Back in 2003 I launched a website about my favorite basketball team from an apartment in Ireland. This was before I’d ever heard of the word blog, and I was pretty clueless about this whole writing dealio. I had a vague dream of finding an audience online, and maybe someday moving to the USA and actually attending a game or two.

Fast forward six years, and there I was living and working in New Orleans, interviewing players and coaches in the locker room, and sitting courtside at the media table as some of the biggest names in basketball squeaked sneaks a few feet in front of my disbelieving face. That humble blog I’d started had become affiliated with the biggest sports network in North America, and I was living the everloving shit outta that dream of mine.

That same year (2009), I started the blog you’re reading now, with no clear direction or intention. I just figured it would be nice to share my personal development experiences and outlook on life. I was busy working 9-to-5 and spending 20+ hours a week running that basketball blog, but at some point my writing here became more fulfilling than anything else. The revelations came hard and fast:

• Writing about my goals and aspirations makes them more concrete and likely to transpire.
• Having a voice online gives me easier access to some pretty cool people and opportunities.
• Sharing my message and beliefs forces me to think deeper and more clearly, meaning I get to know myself better.
• My words and ideas can help inspire people all over the world, even long after I’ve written them.
• Expressing my real self for everyone to see moves me away from false friends and towards new and true.

Today, less than two years after starting this blog and thanks in no small part to these words I string together twice weekly, I find myself living in sunny Spain, conversing in a foreign language, running my own business, connecting with all sorts of legendary people, and about to start an incredible adventure that 99.9% of people could never even fathom. Life is damn good, and I feel I’m just warming up.

It’s not just me

Now I know you’re probably thinking that I’m made of super-special star stuff that you’re not lucky enough to be made of, and as such you could never blog your way to the life of your dreams. And now you’re a little freaked out that I’m all up inside your head, reading your thoughtseses… right?

Or maybe not. But here’s where I get some online friends of mine to chime in with their own compelling blog stories. First up is Anthony Middleton from Man Vs. Clock…

Blogging has definitely changed my life for the better. It’s an accountability tool which makes me take great action, in order to inspire and connect with like-minded individuals. From a social point of view, it’s absolutely amazing because it makes me realise I’m not such a special case and that there are people out there who can relate to my “thing.”

And now over to Caroline Leon from Life Is Limitless…

I nervously and tentatively hit publish on my first post just under three months ago. Boy has my life changed since then! Through my blog, not only have I met numerous people who are doing incredible and inspirational things (many of whom I now consider friends) but I’ve also done and committed to doing so many exciting and life-changing things myself that my life is starting to look completely unrecognisable from the one I had three months ago.

Hell yeah! And as if that’s not enough to convince you, be sure to also check out Sean Ogle’s list of 56 reasons to start a blog. Just a taste:

The first step towards making drastic changes to improve your life is starting a blog.  It allows you to sort out your priorities and then meet likeminded people who will support you every step of the way.

How to start a blog

First thing: Starting a blog doesn’t have to cost you any money. AT ALL! There are lots of ways you can start a blog for free, probably none better than WordPress.com. If you’re new to all this you should definitely go the free route to start, give blogging a spin and see if it floats your boat. I know I’ve just chewed your ear off about how legendary blogging is, but you might still find that it’s not really your thing. No sense making a big investment until you figure that out for sure.

(UPDATE: I recorded a video tutorial stepping through exactly how you set up a free blog on WordPress.com. Check it out here.)

Now, should you discover that you are indeed serious about this whole blogging game, you can put forward a little bit of money to get yourself set up like a pro. There are a bunch of paid services out there, but this is me writing so mi scusi while I go ahead and promote the one I just launched

Basically, the offer is this: You pay for hosting and throw an extra $50 my way, and I’ll get you set up in less than 72 hours. Yup, that’s fast and cheap, just like me on a first date. Interested (in the service, not a date)? Well then you should definitely cruise on over and find out more here.

A small favor

If you’re not in need of a blog, no worries, we can still be friends

But I’m hoping you’ll be so kind as to help spread the word about this new service of mine. Check around for yourself and you’ll quickly discover that it’s a remarkable deal. So if anyone you know is serious about starting a blog, send them my way and I’ll get them set up all quick and sexy like. You can refer them to this post by sharing on Facebook or Twitter via the buttons below, or tell them to check out 50dollarblogs.net.

Muchas gracias, mis amigos!

