The following tips should help introverts kick-start their learning of story-telling:

---

1. Do and Observe

Think about a recent (good) story you were told by someone else.

What was it about?

Chances are it was something the storyteller experienced at one point in time.

Was the experience great?

Probably not. In fact, most of the best stories are bad experiences, because they tend to be more eventful. “Event” being the key here. A story is all about unexpected events and how the “actors” react to them.

Now on the point of doing. Have you noticed how when you asked someone who’s doing the same routine every day, they always answers “same old, same old”?

Doesn’t make for great stories now does it?

You don’t have to be doing epic things either. The best stories are not fabricated, they are experienced. The more you do, whatever it is, the more things you experience, and the more likely you are going to encounter unexpected events.

Even, a lot of times, a great story is about something you witnessed. By seeing the event unfold, you have a clearer picture of what happened and can recall it with greater detail and accuracy.

“All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town.” — Leo Tolstoy

In short: do and be inspired by unforeseen events happening around you.

---

2. Write and Visualize

So now that you’ve witnessed or have been part of an interesting event, you have to organize your thoughts clearly.

Being an introvert, my words don’t come out as easily by speaking as they do in writing. In writing, I have time to think about things and do a vivid and interesting recollection.

Start by writing the main events. Then add the details. Make the story as visually appealing as possible.

By writing it down and visualizing it in your mind, you’ll be better equipped to remember the important details of the story.

---

3. Tell and Refine

You can’t be a great storyteller if you don’t practice telling your story. It’s true for everyone, introvert or not.

Have you noticed how people tell really compelling stories that happened in their no-so-recent past? Their stories are awesome. There are no useless details.

“The more you leave out, the more you highlight what you leave in.” — Henry Green

The reason it’s so good is because it’s not their first time telling it.

They told it hundreds of times. They observed people’s interest when telling it and refined the story over the years, cutting things out and adding juicy details here and there.

---

Conclusion

Storytelling is a skill. The more you do it, the better you get at it. Most of my good stories come from a distant past, simply because I wrote more about them. I told them repeatedly.

“Most of the basic material a writer works with is acquired before the age of fifteen.” — Willa Cather

Do more. Write more. Tell more. Rinse and repeat.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Thinking of Giving Up? Try This Mindset Change To Keep Going

Cover Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison

Recently, I shared a story about how negativity is poison for your brain and some tips on how to clear it. It was a very personal story on how I had “failed” on three of my recent photography assignments and how I could only have negative thoughts as a result.

Digging myself out was not easy for me.

The failure was difficult to swallow and I was trying to come up with a multitude of ways to get out of my contract.

I was close to calling it a “failure”.

As Ray Dalio wrote in his book Principles: “You will think you have failed — but that won’t be true unless you give up”.

• How many times have you considered failure to be an option?

• How many times have you considered giving up?

• How many times have you given up?

• How did it feel?

• Was it the right choice?

I’m in the camp that it’s okay to give up sometimes. It’s also okay to not give up. There’s no right or wrong. It’s circumstantial and personal.

The important thing is that you learn from the experience.

In which case, can you really call it a failure? Maybe it’s more of a failed experiment. And failed experiments are great.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison

See Edison’s persistence?

10,000 ways might be a little exaggerated, but the point is there: he never gave up on the things he believed in. Now we all know him for all the great things he did for humanity.

If Thomas Edison, Ray Dalio and all the great people who achieved so much in life tell me to not give up, I won’t give up.

---

Not Giving Up

That was my mentality going into my fourth assignment at the Z.P. Urdu school.

I dug into the “why” the other assignments were failed experiments. Some of the things were out of my control, but some of the things were my fault, and I took ownership of my mistakes.

In the previous assignments, I was using the wrong settings, relying on semi-automatic modes. As a result, a lot of my shots were too blurry.

Also, I was also not being assertive enough to tell people to do things for me. I was paralysed by the fear of telling the wrong things and wasting people’s time. It was my first time directing a photoshoot after all.

I made myself a mental map of all the things I needed to do better for the next assignment.

I was pumped. I wanted to ace that next one.

I was positive and had a clear idea of how I could do better.

And I executed really well. I was so happy.

My photography really improved thanks to my past failed experiments. I wasn’t cocky in my abilities to take photos and approached the assignment with an opened mind.

---

Conclusion

If you really care about something, do yourself a favour and don’t give up on it.

Change your mentality. Don’t view failure as a negative experience, but rather a formative one. One that puts you back to reality, and shows you that there are always lessons to learn.

Life is a series of experiments, most of which will “fail”. Learn from these experiments, grow stronger, prosper.

Remember, it’s not a failure if you don’t give up.

Don’t give up on your dreams.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

3 Alternatives to 10x Your Productivity Almost Instantly

Cover Photo by Raw Pixel on Unsplash

Using a Simple, Yet Scientifically Proven Method

Are you like I was and would LOVE to work on side projects or start a business on the side while still working at your current job?

We all know that is a smarter decision than downright quitting. Trust me, I’ve been there.

You come back from work completely exhausted and can’t conjure the energy to make it happen.

I was like that too. And believe it or not, there are millions of people like us too.

Imagine all the wasted potential.

You could be working on your dream project and make an impact in this world, if only you could find it in you to just start, build some momentum and keep at it.

And it’s so freaking hard. Again, I know, I’ve been there.

But things changed when I changed this aspect of my life:

I became ACCOUNTABLE for the things I’m doing.

In the short span of six months, I was able to accomplish the following:

• I learned 18 new skills, including fiction and non-fiction writing, drawing, NGO photography, storytelling, public speaking, day-to-day Spanish conversations, learning to learn, eComm management, and more;

• I got involved in more than 7 projects, most of which I’ve started;

• I met prolific writers and other personalities;

• I gained 7kg of muscles;

• I wrote and published 2 books;

• I released a video game;

• I opened up the world’s first and only story-driven online store;

• I diversified my revenue sources, getting paid for 4+ different projects;

• I got published by top Medium publications like The Startup;

• I contributed to Entrepreneur Magazine, Thought Catalog, and Thrive Global;

• I became a top writer in 15 categories on Medium;

• and more!

Feeling inspired?

---

What Does Being Accountable Mean?

In its simplest form, it means you owe “something” to “someone”.

The most powerful “something” are:

1. Money; and

2. Results.

The most powerful “someone” are:

1. People you love; and

2. People you care about.

Think about your previous attempts at starting something. A side project for example.

• Why did you (want to) do it?

• Who did you do it for?

• Was it necessary?

• What/who forced you to do it?

• What were the resources associated with doing it (money, people, etc)?

A powerful method to push you to action is what’s called the SUNK COST.

