Learning Sabbaticals — My Own Case Study
by projecthitchhiker on January 1, 2010
in Lifestyle Design, Personal Development, Travel
What would you do with your time if you didn’t need to work? This is really an interesting question. Because that’s the situation I’m in at the moment.
It’s no secret that I have a lot of free time. Last year I saved enough money to take an extended vacation (a Mini-retirement) of at least six months. Six months, if I were extremely reckless with my money, that is. So here I am with a huge amount of time on my hands. One thing that I’ve learned from traveling in the past is that having too much time and nothing to do can actually be bad for you. A quick glance at the long-term traveler scene and you’ll see the same people at the same bars 6 of 7 nights a week. In some backpacker areas, it’s not uncommon to see people drinking beer on the street or in front of their bungalow at 8am, 10am, 3pm. Which is fine if all you’ve got is a week or two. But a good number of the people I’ve met have been traveling and partying hard for a full six months to a year. One guy I met in Vang Vieng, Laos was 320 consecutive days into a river tubing bender, going for a full 365 days (I’m not sure that Guiness will share his enthusiasm about his “record”). They party for two reasons: because it’s fun; and because they’ve got nothing better to do. Sure, not all backpackers party. Some fend off their boredom by traveling frantically from place to place, visiting all the museums and seeing all the sights. Because when you finally get away from that busy job for a few months, you’re left with an abundance of time that you haven’t had since summer holidays in grade school. I’m not claiming any moral high ground here. I’m not against partying or museum tours (although I don’t think I’ve ever voluntarily gone to a museum), I just think that there’s another way to spend that gap year than getting trashed every other night or frantic sightseeing.
The other option: The Learning Sabbatical.
What would you want to learn if you could learn anything — if you had a few months off work and had nothing but time and ambition? Vietnamese cooking? Spanish? Classical piano?
Wouldn’t it be more effective to study Vietnamese cuisine one-on-one with a private teacher in Hoi An? Or learning Spanish while staying with a local family in Guatemala? Or classical Piano from a Chinese master in Bejing? It would not only be more effective, it would also be cheaper.
Five Reasons Vibram’s Five Finger Shoes Will Rock Your Socks Off
by projecthitchhiker on July 24, 2009
in Awesome Stuff, Lifestyle Design
“I’m not being seen in public with you if you’re wearing those – things.”
– A friend’s girlfriend to her boyfriend about his Vibram Five Finger Shoes.
So why would you wear them? My five favorite reasons:
1) They will make you run faster than Kenyans. Or at least, faster than you already run.
Read more
The Dip: Why Quitting Is Good For You
by projecthitchhiker on April 23, 2009
in Lifestyle Design, Personal Development
The Dip
Business Week once called Seth Godin “the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age.” His e-book, Unleashing the Idea Virus is the most downloaded e-book of all time.
Seth Godin is undoubtedly the best in the world at what he does.
But if I have no interest in marketing or entrepreneurship, why should I care?
Because he’s the best in the world at what he does, and he’s written a book called the Dip, about being the best in the world at whatever you do.
Acheiving Your Childhood Dreams: Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture
by projecthitchhiker on February 2, 2009
in Lifestyle Design, Personal Development
Technology is an amazing thing. As a medium, the internet is neutral — neither good or bad. And as users of this medium we have a choice on how to use it.
Today I used it to become absolutely INSPIRED.
Screw New Years Resolutions: A BETTER way to make change in 2009
by projecthitchhiker on January 21, 2009
in Accountability Lists, Four Hour Workweek, Language Learning, Lifestyle Design, Personal Development
“I’m going to quit smoking, lose 20 pounds, give up drinking hard liquor and run at least an hour every day.” How many people out there have ever actually succeeded with New Years Resolutions? Why does it always fail? My theory is that it’s too much all at once. It becomes more painful to continue with the extreme lifestyle makeover than the short-term pleasure you would get reverting to your old habits.
Dear Email: If You Haven’t Heard Back From Me By Now, You Never Will
by projecthitchhiker on January 8, 2009
in Four Hour Workweek, Lifestyle Design
EVER. Okay, so that’s a little harsh and not completely true. But here’s what I did. It being the New Year and all, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about making changes. Seemed like an appropriate time. And in all this reading I came across some great stuff. Notably, I discovered this blog and then through it, this blog — where I found a few excellent articles on processing your Email Inbox to ZERO and keeping it there:
2009 Is Gonna Rock (Plus: Christmas French Lessons)
by projecthitchhiker on January 3, 2009
in Accountability Lists, Awesome Stuff, Four Hour Workweek, Lifestyle Design, Personal Development, Travel
(photo: New Years 2007 in Nha Trang, Vietnam)
2009 is going to be fantastic. But first, a cliche look back at 2008:
Most important lesson learned in 2008
The number one rule: Do what you love. Don’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks about you.
Top Non-Fiction reads of 2008
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts and The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. These two books are required reading for anyone who wants to travel or doesn’t like the idea of spending their life in an office cubicle.