Can’t see the video? Click here.

A little over a year ago I posted an article on this here blog entitled My grand experiment in lifestyle design: the beginning, in which I announced that I’d soon be leaving 9-to-5 and striking out on my own. As I wrote then…

I’ll set up my own business. I’ll make money blogging, and I’ll also set up some systems to generate passive income. This will not take long, 3-4 months at the most.

And now here I am, past the four month mark of self-employment, and still trying to figure out that whole “making money” bit.

Oops!

I’ve been here before

I moved to New Orleans back in December of 2007. Why? Because my favorite basketball team (the Hornets) played there. I had created a fan website about the team, and my plan was to score a media credential when I got into town so I could go to all the games for free, interview players and coaches, and do some kick-ass reporting for the site.

I figured it would be easy. I imagined the Hornets’ PR department calling me up as soon as I got off the plane, gushing at me, “Hey, you’re the Irish guy who’s moving to NOLA for the Hornets, right? That’s so great, man! We’ve got a credential here with your name on it. We’re sending the team bus and all the cheerleaders to pick you up. Hang tight!”

Yeah, that didn’t happen.

It actually took me a good year and a half to get that media credential. I faxed in numerous requests, made several phone calls, networked with the front-line staff, went through some contacts at ESPN… all to no avail. It was frustrating, but I kept on working, stayed focused, and continued to try different approaches.

In the end, I got that credential by inviting the gatekeeper out for lunch. He saw I was for real, flesh and blood, and decided to give me a shot. Probably didn’t hurt either that we had a mutual friend.

But yeah…

My point is that it took 18 months for that whole thing to really get rolling. I rode into town on a high, soon figured out that it wasn’t going to be a cake walk, then dug deep and kept working until I got what I wanted.

Methinks I’m on a similar trip with this whole self-employment dealio. I started out on a high, launching my manifesto and getting lots of attention and enjoyment from Random Acts of Courage. I’ll be honest: I thought I had it made back then. There I was nodding my head, thinking to myself, But of course, it’s all going exactly to plan! I’ll have this online entrepreneur shit figured out in no time!

But I’ve been humbled by these last few months. I feel like I’m still being humbled, still being tested to see how much I want it. I’m fighting through that dip.

Getting real

I see now how my expectations were skewed. I was following a lot of online entrepreneurs a year ago, but the one whose story I clung to most was Everett Bogue. That chap quit his job, started a blog, and a few short months later he was making more money than he ever did as a wage slave. I thought to myself, that could be me!

Of course, I was ignoring the fact that Ev’s story was exceptional. Pay close attention to most other online entrepreneurs and you’ll notice the difference:

1. Corbett Barr failed at a start-up before succeeding at blogging.
2. Chris Guillebeau spent almost a decade learning how to earn money online before he started the Art of Non-Comformity.
3. Tim Ferriss had already built a lucrative (albeit time-consuming) company before he went to work on his 4-hour empire.
4. Ashley Ambirge made it through 67 emotions before she started kicking virtual ass.
5. Steve Pavlina went bankrupt as a video game developer before figuring out how to make ends meet.

No overnight successes there. Those folks spent years paying their dues and honing their skills before they broke through.

Is it possible to break through in just a few short months? Absolutely. You can’t discount that possibility, but you can’t count on it either.

Embracing the struggle

Robert Redford was asked recently what was the happiest time in his career. He responded…

“Before. Before it got easy. The struggle.”

I keep that in mind as I try to get my business off the ground. I just spent my first weekend in sunny Spain hunched over my laptop, working hard, setting things in motion. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is a struggle right now, but it’s a struggle I’m embracing. This is me earning my freedom.

Taking the leap

I’ve pretty much put myself in a sink or swim position. I went ahead and moved to Spain, opting not to wait until I had sustainable income flowing. I took the leap. Methinks that’s the way it has to be. You have to jump, you have to keep moving towards your dream. Fake it til you make it and all that.

That’s essentially what I’m doing. If I can afford it now, even if it’s only because of my savings, why wait? I might as well go for it and see where I end up. No regrets.

What leap are you taking? Can you go for it right now instead of waiting? Yeah, maybe you’ll sink instead of swim, but sinking ain’t the same as drowning.

A better story

Know that, if nothing else, taking that leap gives you a better story.