Think of any membership really. An easy example is a gym membership.

• If you have a gym in your house or building, how frequently do you actually use it?

• Now, if you spent money on your gym membership, are you going more frequently?

Very likely, right?

Back in January, I was in Málaga, Spain, and looked up the most expensive gym. I couldn’t really afford it. If I went there, it meant I had to cut other places I didn’t really want to.

But I decided to go there anyway. Getting up and going there was easy. I “sacrificed much” to have access to that gym. I HAD TO go, otherwise, I would have wasted precious money and time. After it became a habit to go, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Not working out had actually become harder than working out.

This is KEY: Not doing had become harder than doing!

THAT is the power of being accountable!

---

3 Ways to Become Accountable

1. Involve a Friend in Your Weekly Planning and Reflection

Average Effectiveness Rating: 2-3x

This is probably the cheapest and easiest option but is the least effective in my opinion.

Here’s how it works:

You find a partner/friend to participate with you. Every week, you meet and exchange on:

• Your goals for the week;

• What was — and was not — accomplished towards these goals;

• How you can do better next week;

• What your goals are for the next week; and

• How you will accomplish these goals.

This method is less effective because there’s only one other person involved, and therefore you both have to be accountable to even have the meeting.

In day to day craziness, it’s easy to forget to do it or set it aside because of other “priorities”.

If you fail to achieve your goals, you make a fool of yourself to one person only, usually someone who won’t make you feel bad for it anyway.

2. Make Your Goals and Progress Public

Average Effectiveness Rating: 5x+

This is how it all started for me. I did not do it intentionally, but I did it nonetheless.

At the co-working space I was working from in Málaga, everyone knew my goals every month. They were displayed on my screen at all times, I’d talk about them with people, and they’d ask questions about the progress.

But also, I had started writing on Medium back in January. To make my stories more relatable, I often wrote about my goals and how I accomplished them.

By having everything public, I don’t want to look like a fool that’s all talk and no game. I had to show results. Since I was the top #5 writer in Inspiration for a bit, I also had to make sure that my achievements were indeed inspiring.

I strongly encourage you to try this method.

3. Join an Accountability Program

Average Effectiveness Rating: 10x+

An accountability program is a system that puts incentives for you to do things. Some try the gamification approach, some try punishment, some try community, some try the coaching approach, etc.

There’s no right or wrong here. It depends on your personality.

If you’re driven by gratification, the gamification approach may work for you. Some programs give you rewards in the form of digital currencies or goods, discount coupons, or more. You receive them when you accomplish a goal you set for yourself.

If you’re driven by fear of losing something, the punishment method may work for you. Some programs implement it by having you set a goal and putting a “bet” that you’ll accomplish your goal in time. If you don’t, the money is taken from your account and put somewhere else. Basically, it costs you money to not accomplish your goal.

If you’re driven by social recognition, the community method may work for you. Basically, it’s a paid membership to a group where people report weekly goals and activities for every member to see.

The coaching approach is the next level. It’s more similar to the friend/partner approach from above, but is paid and more importantly, gives the person expert feedback, tips and truly pushes the person. Think of it almost like a mentor-mentee relationship.

---

Conclusion

Not all accountability methods yield the same results, but one thing is for sure:

Being accountable for what you do does dramatically increase your productivity and motivation.

I’d suggest trying all three methods from above to see what works best for you. I included my personal effectiveness ratings above based on my own experience, but I think it’s important to try for yourself.

The important part is that you can start being accountable NOW, at no cost, and with minimal effort. I can’t promise you the results I’ve had for myself, because we’re all different, but I can promise you it will help your productivity and motivation.

So think about this now:

• Who can I be accountable with?

• Can I make my goals public?

• Do I want to join a program?

• Which program is right for me?

I’m hoping this reflection will bring clarity to you will push you to try to become accountable for what you’re doing.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

6 Steps To A Highly Effective Morning

Cover Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash

And why it matters

It’s 5am on a Monday morning. It’s been two weeks since I’ve lost my hard-earned momentum.

I’ve written about momentum before. When you have gained true momentum, you are unstoppable. “Not doing” is harder than “doing”.

Yet I’ve lost it since I’ve been back to Canada, jumping from one group of people to the next almost on a daily basis.

I mean, it’s pretty normal to lose momentum when you can’t follow your schedule/routine.

But now I’m back to Toronto and have a more “stable environment”.

Yet last week I still had the hardest time waking up. I knew my list of things to do had grown over the last few days, but that was not good enough motivation for me to get out of bed at normal times for me.

It’s then that I realized the power of a successful morning routine.

---

How To Get Started

In a previous story I wrote, I shared 3 valuable tips I followed every morning. Even I didn’t realize how great they were until last night. I’ll re-share here:

1. Prepare your next day the night before.

2. Start the day with one or two easy tasks.

3. Work on your hardest tasks when you work best.

When you write down the things you have to do for the next day slightly before going to bed, it puts your mind at ease, and it lets your subconscious work on it overnight so you can execute early in the morning.

When you start the day with one or two easy tasks, you get your much needed “wins” right away. The release of dopamine you get boosts your will to execute for a good portion of the day.

And for me, that sets me up for working on my hardest tasks shortly after.

But I haven’t been able to follow that as of late, until this morning.

---

How To Build A Successful Morning Routine

Warning: this is based on my own personal experience. It may or may not work for everyone, and it’s definitely not backed by any science.

Here’s an example from this month:

Screencap of my schedule on Teamweek

Step 1: List Down All the Things You Want To Do on a Daily Basis

This month, I wanted to write every day, just like the previous months.

I’m still continuing my practice of learning 3 new skills every month.

I wanted to start doing a simple workout routine every day. I knew I would not have a static home, so I needed a routine I could do with no material. I settled for 100 push-ups, 100 squats, and 100 dips (with variations for each).

I’m setting a block of time to answer messages. That has worked incredibly well for me in the past, so I want to continue doing that. If you haven’t tried it, give it a shot!

Step 2: Order Tasks by Ascending Order of Importance to You

It’s important to realize what you think is more important for you. I likely had too many things on my list that I had to cut. By knowing what’s more important, it’s easier to decide later where to put each task on your calendar. 

Step 3: Write Down How Long It Takes You to Complete the Task

This is important.

You need to be aware of how a long a task is going to take you. Be realistic. Be precise.

The least realistic thing on my list is writing a story in 60 minutes. But I force myself to follow it. Sometimes my stories end up not being as good, but that’s how you learn. 

Step 4: Place Tasks On A Calendar

Now that you know what’s most important and how long tasks take you, place it in your daily calendar, similar to the image I pasted above.

My own personal go-to tool is Teamweek. I’ve been using it for four months now. I’m better organized and more productive since then. Previously, I was using Google Keep and Google Calendar.

I don’t have the mental capacity to remember everything on my calendar, so I refer to it very often, especially at the beginning of the month. 

Step 5: Apply the Tips Above On How to Get Started

1. Prepare your next day the night before.

2. Start the day with one or two easy tasks.

3. Work on your hardest tasks when you work best.

These are powerful. Apply them. I’ve built so much momentum before just by doing those.

My one or two easy tasks to get started is usually reviewing comments I’ve received the night before and reading a story from someone I follow. That usually gives me the boost to start writing myself.

And I actually apply this principle to different segments of my day. If you check my schedule, I start work at 9am. I do one or two easy work tasks to start with. 

Step 6: Be Consistent In the Execution of Your Morning Routine

That is crucial!

Try not to miss a day. I tend to execute it every day, including weekends. I’m a little less strict on Sunday though.

Every missed day “doubles” the effort needed to get started.

Have you noticed how after vacation, going back to executing your routine is so much harder?

That’s why. 

---

Conclusion

Do not underestimate the power of your morning routine. It sets you up for a successful day. Consecutive successful days brings momentum. Momentum makes you unstoppable.

It starts with careful planning, and continues with consistent execution.

Take 2 hours every month to plan your next month’s routine.

Follow the principles of planning the night before, doing easy tasks in the morning and executing your hardest tasks when you work best.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

6 Ways to Be Ready to Come Back From Your Vacation

Cover Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

When’s the last time you were pumped to get back to work after a vacation?

Most of the time, you’re either too comfortable to want to go back or you exhausted yourself by cramming too much into a small vacation.

I’m just back from a small vacation and let me tell you: I was pumped to get back to my productive activities!

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my vacation, because I really did. But like everyone, I know how much it sucks to get back to work after being unproductive for a few days, weeks or months.

But I turned that over. I set myself up for wanting to come back without sacrificing quality time in a city I didn’t know.

Here are a few tips that worked for me to be pumped about going back to work after a vacation:

---

1. Disconnect From Work And Technology

This is obviously not that easy, but if you can pull it off, it will help you want to get back to work. Truly disconnecting means not doing anything work-related during your vacation.

No email checking, no calls, no social media. Nothing.

Don’t bring your work laptop. If it’s the same as your personal one, don’t turn it on unless it’s for researching things to do or book flights and accommodations.

Shut that phone off. Use it for the essentials only, like Google Maps and Translate.

Relax, get back to your hobbies. It’s your time, do things you want to do that don’t work towards your productive activities. 

---

2. Plan Your Return On Your Last Day Off

This is critical.

Don’t go back to work not knowing what to expect. It’s the same principle as planning your day the night before. You’ll have clarity on what you need to do and you’ll be pumped to clear off that checklist the day of.

Be precise in your planning and break your tasks into the smallest possible chunks.

I had 18 items to do just yesterday, most of which took between 10 and 30 minutes to do.

Everything was realistic.

Try not to schedule your hardest tasks on the day of your return. Or maybe not even in the first week. Give yourself a chance to be back.

I was pumped to accomplish the tasks on my list.

Now, I realize not everyone is in the same situation as me and have limited control over their work tasks, but if that’s your case, make sure to ask your superior what tasks they’re thinking of assigning you and try to negotiate with them.

Most bosses would be happy to help you get back to it. 

---

3. Be Positive About It

“I hate Mondays” — Garfield

That’s the attitude you don’t want to have.

Do not tell yourself that coming back will suck. Even if you know it might. Think about the positive aspects of your work. Think about the things you like about your work.

• Is it your colleagues?

• Is it the work itself?

• Is it the learning?

• Is it the free snacks or lunches?

• Is it the salary, or the benefits?

Whatever it is, capitalize on it.

If you struggle to find anything positive, well, maybe it’s worth considering other options? There are almost always other options. 

---

4. Be Grateful

Some people don’t have the luxury of taking a vacation.

Too often, we take it for granted.

Be thankful for being granted vacation. Be thankful that your work made your vacation possible.

Some people can’t afford it. Both in terms of money and time.

When you stop taking your vacation time for granted, you start appreciating what made this vacation possible in the end: your work.

I traveled around the world for a year without working. I was in vacation mode for a year. It’s not as nice as it sounds.

Work gives you purpose. Be thankful for the opportunity to do something productive. 

---

5. Exhaust Yourself, Just Enough

We’re creatures of comfort. It’s against our nature to do things out of our comfort zone.

When you take a vacation that’s too relaxing, you become too comfortable. It’s hard to break out of it and want to go back to doing productive things.

You definitely should relax on vacation, but make sure to spend some energy too. Spend energy on things you like to do. On things out of your comfort zone. Learn new things. Meet new people. Eat new foods. Let your imagination run wild.

But don’t overdo it!

Have you ever gotten back from vacation more exhausted than you were before?

Yeah, I’m sure you have. And you know it sucks.

Plan your most relaxing activities for the end of your vacation. That way you’ll have spent energy in the beginning, and won’t have time to get too comfortable before going back. 

---

6. Change Your Mindset About Work

Everyone talks about work-life balance.

I reject that mindset. Work and life go together. There’s no balance.

Work is life. Take this definition of work for example:

“Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a result.”

We all want to achieve results. The moment you start seeing work as a way to get things done and not about a paycheque, you’ll start to understand that work gives meaning to life.

When you believe that you’re doing things that work towards your goals, you’ll stop thinking of work as a chore, but as a way to achieve your greatest ambitions in life.

Coming back to “work” then becomes coming back to achieving your goals.

And that is enticing and will get you pumped. 

---

Conclusion

Going on vacation is great, no questions there. But coming back from it is not always easy.

Make sure to truly disconnect, be positive and grateful, exhaust yourself enough, change your mindset about work and plan your return before coming up.

That will pump you to be back to your productive activities.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Stop Convincing Yourself You Can’t Do Something. Now.

Cover Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” — Henry Ford

How many times have you not done something because you thought it would be too hard to do?

If you’re like most of us, frequently right?

For the longest time I thought there was no way I could draw. I’m a programmer by trade, and perform well with things that relate to logic.

I had tried a few times but always ended stopping before even really giving it a chance.

It was too hard for me to do. I had given up.

Similarly, I’ve always had tiny legs. It had been pointed out to me on many occasions while in high-school. Some might call it bullying, but maybe I was too dumb to realize I was actually getting bullied.

I’m an ectomorph. For me, gaining weight is terribly hard. I know a lot of people would love to have this problem, but they’re wrong. It’s just as bad as being overweight. Especially for men.