I’m pretty sure nobody would care to hear about how I stayed home in Ireland, figuring out how to get my business working right, and then (and only then!) headed off to Spain. No, that’s not a good story.

But by taking that leap first, I have you guys, my readers (and myself), wondering how in the hell all this is going to turn out. And that, mis amigos, makes for good reading, not to mention good living.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Last July I asked a bunch of my favorite bloggers a question: Is there something you do every day — something most people don’t do — that helps you be at your best?

I collected their answers in a well-received post called The daily habits of highly effective people. Last week, I was reminded of one answer in particular. Here it is, from Ev Bogue:

Movement. I have to either walk, bike or take the train somewhere. This gets the ideas flowing.

I’ve been working primarily from home these past two months. This is great because there’s wireless Internet, a stocked fridge, and nobody telling me to wear pants. But staying cooped up in my bedroom staring at a computer screen also has its downsides.

Routine vs. growth

Routine can sometimes be a good thing. I know I begin to crave it when my schedule gets real erratic for a spell. I’ll want to get back to doing yoga and meditation every morning, then an hour of writing, then breakfast, then a couple more hours of work, then lunch, and so on. This works well for me for a while. I get into a rhythm and get lots of good work done. But it never lasts.

Too much routine leads to stagnation. If you do the same thing in the same place every day, your mind lacks stimulation and you cease to grow.

This is why I believe office jobs are usually so depressing. You get up at the same time every day, commute the same route to work, sit in the same space for eight hours, surrounded by the same people and the same walls, doing the same work you did yesterday. More same, less growth.

Move to create

I hit that stagnation point last week. I believe part of it was just that I’d been working long and hard for the previous few weeks, so a lull was inevitable, but I’m sure excessive routine had a lot to do with it, too.

So for the past few days I’ve been moving more. I head down to the Webworkhouse every now and then, grab myself some tea and plug in for a couple of hours. Yesterday I took a trip out to CIT and plugged in there for the evening. I’m seeing different faces in different places, and it keeps me alert, keeps the creative juices flowing.

On a larger scale, I believe this helps explain why living in foreign countries can be so rewarding. Switching up your environment like that results in all kinds of new experiences, new lessons, new inspiration. Your frame of reference expands, you become that bit smarter.

Obviously you don’t want to overdo it. There’s no need to find a new and stimulating workplace every single day, just like it would be overwhelming to visit a new country every single week. All you really need are a few different spots that you can move between, and seek to add in a fresh one every now and then.

Working from coffee shops

The trouble with working online in Ireland is that coffee shops here haven’t really caught on to the whole free wifi dealio. One thing I miss about the US is that you can go into pretty much any coffee shop, buy something small, jump online, and get to work for a few hours. But in Ireland, not so much.

Some coffee shops here do offer wifi, but they give you those 30-minute access cards so you can’t get any real work done. The message I get from this approach: “Buy your coffee, drink it, and get out.”

I had a favorite coffee shop in New Orleans called Z’otz. The latest version of Hornets247.com was built mostly from their place on Oak Street. I’d head over several times a week, buy an iced tea, sit down in a quiet corner and plug in for a two-hour session. They didn’t mind how long you stayed. I often saw couples sitting on the couches watching movies on their laptops. It was more of a hang out spot than a coffee shop. And that was cool by the management. They understood that they needed to be part of the community. They couldn’t just hand out shitty little 30-minute access cards and expect people to form a positive emotional connection to the place.

Free business idea

I believe a good way to make money is to solve your own problems, then package and sell the solutions.

My problem is that I want to work from coffee shops in Ireland but many of them don’t offer wifi. A solution would be to approach some coffee shops and offer to set up wifi for them for a small fee. Assuming most coffee shops already have an internet connection somewhere in the building, this would be a breeze. Anyone who has ever set up a home network could do it.

You’d supply the router and create a simple PDF manual showing how to reset the equipment, change the wireless password, etc.

You’d then have free wifi in your favorite coffee shop, and your favorite coffee shop would have a new selling point.

I’ve mentioned this idea to a few people and some of them figure that Ireland isn’t ready for a bunch of people tapping away on laptops in coffee shops. But I think the change is inevitable. Every coffee shop will offer wifi eventually.

Anyway, I’m throwing this idea out there because I’ve realized I won’t have time to make a proper go of it. I have other projects I want to focus on, and I’m only going to be in Ireland for another nine weeks.

So this idea is all yours if you want it. If you take it on, be sure to target the more chill coffee shops where they don’t mind people hanging out for a while. Any place with a couch or soft chairs is usually a good bet. B&B’s would also be a smart target. I know I’m a lot more likely to book in at a place that offers free wifi.

Where do you go when you really need to get some work done?

That’s a question Jason Fried has been asking for the last ten years or so, and he’s found that more work gets done in the absence of meetings and managers. To piggyback on his argument, I believe people also work better away from the office simply because of the change of scenery. Shake things up and inspiration starts flowing.

How about you? Are you a creature of habit, or must you move to create?

“When I was young, I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures.  So I did ten times more work.” – George Bernard Shaw

About two years ago I spent a night in the French Quarter with a guy named Chuck. I had met him at a friend’s house party the previous evening. Chuck was just getting into town, having decided to make the permanent move to New Orleans. Our host knew him from their days growing up in the same foster home. Fucked Up Chuck, he called him (though not to his face).

I learned before our meeting that Chuck had been a troubled kid from a rough background. He had issues. But we got talking at the party and hit it off pretty good. He told me he’d just broken up with his long-time girlfriend and was eager to go “pimping” soon, do the drunken rebound thing. He figured a lad from Ireland would make a good wingman, so he asked if I’d join him out on the town the following night.

“Sure feck it, why not?”

24 hours later…

I learned fast that Chuck wasn’t shy with the ladies. If he saw a girl he liked, he’d go right up to her and start talking. He was like a two-year-old at a toy store, interacting directly with whatever interested him, no hesitation.

Chuck must have hit on at least fifteen stunners in the space of three hours, mustering up impressive enthusiasm each and every time. He got nowhere fast with the first fourteen. But the last girl… Chuck had no reason to try again after her. They didn’t go home together, but she was definitely interested in the Chuckster. They got cozy in the karaoke bar and exchanged numbers. I heard through the grapevine that they went out on a date a few nights later.

Chuck succeeded because he persisted. Plain and simple.

Business time

I believe persistence to be important in business, too. You always hear those scary statistics about how many first-time businesses fail. Something like 90%. I don’t doubt those numbers.

But I wonder, how many second- and third-time businesses fail? I suspect the rate of failure drops as the try-count rises. It’s those people who pick themselves up and try again after each failed business who eventually succeed. They learn the hard lessons and get better with each new endeavor.

This is what I keep in mind as transition from 9-to-5 to self-employment. I have every intention of succeeding with my early business ventures, but should they fail, I’ll pick myself up and throw a few more attempts at the wall. A few will eventually stick.

What happened to Chuck…

That night in the Quarter was the last I ever saw of Chuck. I’ve since heard stories that he ended up moving in with a friend of a friend, never paid rent, brought home the occasional hooker, then stole the television and skipped town… but hey, nobody’s perfect.

I like to remember Chuck not as a fuck up, but as a guy who showed me how keeping your head high and refusing to quit will eventually get you what you want. Not once did he drop his head that night, in spite of all the rejection. He took it all in stride and kept moving.

“Not interested? No worries. Next.”

He just kept plugging away, believing that success was inevitable. And he was right.

Thanks for the lesson, Chuck.

Since I returned to Ireland from my life-changing three-year stint in New Orleans, I’ve had several people ask me the same question: “Do you miss it?”

Everyone knows I loved it over there. I got to live my basketball dream and grew an enormous amount as a person. I made legendary friends and had unforgettable experiences. My final eight months in town, I could hardly stop smiling, and I still feel a deep sense of gratitude for having gotten to know such a place.

But when I’m asked now if I miss it, I honestly respond, “No. I can’t say that I do.”

I don’t look back much. I’d rather stay focused on what I’m doing now and what I’ll do next. I can’t change the past, but I can take action in this moment to enjoy the present and set myself up for a bright future.

Chris Guillebeau once wrote about the danger of glory days. There’s the Vietnam vet who still talks and thinks about little else except his heroic war deeds. There’s the one-time teenage prodigy who never quite made it to the pros, now drinking his way through middle age and telling the bartender about the time they carried him off the field on their shoulders. There’s the 30-something who’s still in love with his first girlfriend, who he hasn’t seen since high school.

Reminiscing can be fun, and we should never forget the lessons we’ve learned in the past, but you severely limit your future when you let those fond old memories define you.