I was never able to put weight on. I tried eating ridiculous amounts of calories. Simple workouts. Nothing worked.

It was too hard for me to do. I had given up. 

---

The Turning Point

I can now draw, and my legs have started growing in ways I never thought would be possible.

But what changed you ask?

I think it comes down to two things:

1. A Mindset Shift

When you reject the idea that something is not feasible, it becomes feasible.

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” — Henry Ford

I know this sounds cliché or too obvious, but it’s not.

Next time you think you can’t do something, stop yourself.

Take time to think.

Can you really not do it?

With careful planning, consistent execution and constant monitoring of results, you can achieve almost anything.

Kyle Maynard is a quadruple amputee. That guy climbed Kilimanjaro! If that doesn’t inspire you to do things you think you can’t, I don’t know what will.

When I started writing a few months ago, I shared a short story about a guy named Phil.

I won’t go into details, but the guy didn’t have a truck or a car to pick up a bookshelf I was selling, so he brought it on two public buses home. Who does that? Anyone would have given up on the bookshelf, but man did he want it!

2. A Simple Habit

Around the same time that mindset shift happened to me, I developed a framework I never knew would set me up for success.

I frequently write about it, so I won’t go into the details here, but basically, every month, I learn 3 new skills. I plan for it every end of month. I execute consistently every day for the whole month. I quantify and qualify the results.

At the end of the month, I’m usually quite good doing the skill.

This is how I learned to draw.

I rejected the idea that a programmer cannot draw.

I planned my learning process. I set deadlines. I set milestones. I drew every day by following tutorials online. By the end of the month, I could sketch, do line art, and colouring.

I won’t make a career out of it, but now I can sketch for my artists as needed and understand when they tell me things related to art.

When I rejected the fact that my legs could never grow bigger, I figured out a path to success. I did the right exercises and the right amount of repetitions. I was consistent in doing them everyday.

When I rejected the idea that an introvert can’t tell a good story, I studied methods that work. I practiced public speaking and writing consistently. I researched what makes a good story good. I learned to be authentic. That’s how I became a top writer on Medium. 

---

It’s Actually Easy

It turns out, it wasn’t even hard to learn to draw. It wasn’t even hard to grow the legs. It wasn’t even hard to tell stories.

“Showing up is half the battle.” — Woody Allen

I believe that. I’ve been there.

In the course of 6 months, I learned to draw, I learned some machine learning techniques, I learned a lot of Spanish, I learned to give public speeches, I learned to tell stories, I learned to write, I learned some basic Norwegian, I learned to Meditate, I learned to Journal. And more.

I’ve since become a top writer on Medium, started two new businesses, got my third professional photography gig, built my own personal brand, hired 5 people, wrote two books, released a video game, and more.

And I’m not saying that to brag.

I just want you to realize that things are not always as hard as they seem.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

The Reality of Digital Nomadism — the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Cover Photo by me for the opening of WeWork Hebbal, Bangalore, India

Lessons Learned Roaming the World for a Couple Years

---

What a Digital Nomad Really Is

*This is my own interpretation and understanding of the term

It starts with not having a place to go back to. It’s someone who left their apartment or house in their country of origin. Someone who stored, sold, or gave away pretty much of their physical belongings. Someone with no plans to come back or settle somewhere for a longer term.

The is the nomad part of being a digital nomad.

You are a digital nomad when you do actual work. The line is blurrier here. Do we qualify “actual work” by hours? Salary? Location? Something else? All of these? I’d personally say that if you spend more time playing than working, it’s more of a vacation. 

---

How I Became a Digital Nomad

Back in June 2015, I left Toronto with my wife to travel the world for a year. The whole purpose of the trip was to experience other cultures abroad.

It was an amazing journey.

We saw the most impressive sights, ate the best food, had empowering volunteering experiences, but most of all, we met the most incredible people.

But we were not digital nomads. We had left our apartment and had given away all our belongings, but we didn’t work. And we missed that part.

We ended up coming back to Toronto. Back to our previous job, because it was easier, and truthfully, we actually really liked our jobs.

But five months in, we realized we needed to be out there in the world. We still had wanderlust and the only way to satisfy it was to be away again. At a pub one night, I told my wife: “Let’s just leave again.”

I thought she’d dismiss the idea, but she said she was “in”.

A month and a half later, she applied for Médecins Sans Frontières and got the job shortly after. It meant that she would be away for six-month missions, where I would not be invited to go. It was a tough decision, but in the end, that was the best way for us to accomplish our current goals.

We left Canada again in June 2017, traveled for a bit, and we parted ways in August. She went to Central African Republic, I went to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I’ve been roaming since. 

---

The 6 Good

1. You will be more interesting

With all the places you’ll have seen, all the food you’ll have eaten, all the activities you’ll have done and all the different friends you’ll have made, you will have a repertoire of interesting stories to tell for years to come.

2. You will make new friends

The connections you make while traveling and working tend to be really strong. You share wonderful experiences that most people don’t get to live. When back home, you’ll occasionally meet like-minded people and the bonding will be that much easier.

3. You will have a deeper appreciation

A deeper appreciation for everything. When you see that people in other countries don’t have the things you take for granted, well, you don’t take them for granted anymore.

4. You will be more positive

When you are in new environments frequently, it’s stressful. You panic. You yell. You cry. Then you’re back and things feel so “easy”. You start thinking positive about every situation.

5. You will be more open-minded

You’ll have met people with all sorts of backgrounds. You’ll have eaten food you never even thought existed. Your prejudices will go away and you will start to appreciate everyone and everything for what they are.

6. You will work harder and play harder

You will work harder because you won’t have a stable job and you’ll still have to pay for lodging, food, and transportation. You’ll diversify your skillset to meet the demands of remote work. You’ll have a plethora of incredible adventures “at your doorstep”. You’ll do epic things on weekend and enjoy vacation longer due to less travel time, and less stress. 

---

The 5 Bad

1. You will be less tolerant of meaningless problems

The so-called first-world problems become so hilarious at times. You’ll hear people complain about the most meaningless of things when you’re back home. Sometimes you’ll find it funny, but sometimes it will irritate you.

2. You will become really cheap

A lot of countries can be cheaper than home, depending on which country you’re from. When you’re used to paying little for meals, it’s hard to come back and pay 5–10x the price for less authentic meals. It’s the same for accommodation and other things.

3. You will lose connections

I mentioned that above. Your friends will have a different lifestyle. You won’t connect on the same level anymore. Striking a meaningful conversation becomes harder when you don’t have anything in common anymore.