I left New Orleans at the perfect time. I was ready to move on, ready for a new adventure. Sure, I look back on my time there every so often and I smile. But then I snap out of it and remember that I have the opportunity create bigger and better smiles today and tomorrow.

We can be so busy missing back then that we end up missing right now. Look around. How can you make these days worth remembering?

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FYI: I’m bumping up to three posts per week. Expect newness early every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Next up is an interview with a friend of mine here in Ireland who’s built a sweet side-business around his love for music. He’s forecasting $10-15k in earnings for 2011 while investing just a dozen hours per week.

Subscribe by E-mail or RSS to make sure you don’t miss the interview, or connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

I’ve lived in New Orleans for the past three years. I leave on Wednesday.

Writing this post has been a struggle. I want to express how much New Orleans means to me, how much it has shaped me — I’m a much different person now than I was when I arrived here in December of ’07 — but I find the task to be overwhelming. I’m not sure where to start.

But I guess I can look back and describe who I was when I arrived in the Crescent City three years ago. Yeah, let’s start there.

What brought me to NOLA

They always react one of two ways. The person I just met realizes I’m from Ireland and asks what brought me to New Orleans.

“I actually came here because I was a big fan of the basketball team, the Hornets.”

I either get a blank stare or a laugh.

“No, seriously. That’s why I came.”

Eventually they believe me, but it takes some convincing.

All I wanted to do when I moved to New Orleans was watch and write about my favorite sports team, get drunk and hook up with random American girls. I was the sports-beer-boobs guy, armed with a foreign accent, and that identity suited me just fine for about a year.

Then came the vegetables.

Growing up

I decided to do a 30-day trial of vegetarianism in January of ’09. I was curious to see what the diet could do for me. As it turns out, it blew my mind and opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I came to realize that things looked a lot different from the inside looking out than they did from the outside looking in, and I wondered what else I might be missing out on due to social taboos or my own preconceptions.

I started to question assumptions and pursue growth opportunities more consciously. I joined Toastmasters and some meetup groups. I became an avid reader and found myself having frequent conversations about personal development.

Eventually I came to realize that I wanted to help other people grow like I had been growing, hence this blog.

Finishing strong

The past 7 months have been the best of my life. Back in April I made a firm decision about the next chapter of my life and opted to make the most of my time left in New Orleans.

It’s amazing what happens when you give yourself a deadline like that. Your focus intensifies, your priorities become clear. It’s much easier to say no to projects you’re not passionate about and people you don’t care for, making more room for real passions and friends.

Fear also takes a back seat. You figure you’re leaving town soon anyway so you might as well try stand up comedy or tell that person what you really think. And then you find that life becomes a lot more fun when you’re taking those chances and speaking those truths, and you resolve to keep doing those things even when you’re not getting ready to leave a place.

Only in New Orleans

Many of the lessons I’ve learned these past three years I could have learned elsewhere, maybe anywhere, but New Orleans has undoubtedly taken up residence in my soul and greatly influenced the person I’ve become.

The people I’ve met here — whether they be natives or immigrants like myself — are a special breed. They’re fiercely proud of this city, and the rest of the country doesn’t quite understand why. Hurricane Katrina was a terrible thing, but a silver lining is the abundance of kindhearted, goal-oriented people who arrived in the aftermath, people who wanted to help, people who wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves.

I can’t claim to have come here for those same charitable reasons, but they seemed to have rubbed off on me. Our environment shapes us, whether we like it or not. New Orleans and its people have made me a more caring person.

Living here has also helped kill my attachment to material things. My friend Justin refers to the omnipresent cracked sidewalks and peeling paint in New Orleans as “the beauty in decay.” He’s right. It is beautiful. There are lots of things in this city that are old and decaying and lacking actual functionality, but that imperfection is perfect in its own way. Efficiency and getting things done are not the priority here. That’s a gift and a curse, sure, but it’s refreshing to find a place like this in a world where everything is getting faster, cheaper and less personal. Life in New Orleans truly is about the journey, not the destination.

Loyola University also deserves special mention for having helped me become the person I am. It’s no secret that I was delighted to quit my web design job there on November 19th. But that doesn’t mean I disliked my job. (As I wrote in a previous post, I liked it just fine, it’s just that I’m looking for love.)