4. You will annoy people

You will be interesting to some, but you’ll be annoying to others. You will be perceived as pretentious. You will be so excited about your wonderful journey that when you talk about it, people will think you speak in a superior tone.

If you watched The Big Bang Theory, it’s similar to when Howard came back from space.

5. You will not be understood

People will not have lived the things you have. A lot of your close family will not agree with your new lifestyle or ideas. This can be difficult. 

---

The 2 Ugly

1. You will not be easily impressed anymore

When I travel with people who have traveled less than me, they think I’m boring because I prefer to stay in and work instead of going to explore a city or do an activity that’s less interesting than my previous experiences.

That my friends, is ugly.

I don’t want to be like that, but I can’t help it. People promise me an incredible waterfall to go see. Well, I’ve seen hundreds, including those that are considered the most beautiful in the world. I’m not excited about waterfalls anymore. Same with religious sites, ruins, and more.

And that sucks because I really want to be impressed.

2. You will have a hard time getting back to a more normal life

Digital Nomadism is not an easy lifestyle. See the 5 bad above. At some point, you try to have a more normal life. It’s hard to sustain the lifestyle. Society made it counter-intuitive to be a nomad, and “fighting” the system can get tiring.

A lot of people talk about travel blues coming back from a long trip. Digital nomads have it worse. A lot of them feel depressed for a while during the transition period. And only another fellow digital nomad can truly understand that.

If you are feeling like that, feel free to share in the comments below, it helps to talk about it. 

---

Conclusion

Don’t let the bad and the ugly discourage you!

Digital Nomadism is an amazing way of life but is not without its downsides.

Your journey will have its ups and downs. It will shape the person you are and will be for the years to come. It will change your life, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

Ultimately, once you go past the bad, nothing beats the good you get out of it in my opinion.

Thanks for reading! :)

Embrace Your Differences

Cover Photo by Fausto García on Unsplash

But Make Sure One Person Understands You

I don’t live a conventional life by any means.

I’ve been with my wife for almost 14 years and we’ve been married for 6. It took us 7 years, 7 months and 7 days to get married. We got married after hopping on a helicopter in Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon with two friends.

We had decided on that option two months earlier, but got our rings the week before in San Francisco and we found our tux and gown two days before the wedding.

I don’t know how she agreed to that, but it makes for a good story.

We’ve been together for that long, yet we don’t have children or don’t own property. Or not anymore at least (the property part). We had bought a brand-new condominium in downtown Montreal when we were 21 and 23, which we sold for good profit a year after. We were still students at the time.

I did over 12 different jobs, starting when I was 8 years old. I’m a terrible employee. It’s not that my work ethics are bad, it’s just that I’m more of an entrepreneur. In fact, I’ve launched 5 companies, most of which “failed”.

Three years ago, my wife and I left to travel the world for a year. We both left our really nice job and gave all our belongings away. When we came back to Toronto after, we couldn’t stand having a “regular” life, so we left again a year later.

Audrey went to work for Doctors Without Borders and I switched to having a nomadic lifestyle.

Any of the above sounds normal to you?

And I’m not saying it’s good or bad. It’s just different.

But if you tried to be different yourself, I’m sure you’ve noticed how society has a way to cast away people who are different.

People have a hard time getting it when you’re different.

They judge. The reprimand. They lecture you.

They can’t accept that you’ve chosen a path that’s different than theirs.

And that last part is what gets me the most:

Why can’t people accept that we’re not all the same?

---

Being Understood

Two evenings ago, Audrey and I went to dinner with her aunt, Hope.

We always love chatting her. Every time we chat with her, we feel so uplifted. She lives in a very different context than we do. She lives a more traditional way of life, yet she gets us.

She’s always happy for us. She shows interest and gives the right input on everything we say. She’s incredibly wise.

A lot of our family doesn’t get our lifestyle.

“No kids, no home, no stable job at your age? There’s something terribly wrong with you!”

But that’s not how Hope thinks.

She doesn’t have kids herself, but she’s got a home and a stable job. It doesn’t stop her from understanding us. She knows not everyone is the same.

She is one of the rare ones who truly understands us. 

---

Conclusion

You see, it’s okay not to be understood by everyone, but you need at least one person who truly understands you.

The feeling you get when someone listens to you and understands you is so uplifting.

It gives you the courage to keep going. To work towards the change you want to make in life.

It gives you the power to accomplish your wildest dreams and aim higher.

It makes it okay to be different.

• Are you different?

• Who truly understands you?

• Have you told them? Have you thanked them for it?

• Who do you show your support to?

Being truly understood is important for anyone’s sanity and development. Think about that concept, and show support to the people you care about.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

How To Achieve Your Best Self In 3 Months

Cover Photo by Mubariz Mehdizadeh on Unsplash

Using a simple three question exercise

A little while ago, I wrote about a question I was asked by a friend I hadn’t seen in four months: What are you most proud of from the last 3 months?

It’s a great question that leads to deep self-reflection.

Then yesterday I had a nice comment by a reader; she went to a group where that same question was asked, but also a subsequent question:

What Do You Want To Be Most Proud Of In The Next Few Months?

For her group, it was actually focused on a more distant future. But I prefer shorter-term goals, so I’m adapting it for 3 months.

I personally really like that question too. It’s the kind of question I think about when I journal. 

---

Think About Pride

Every new year millions of people make New Year resolutions that they end up breaking. It’s just an idea they tossed around near the end of the previous year.

They don’t think about what would make them proud.

Pride is a strong feeling. We all want to be proud of ourselves. Here’s a good definition of personal pride:

“a feeling, deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements[…]”

When you think about the goals you want to achieve in the next 3 months or so, think about how it will make you proud.

A lot of times, it’s a great motivator to accomplish things you procrastinate on doing. 

---

What I Will Personally Be Proud Of In The Next Three Months

In three months, I’ll:

• have gotten a book deal for my most ambitious book yet;

• have ran a successful Kickstarter project for Soul Reaper;

• have more than 10x my user base;

• have published a third book;

• have been published by Time, Inc. and Forbes; and

• be financially independent.

All of the above lead to the bottom-most point: be financially independent. For over a year, I’ve traveled the world to some of the cheapest countries, like Cambodia, Spain and India, mostly to save money because I couldn’t afford Canada with my current productive activities.

Now, I’d like to have a home base in Toronto, and travel at most 6 months per year. For that to happen, I have to step up my game. All of the above would be make really proud, and as a result would lead me to live better. 

---

What About You?

• What Are You Proud Of From the Last 3 Months?

• What Are You Proud Of Currently?

• What Do You Want To Be Proud Of In The Next 3 Months?