I’m extremely grateful for my time working at Loyola. I was looking for a job in New Orleans for months and suffered dozens of rejections before Loyola stepped up and took a chance on me back in 2007. Working there for three years helped sharpen my web design skills and I learned a lot about being part of a team and prioritizing. As 9-to-5 jobs go, I don’t think I could have had it any better. I also admire what Loyola stands for. Their focus is on educating the whole person and teaching students how to teach themselves. They believe in diversity and service. It’s a school I’d be proud to send my kids to.

Full circles

As I leave this city, I leave behind a lot of community. I’ve run in many different circles. I have friends from my days of basketball obsession. I have friends from the Loyola community. I have friends from Toastmasters. I have veggie friends, Art of Living friends and Law of Attraction friends. I have Saints-fan friends, CouchSurfing friends and improv comedy friends. I have friends of friends who have become friends, and I have still more friends who are impossible to categorize.

I’m grateful for them all. Those people have made my life better, and I hope I’ve been able to return the favor in some small way.

I came to New Orleans very much looking to make a positive difference in my own life. I leave looking to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Thank you, New Orleans. I’m a better person for having met you.

I’ve been house-sitting for more than two months now. Part of the gig is looking after two dogs named 81 and Havana. I feed them, I take them for walks, I get naked and jump in the shower with them when they start to smell bad.

I often take the dogs down to the levee near the house. I let them off the leash and they run around for a bit, swim in the Mississippi and generally have a good time. There didn’t seem to be any problem letting them off the leash. They were friendly with other dogs and nobody else on the levee seemed to mind. Then, one day, I had them off the leash and 81 spotted a lady walking her dog about 30 yards away. He dashed over to them, tail wagging, wanting to say hi. The lady didn’t seem impressed. Her dog was on a leash, and she started shouting at me as 81 engaged in the butt-sniffing ritual…

“Call your dog!”

“It’s okay, she’s friendly.”

“Call your dog!”

“It’s okay, really.”

“Call your dog, ASSHOLE!”

Whoa. I called 81 away and the lady walked off.

Now maybe her dog wasn’t friendly and she was trying to protect 81, or maybe she was just the biggest bitch on the levee that day. I don’t know. Everyone else I’ve met while out dog-walking has been cool.

But here’s the thing: that one shitty interaction made me rethink letting the dogs off the leash. For several weeks afterwards, I kept them on it all the way to the levee, waiting until we got out of sight down by the water before letting them run free. I’d see some other people walking along the levee with their dogs off the leash but still figured I shouldn’t be doing that anymore.

Then one day a few weeks back I was listening to the Accidental Creative podcast, and Todd Henry asked a question that stuck with me: “Are you creating permanent solutions to temporary problems.” Todd was asking that question in the business sense, noting that we often spend a lot of time and energy setting up extensive protocols at work as a knee-jerk reaction to temporary problems, and then those same protocols hinder us from coming up with creative solutions down the road.

That question is worth asking outside the workplace as well. Where are you creating permanent solutions to temporary problems?

For me, it was cool to let the dogs off the leash down at the levee, until one person complained about it. That was a temporary problem. I haven’t seen that girl on the levee since. But for weeks I behaved as if she was hiding in the bushes, waiting for my dogs to run free so she could jump out and call me an asshole again. My permanent solution to the temporary problem was to keep the dogs on the leash, which sucked because they might get 45 minutes of real exercise per day and they should be able to run around as they please and sniff whatever they want for those 45 minutes.

Since I came to realize that I had created a permanent solution to a temporary problem, I’ve corrected course. 81 and Havana are running free on the levee again. It’s been a while since anyone has called me an asshole. If that does happen again, the solution will be to put the dogs back on the leash until the offended party leaves the area. Temporary problem, temporary solution.

What about you?

Where in your life have you created a permanent solution to a temporary problem? Maybe one loud-mouth disapproved of something you once did, and you changed your behavior to please them. Maybe you took a big risk one time and got burned, and so vowed never to aim so high in future.

I’m asking you to question those solutions.

Are they really serving you well, or are they just holding you back from something special? Just because you upset a few people or fail a few times doesn’t mean you should change everything. Many problems are temporary. You don’t need permanent solutions to overcome them.

In December of 2007, I finally realized my dream of living and working in New Orleans. I had started actively pursuing that dream about four years prior. All I wanted was to be in the city where my favorite basketball team played. I would watch their games and write all about them on the website I had started back in Ireland.

A couple of years later, things had gotten even better, as I had earned a media credential which allowed me to attend games free of charge, sit along the baseline each night, and even interview players and coaches in the locker room before and after each game.