By thinking about that strong feeling, you’ll have a deeper desire to accomplish your goals.

Think about it when you set goals. When you procrastinate. When you achieve things.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

4 Reasons Why You Should And Should Not Write A Story Everyday

Cover Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Lessons Learned From Six Months of Writing on Medium

I really didn’t want to write yet another post about “writing a story a day”. Many people have done that before me.

But I decided to write about it this morning because I think my opinion differs from most others, and I give my own pros and cons for doing it.

The idea to write about this topic came from when I read a story by Heide Lindgren:

I’ve Got a Problem With This Post-Content-Everyday Strategy

“There is such a ridiculous amount of information out there to sift through and next to none of it is useful or relevant or sometimes even truthful” — Heide Lindgren

She’s not wrong. At least in my opinion. I’ve been struggling to write anything genuine for the past two weeks.

I initially blamed it on my change of environment and lack of focus on my routine.

But I was wrong.

Writing one genuine story a day is just plain hard, no matter the environment or routine.

In my answer to her story, I mentioned a story I had written a while back:

Originality Does Not Exist, We Should Aim For This Instead

In the story above, I stipulate that quality, “original” content can be created based on authenticity, which is something I aim for in all my stories.

But even then, it’s hard to be authentic on a daily basis. 

---

What I Learned

Writing Once A Day Drains A Lot Of Your Time

From January to March, I wrote one story a day, but I was limiting myself to 40–60 minutes only. That included finding a topic, writing the headline, finding at least one image and finding relevant quotes (in no particular order).

Even though it took me only 40–60 minutes to write the story every day, I obsessed over looking at the stats and responding to most responses I got. Overall, it ended up taking at least 2 hours of my time every day.

And let me say that writing 750–1,000 words in 40–60 minutes is FAST and HARD! You should aim for something more realistic. I was dumb and lucky at the same time for having made it for three months. 

If You Don’t Get Published, You Don’t Get Views

I was lucky enough that The Startup published me after only 5 days of writing here on Medium. And that’s without even reaching out to any publications.

But they don’t always publish my stories. Most of the stories they don’t publish don’t get many views. And it’s not because they’re bad. At least I don’t think they are. The people who stumble upon them like them.

I think I’ve had single story that was not initially published and gained a good amount of traction. They asked to publish it later. 

Not All Publications Bring The Same Traffic

When I write things that are more story-based, I usually send to The Ascent, because it’s more catered for that.

I do not get the same amount of traffic.

Top publications really make a difference in bringing more traffic to your stories.

But I personally don’t care. I prefer to get published where my stories will resonate more with the readers of that publication. 

Do It For Yourself And Your Audience

If you write one story a day for the sake of it, you’ll end up struggling to find the creativity to write something meaningful.

When I started writing, I wanted to write every day simply to improve my writing skills. It was part of the 3 new skills I learn every month. I never aimed for “fame and fortune” as they say.

The “success” I got from it was a side effect of me really caring about what and how I wrote.

Authenticity in your writing makes all the difference. I see it in my stats. 

You Will Write Bad Stories

And please recognize that it’s bad.

There are days when I finish writing my story and re-read, and I know it’s bad. I just want to bury it and either give up or write another piece.

But I always at least self-publish. I’m usually right about my stories being bad. I see it in my stats.

I still self-publish because I need to show that perfection doesn’t exist. Even a good writer writes bad stuff. It’s a lesson to everyone.

I don’t necessarily recommend self-publishing bad stories though. You can leave it as a draft. 

The Longer The Story, The Lower The Read Ratio

This is not an original tip/lesson, but I think it’s important to understand, especially for new writers here.

Here’s what the breakdown looks like for my own stories:

• 3 Minute Read: 40–50% read ratio

• 4 Minute Read: 35–45% read ratio

• 5 Minute Read: 30–35% read ratio

• 6+ Minute Read: 20–30% read ratio 

The Longer The Story, The Higher The Fan Count Ratio

This is not an actual Medium stat, but I obsess over it. I like it when I write stories that a lot of people clap for. That shows higher impact/engagement.

The Fan Count Ratio is: Read Count / Fan Count.

Some of my top stories have about 2 reads for 1 fan. That is incredible in my opinion. That means that every other person has been impacted by what I wrote.

It’s not rocket science, but if someone fully reads a long story, chances are they were indeed impacted by what you wrote. 

People Think That 4 Claps Is Great

I was like that too when I started reading things on Medium.

Whenever I was reading a good story, I would clap once. 2 for really good and 4 for great.

What I didn’t realize back then was that 4 is actually very low when you take into consideration that you can clap 50 times.

When someone takes time to respond to my stories in a genuine way, I give them 50 claps. They deserve it. 

The following is strictly my opinion on the subject and is not based on facts. Feel free to leave a comment about your thoughts on the subject.

---

Why You Should Do It

You Have A Message To The World

That is the top reason to do it. I personally didn’t do it for that reason initially, and I think it shows in my earlier stories.

Write because you have learned things in life that you think other people could benefit from.

If you have not experienced much in life yet, you probably don’t have enough material to work with to write once a day for an extended period of time.

Be authentic and your messages shall be received. 

You Want To Improve Your Writing

By writing every day, you’ll increase your vocabulary, make fewer mistakes and become more efficient.

It’s a good reason to want to write every day.

You may not attract thousands of readers, but that’s not the point either. Not everyone needs to be famous here.

Also note that you don’t have to publish stories you think don’t add value to your readers. 

You Want To Improve Your Storytelling

By writing every day, you will become a better storyteller.

I wrote about this is in the past. If you’re an introvert like me, words just don’t come out as easily orally and they do on paper.

Writing first improves your storytelling skills and allow you to become better at telling your stories in person after.

Like above, if you feel like your story may not add value to your readers, you don’t have to publish it. 

---

Why You Should Not Do It

You Want To Be Famous

It’s not true that you need to write once a day to become famous.

Take Zdravko Cvijetic for example. He writes at most once every week, but the stuff he writes is really good. It’s valuable to a lot of people.

He is a top writer and has written the story with the most views on Medium.

Writing once a day does help with visibility, but what’s more important is this:

“Be so good they can’t ignore you.” — Steve Martin 

You Want To Make Money

Please don’t do that.

One, there’s no money to be made unless you’re great. And if you’re great, you probably don’t need to write once a day anyway.

Write once a day to become great, then start thinking about money, but before that there’s no point. 

Because It’s A Fun Challenge

I’m not proud to say that part of the reason I did it was because I liked the challenge.

I’m all for challenging myself, but the stuff you publish on Medium is public. It adds to the noise. If the intention is not to provide value to other people, then it makes it harder for the readers to find content they can care about.