Oh, and the website had become affiliated with ESPN.com, solidifying it as the go-to source for educated analysis, opinion and discussion about the New Orleans Hornets.

And then I started losing interest

There were nights when I really didn’t feel like going to a game or interviewing anybody. There were nights when I would have preferred to be doing anything else. Those nights became more frequent as time went on.

For a while I resisted how I was feeling. I felt obligated to keep running the website and doing all the work because that was my identity. I was the Hornets guy. Everybody knew me for that. I’d moved 4000 miles away from home because of a sports team. That was me. How could I walk away from it all?

Eventually I accepted that I really didn’t enjoy covering the Hornets — or any basketball for that matter — anymore.

So why was I still doing it?

It was because I still held onto that identity, afraid to give it up because it was safe and familiar.

But it was making me miserable at the same time. When I finally did give it up, I felt liberated, and I was free to craft a new identity for myself.

Now that’s not to say I have any regrets about moving to New Orleans or running the Hornets website for all that time. On the contrary, I’m extremely grateful that I was able to live out my dream and meet some great people along the way. I’m also very proud of the online community of Hornets fans and the good reputation we’ve built up over the years. I’ve been working hard this past summer to ensure it carries on strong without me.

The lesson I’ve learned though is that dreams change

And you can’t go on living a dream that has faded and died. You can’t carry on being who you’re expected to be if that identity doesn’t resonate with you anymore. That just makes you miserable. You have to let go, and perhaps risk being lost at sea for a little while until you figure out your next move, your next identity.

Having left my old identity behind, I’m now free to spend my time, energy and focus working towards my new dream. I’m much happier for it, excited about the path I’m on and the person I’m becoming.

What old identity are you clinging to? Would you be happier in the long run if you let go? Who might you become if you started again from scratch?

Brees shared with the audience what he called his 5 pillars to success, which were collectively represented by the acronym FAITH. Some notes and comments on each:

F is for Fortitude

Fortitude is defined as “mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously.” You could also define it as the mental and emotional strength to carry the 40-year-old hopes and dreams of a wounded city on your shoulders.

The Saints had a good run in 2006. They could have left it at that, figuring they’d done their part. But Brees and company wanted more than a good run. They wanted it all. They had to endure disappointing seasons in ’07 and ’08, but all the while they stayed strong and they believed in themselves. They knew that if they could persevere through the tough times, they’d eventually get what they deserved.

Do you have fortitude? Can you keep your head up when times are bad?

A is for Attitude

You have to have the attitude that adversity equals opportunity. Brees signed with the Saints after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to New Orleans. Most people just saw adversity, Brees saw opportunity. New Orleans was where he would resurrect his career and help build something bigger than himself.

Brees mentioned guys on the team he loved being around because of their attitude (e.g. Billy Miller). If you want to win, what kind of people should you surround yourself with? Who are you most likely to succeed with? People with great attitudes of course.

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” – W. Clement Stone

How’s your attitude? Would you want you as a teammate?

I is for Integrity

Brees spoke about keeping promises and doing your part. Be there early for practice if you say you will. Help your teammates get better rather than stand back and criticize them. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

A word from M. Scott Peck:

The word integrity comes from the same root as integrate. It means to achieve wholeness, which is the opposite of compartmentalize. Compartmentalization is easy. Integrity is painful. But without it there can be no wholeness. Integrity requires that we be fully open to the conflicting forces and ideas and stresses of life.

Would those who know you best describe you as a person of integrity?

T is for Trust

“Trust is the cornerstone of every meaningful relationship.” Brees paused after speaking those words, then repeated them. He has to trust his linemen to protect him. He has to trust his receivers to run the routes as practiced so they’re in the right place at the right time and the pass doesn’t get picked off.

The message: You can’t do it all yourself. Sooner or later, to really be at your best, you need to put your trust in others.

Do you trust others and work as part of a team to achieve great things?

H is for Humility

Brees quoted Harry S. Truman: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

A great leader never asks someone to do what he’s not willing to do himself. Brees stays back after practice and helps guys get better. He busts his ass on every sprint, leading by example. It makes a big difference to have your superstar going all out for every drill. The rest of the team follows suit.

Do you have humility? Are you willing to accept blame and share praise?