Remember folks, you ultimately write FOR your readers. 

---

Conclusion

No one should write every day.

Most people can’t produce quality content on a daily basis.

I personally think that if you have a message to the world, then write about it, no matter the frequency. If it happens that you’ve got so much to say that you can impact people with your writing every day, then do it.

So I say this to you:

Be authentic. Write content your care about. Write things from your own experience. Don’t hypothesize and call it “truth”. Don’t just write the same thing with different words.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Helicopters + Vomit + Grand Canyon + Las Vegas + 50 Cent = Recipe For a Stress-Free and Unforgettable Wedding

Cover Image: My wedding ceremony down the Grand Canyon

And a damn good story!

On our fourth dating anniversary, I asked my (now) wife to marry me. We were still in University and, as a result, were dirt poor.

For almost four years after, we tried to figure out the logistics for our wedding day. We viewed tons of venues and went to tons of shows. We tried to figure out the location and who to invite. One of the biggest problems was that both our parents were divorced and our families spread out.

Almost four years of on-and-off planning, and still we had nothing concrete, and still no real budget for it.

As most couples, we were forgetting what marriage really is about:

Celebrating our love for each other.

It is OUR wedding! We’re getting married because we love each other, not to please family or friends. 

---

“Preparations”

In March 2012, we were going to San Francisco for the first time. We decided that, while there, we should visit Las Vegas right after.

So in late January 2012, when we were starting to plan for that trip, we jokingly said to each other:

“Screw it! Let’s just go get married in Vegas!” — Danny & Audrey

We googled “Las Vegas wedding” and stumbled upon a company doing helicopter rides into the Grand Canyon and did wedding ceremonies there.

We booked it that same day. It cost us 4k, and included the helicopter ride, the photographer, the celebrant, the limo ride on the strip in Las Vegas, champagne, and a wedding cake.

We called a friend living in San Francisco at the time and asked him to be our best man. Since we didn’t know anyone else around there, his girlfriend at the time became our maid of honor. We met her 4 days before getting married.

We got our rings in San Francisco 5 days before the wedding, and rented our tux and gown from a rental shop in downtown Las Vegas 1 day before the big day.

To this day, I still don’t know how Audrey agreed to this craziness! 

---

Wedding Day

We left in the afternoon from the helipad near the Luxor in Las Vegas. It was our first time taking the helicopter. We are excited. We took off, and everything was so amazing. But there’s one thing I didn’t take into account — I get motion sickness.

So when we were above the Hoover Dam, well, I missed it. I vomited in the vomit bag. Thankful they prepared for that! My friend filmed the whole scene. Glamorous!

So the first kiss my wife got as a married couple was likely not what she expected… Somehow, she must have predicted that though, since she carried mints with her! Phew!

30 minutes later, we landed on a platform on the Grand Canyon where only helicopters can go.

During the ceremony

The landscape was breath-taking, and everything looked so perfect. Nothing could have gone wrong.

Yet our video proves us the exact opposite. It turns out, we probably couldn’t have gotten a worse video, and that’s what made it great.

Our best man filmed the ceremony. He was filming with my phone.

Remember how I was mentioning that only helicopters can land where we were? Well, there were a few of them. 30% of the time, all you can hear is the sound of helicopters around us.

And when you don’t hear that, you hear the sound of the rocks cracking below my friend’s feet as he’s moving around. And at some point, he just decided to switch the phone to portrait mode. You know the effect that has, right? The video was now rotated at 90 degrees. We basically have to tilt your head 90 degrees to follow along!

Then came time for me to repeat after the pastor. My English was certainly not as good as it is now. I stumbled fives times over the words “lawfully wedded wife”. I look so dumb on camera.

And when came time to say “I do”, the phone ran out of space. My friend had to switch to using a cheap phone his girlfriend got from China. So we missed the most important part, and the rest was filmed in terrible quality.

It turns out, that pieced-together video is the best souvenir we could have hoped for. It just shows the reality that wedding days are not perfect, and that’s okay. We had so much fun and that’s what matters.

We got back on the helicopter at sunset to get back to Las Vegas.

Guess what happened on the way back?

Yup, I vomited again…

What a day! Still, no regret doing that! 

---

After Party

We toured the strip in the limo with champagne and took photos all around while collecting an endless stack of stripper cards.

Yup, even newly-wedded couples can’t escape the infamous stripper cards!

The coolest part was collecting high-fives from everyone and feeling like we were touring across the world.

Collecting high-fives all over

Pit stop in Paris

We went back to our most amazing suite at the Venetian, drank some more, and had dinner at Le Robuchon.

I had the balls to return my steak twice. The first time it was under-cooked, the second time, well, I eat too slow and it was cold, so they put it back on the pan — not my proudest moment…

There’s plenty of nightlife around in Las Vegas. We had heard 50 Cent was at one of the clubs, so we sneaked past security to avoid the $50 cover charge. It seemed like a fun party. I wish I could report that we hung out with 50 Cent, but he was probably in a VIP section and never saw him. We were bored and went back to our rooms, exhausted from our crazy past 5 days. 

---

Conclusion

The lesson here is that there are less costly, less stressful, and more fun alternatives to traditional weddings.

I recognize not everyone can do what we did. And if I make it sound like it was an easy decision to do it without family and friends, let me assure you that it wasn’t. Our families organized parties for us that same summer to celebrate our union, so at least we were still surrounded by our loved ones after.

So I dare you to go out of the norm and do the wedding that’s right for you as a couple. We did it differently and couldn’t be happier for it.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Can Luck Make You a World-Class Performer?

Cover Photo by Samuel Fyfe on Unsplash

After all, a lot of high performers report being lucky!

I’m a very “lucky” guy.

Everything great that happens to me is an “accident”.

It’s not the first time I’m writing on this subject, but it bears repeating since it’s really powerful.

The more I talk to other successful writers here, and other successful people in other disciplines; the more obvious it becomes to me:

We rarely achieve what we set out to do.

But it’s not all bad.

Think about it.

Go five years back in your thinking:

• Back then, where did you see yourself in five years?

• Is it where you are now?

Now, let’s do a little reflection:

• If it is where you saw yourself, are you happy with it?

• If it is not where you saw yourself, are you happy with it?

I’m willing to bet that if you are where you thought you would be, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows like you thought it would be.

On the other hand, if you are not where you thought you would be, well, it could go either way. You can be happy or unhappy. 

---

How To Fabricate Luck Yourself

So what do I mean by “fabricated” luck?

It’s something unintentional that happens as a result of doing something else, but in a related — yet seemingly unrelated — matter.