Goals

One other thing that stood out from Brees’ speech was his few words about goals and their importance. He has goals written on the inside cover of his notebook that he reviews every day. His goals are concrete and measurable, so he can evaluate his progress daily.

One of his daily goals is to show at least one small act of leadership, whether that be staying back at practice, offering a few encouraging words to a teammate, working harder than everyone else during drills, whatever.

Brees noted that it’s also important to have team goals, and everyone must know how their individual goals fit in with the team goals. Everyone must know their purpose.

If you don’t have goals or a purpose in life, these two articles from the archive may help you:

• Finding your life purpose
• Prioritize your life

The 2010 NFL season starts this Thursday. Two Dat!

• Leave my 9-to-5 job at the end of November.
• Return to Ireland and set up my own business.
• Build the business to the point where I’m delivering more value and earning more money than I am now, while working a maximum of 20 hours per week.
• Move to Spain by May 1, 2011.

I have already begun setting myself up for success. One of the ways I’m doing that is by moving decisively towards a minimalist lifestyle.

What is minimalism?

Minimalism is me selling my TV, canceling my Netflix and giving away all my furniture. Minimalism is me realizing that I don’t have to pay $800 a month for rent (I recently moved apartment and saved myself $65 a week). Minimalism is donating all those clothes I never wear and all those books I never reread.

Minimalism is getting rid of all the crap and clutter so I can be free.

I counted up all my possessions at the start of May and found I had 330. As of this writing, that number has been reduced to 193. I’m aiming to own less than 100 things by the time I leave New Orleans.

Why minimalism?

I believe a minimalist lifestyle will help me succeed in my grand plan for several reasons:

Minimalism cuts out distractions

Less clutter helps me focus, helps me keep the main thing the main thing. Since I began the elimination process, I’ve found it much easier to find the focus and time needed to do my writing, planning and studying.

Minimalism saves money

I’m amazed at how much I can now save per week while earning the exact same income that I have been for years. All along, I was spending huge chunks of money on things I didn’t really need. I’ll go into detail about my financial situation and aspirations in a future post.

Minimalism gives me freedom to move

My new apartment is a temporary sublet, but having to move again next month won’t be a problem. I imagine it will take about two hours, total, to pack, load, transport, unload and unpack everything I own. At the end of November, when I move my entire life back to Ireland, I don’t expect I’ll have to check a bag at the airport.

Minimalism detaches me from material goods

Most people fear a big dip in income because it would force them to drastically change their lifestyle and give up all their toys. But what if you choose to embrace a minimalist lifestyle regardless of your income? You’d realize that you really don’t need to live that superficial lifestyle to be happy; in fact, that lifestyle was one of the main hindrances to your happiness in the first place. Having embraced minimalism, I’m well prepared for the temporary dip my income will take when I quit my day job and start my own business.

Minimalism works

I’ve been following people like Everret Bogue, Colin Wright, Leo Babuta, Karol Gajda, Tammy Strobel and Raam Dev; just a handful of online entrepreneurs who have adopted a minimalist lifestyle to achieve success. They’re living proof that minimalism works.

Helping the movement, the homeless, and myself

Everett Bogue’s fantastic e-book is what got me seriously considering minimalism in the first place, so I’ve decided to help spread his message. I’ve signed up to be an affiliate, meaning I get a 50% cut of sales generated through this here blog. The arrangement should give me an idea of what my current earning power is like, so I won’t be starting out clueless when I quit my job in November.

Unfortunately, since I’m currently a non-immigrant worker in the United States, it’s illegal for me to earn any extra money beyond that which I’m paid by my sponsor/employer. This law is in place to ensure I don’t take more work away from Americans by doing side jobs. Damn Government’s holding me down, man.

So since I can’t get paid, I’ve arranged to have my affiliate earnings deposited directly to the PayPal account of a non-profit, namely The Desmond Project, an organization that provides hearty meals to the homeless in New Orleans every Saturday. I’ve volunteered with them several times in the past year and can testify that they’re great people doing great work.

So if you’re interested in learning more about minimalism, feeding some homeless folks, and helping me figure out how much money I can earn through this website, click here and continue on to buy the e-book. The cost is just $17, though you’ll probably end up saving a lot more than that if the message impacts you the way it did me.

But wait

Everett encourages everyone who buys his e-book to make five copies and pass them along to friends, free of charge. So before you go spending your hard-earned cash, leave a thoughtful comment below and you could win one of the five copies I have to share.