When I set out to improve my writing, I didn’t aim for the top.

I only cared about self-improvement. I didn’t research how to make money by writing. I didn’t go for cash-grabs or quick fixes.

Being world-class at anything requires tons of effort and careful planning.

When I chose to improve my writing, I studied how to write compelling stories.

I was consistent in my writing. I was writing about things people wanted to read. I was authentic. I was honest. I was vulnerable. I wrote from my own experiences.

However, I didn’t know then that it would have been a “recipe for success”.

But that’s not all. It started the month before, when I researched how to become better at public speaking and how to tell stories. I practiced those skills for a full month.

Oh, but wait! It really started when I learned skill x, y, z.

You see my point?

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.”―Robert Greene, Mastery

THAT is how you fabricate your own luck! 

---

How Fabricated Luck Can Turn You Into A World-Class Performer

• I didn’t aim to become a writer.

• I didn’t aim to write books.

• I didn’t even aim to write stories here on Medium.

In fact, until six months ago, I didn’t know how to tell stories, let alone write them. For the most part, it just happened by “accident”.

In my short journey as a writer on Medium, I got published by one of the top publications and became a top writer in 12 different categories: Inspiration, Travel, Self-Improvement, Life, Life Lessons, Entrepreneurship, Productivity, Startup, and more.

And I’m not saying that to brag. There are people on Medium who are WAY better than I am.

Writing On Medium

I mentioned it above: I didn’t aim to become a writer.

It was just part of the 3 skills I was working towards learning for January.

I just wanted to be better at writing. Yet 5 days after I started writing, I got published. One thing led to another and I became a top writer in 23 days. I couldn’t believe it. I only wanted to improve, not become a top writer. I thought I could get published after 6 months of practicing!

I was definitely lucky. I see tons of great stories on Medium that don’t get the attention they deserve.

But my luck was “fabricated”.

The 3 new skills a month framework I built for myself set me up for success.

All the components were there for it to happen, I just arranged them in a way for it to trigger.

My Third Business

When I failed to launch my 3rd business, I joined a team who pitched to the same investors and got the funding (I didn’t). I learned so much about business, backend development and made tons of important connections by joining them.

We ultimately released a game that reached top charts in the app store and made millions of dollars.

I was lucky to meet the other company, but it happened because I was pitching to the same investors, did a good enough impression on them and the other team, and of course, played tons of games growing up, so I knew what I was talking about!

But I didn’t aim to make a game, let alone make good profit on one. 

---

Conclusion

Luck can be “fabricated”. Fabricated luck is something unintentional that happens as a result of doing something else, but in a related, yet seemingly unrelated, matter.

To be “lucky”, you have to do shit. You have to get out of bed, put some pants on and get cracking.

The more you do, the more things will align and provide a path for you.

Seemingly unrelated skills will come together in ways you never thought they could. They will make you authentic. They will make you interesting. And they will ultimately make you world-class, in ways you never thought you could be.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)

Are You Willing to Do What It Takes to Write Original Content?

Cover Photo by taner ardalı on Unsplash

Here’s a Surefire Way to Write Original Content

As I’m writing this, I’ve had a creative block for a few days. I typically write every day, and it has been pretty easy — much easier than I thought it would be.

Back in February, my routine was currently completely broken by the fact that I was back home visiting family and friends. I was jumping around from one group to the next and barely had any time to do my usual February routine. Here it is for reference:

My crazy daily schedule/routine

Not having this routine completely destroyed my creativity.

I tried to come up with interesting and unique topics, but nothing came up.

This morning I read some stories here on Medium to try to get inspired, and I realized that we all write about the same thing. Myself included.

I mean, it’s normal. There are not a million subjects to write about when you limit yourself to the topics of learning, productivity, self-improvement and life lessons.

But still, I felt like it was one of the reasons I was block. I felt that nothing I wrote is original.

The lessons we learn from what we read are all the same.

I would have loved to think that what I wrote in the past was original.

I kind of didn’t want to write yet another story because of that realization.

But during my workout this morning, I realized I was wrong. 

---

Originality Comes From Authenticity

Currently, my top is: 41 Things You Should Say “No” To To Become The Person You Want To Be In Life And Business.

One could certainly criticize it for not being original, since after all, most of the content is quotes from other people.

I questioned its originality myself.

In fact, I received my first and only bad comment on that story:

“You are probably a decent guy, just have no significant ideas, nor command of proper grammar & sentence structure.” — Mark Tulk

He’s not half-wrong. I write most of my stories in 40–60 minutes. I briefly re-read them before hitting “publish”. They are full of errors. Thankfully Grammarly helps, but I’m bound to make mistakes when I write 750 words in 40 minutes.

On the “no significant ideas”, well it comes back to my questioning. Am I original?

I choose to think that I am “original”.

Here’s why the article above is “original”:

• With very few exceptions, I do say “no” to all the things on the list;

• The things I don’t say “no” to, I’m working on it;

• Every subtitle comes with a short blurb on how I personally interpret the thing to say no to;

• I organized everything into categories I thought made sense to me;

• I chose the quotes that match the thing to say no to;

• I chose the headline and the image; and

• I wrote the introduction and conclusion.

Other people will say “no” to the same things, but outside of that, the story was quite original.

And I’m not being defensive here because someone wrote a bad comment. I had questioned it myself.

I analyzed some other stories I wrote and realized that my originality comes from my authenticity.

And it was the same for the other great people I follow here on Medium.

They write the same things, but throw in their personal stories and vulnerabilities. That makes them authentic. 

---

A Surefire Way to Be Original: Aim for Authenticity

A copy-pasted article with changed words is boring. An article with personal stories makes it interesting.

It’s not by accident that the top writers get to where they are now. It’s not by accident that the article I mention above did well. It was original. It was authentic.

And that applies to all the creative disciplines, and arguably anything really.

I make video games for a living. I steal good ideas from all great games. All the great ideas from Soul Reaper are borrowed from other titles that did it well.

“Good artists copy, great artists steal.” — Pablo Picasso

But I combine everything in a way never done before. This “glue” between the different concepts come from my own ideas. As a whole, Soul Reaper is an original game.

I’m a viking-looking dude who builds games and apps, writes here, takes photos, and sells things online.

Who else is like that?

No one. And I like that. It makes my encounters more meaningful. It makes my stories more interesting. It makes my success greater.

It makes me authentic. 

---

Conclusion

The next time you or someone else questions your originality, think about what it is that’s different that you bring to the table. Chances are your authenticity makes you “original”.

Capitalize on your authenticity.

Show the world who you are and it shall reward you with deeper relationships and increased success and happiness.

You can do this!

Thanks for reading! :)