Post: #26

(07-29-2016 06:03 PM)arafat scarf Wrote:  Been coding in JS nearly every day for the last couple years, and am itching TGFO and go location independent. Web dev is a dense subject and it takes quite a long time to become proficient, especially if you're trying to go full stack. You've got to get a handle on the ins and outs of the language, the behavior of the environment, setup good tooling for the dev workflow (text editors, linting, transpiling, c.i.), and then you have to bring it all to bear on the scope/requirements of the problem you're trying to solve.

wow, didnt know it took that long to become good enough at web dev to become location independent. I heard it only took a few months of self-study to become good enough to freelance

Post: #27

(07-29-2016 06:54 PM)kongzi Wrote:  

(07-29-2016 06:03 PM)arafat scarf Wrote:  Been coding in JS nearly every day for the last couple years, and am itching TGFO and go location independent. Web dev is a dense subject and it takes quite a long time to become proficient, especially if you're trying to go full stack. You've got to get a handle on the ins and outs of the language, the behavior of the environment, setup good tooling for the dev workflow (text editors, linting, transpiling, c.i.), and then you have to bring it all to bear on the scope/requirements of the problem you're trying to solve.

wow, didnt know it took that long to become good enough at web dev to become location independent. I heard it only took a few months of self-study to become good enough to freelance

Kongzi, being skilled enough to freelance and becoming location independent are two totally different things.

You can do some freelance work for a few bucks off of fiver and call yourself a freelancer.

Becoming location independent? That means something completely different.

Post: #28

I am a video editor. Lots of good remote opportunities coming soon in this field.

This week I read some more of "Living A Laptop Lifestyle" by Greg and Fiona Scott. Great book, highly recommended.

Post: #29

Wrote and posted the first of several articles for my portfolio on upwork and freelancer.
Then went on to bid on several projects, writing each proposal customized to each employer.

Post: #30

(07-27-2016 11:58 PM)Spaniard88 Wrote:  

(07-27-2016 11:44 PM)stefpdt Wrote:  Oh, and I also started writing daily affirmations this week. I can already tell it's going to be life-changing. I highly recommend that you guys start writing out your affirmation 15x per day like Scott Adams explains in his book. Sounds kind of nutty to people who aren't really deep into psychology, but it's the real deal.

Great thread by the way. I'll be contributing to this weekly.

While on the topic of motivation, several months ago I ordered three custom large posters with quotes that I pinned on my walls. I forgot from what site, but the quotes I went with, in white print on a solid black background are:

"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." -- Winston Churchill

"Success is a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day." -- Jim Rohn

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit." -- Aristotle

Whenever I'm in my large, minimalist bedroom, the stark contrast of the white walls with the large black posters, and the messages within are a gentle reminder of what it takes to accomplish things.

I'll try the 15x thing, or something similar, I like it.

I'm happy you brought that up stefpdt.
The reason why writing out your affirmations work is because it forces your behaviour to conform to self-view.


Robert B. Cialdini described how it works in "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion". Specifically, chapter 3: commitment and consistency, he explains,

"Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision."


Proof of this is cited in the American POWs based in Chinese prisoner camps during the Korean War. American soldiers changed their view and attitudes of themselves, their country, that of the Chinese, and of Communism without suffering negative reinforcement.
He then goes on to explain how this idea is applied to other behaviours such as; smoking, drinking, weight loss, etc.


And finally, "the more effort that goes into a commitment, the greater is its ability to influence the attitudes of the person who made it."
Personally, I'd recommend it to anyone looking to break a habit or develop a new one.

Post: #31

Electronics - circuit design and PCB layout. 90% of the design and testing can be done on a laptop these days without ever picking up a soldering iron. It's often cheaper from a time perspective to just have test boards made in China and shipped to you than fuss with a breadboard on a worktable...many of the parts are too small to work with comfortably by hand anyway.

Working towards having a small run of my first completely independently designed product released this summer.

Post: #32

So in the last month, I ended up building several full stack apps. My group won 1st place for our group project at the boot camp, so that was pretty cool.

The boot camp is ending in mid-October and then I'll be back to my lifestyle of being free 24/7. I'll probably wait a couple of months for my bank account to refill (I spent almost $10,000 on the boot camp) and then move abroad again.

I've been studying a lot of React lately and my strategy is to get a good handle on how React works and aim for an entry level, remote React position. That or an onsite position that turns remote within a few months.

At the same time, I've been in a really thoughtful mood lately, as I really miss living abroad. I looked at Maverick Traveler's blog and thought it was really cool, he's doing something similar to what Roosh is doing, and from a business point of view, I like what they've both accomplished, being able to write for a living. Their productivity is amazing.

So I could do something similar, or start some other business, dev-related or otherwise.

We'll see. There's so many options, at some point you just have to pic one, dive deep, see if it pans out, and if it does, keep going with it, and if not, switch gears.

I really can't shake the fact that I'd much rather be writing this from an apartment overlooking a market in Thailand, China, or Manila (if the wifi were good), with a cute girl with a nice smile looking over my shoulder.

Austin's nice, it has its perks, but I don't like having to have a car to get around the city, and at the end of the day, it's just not the Philippines or the Far East.

Post: #33

I started an affiliate project. I am trying email marketing this time.

Post: #34

Guys, I haven't updated this in a while, so here goes.

Graduated from my coding boot camp a few days ago and then spent several days at the beach thinking about where to go from here.

I'm back in Austin and I'm back to having free time 24/7, so now I've got to structure my days on my own. I'm going to adopt the "write it down 15x" affirmations thing stefpdt suggested, starting right now.

Actually, after I finish typing this post, I'm heading over to the store to buy a notebook I will carry around with me everywhere I go in which I'll write my affirmation every hour, on the hour, from when I wake up to before I go to bed:

"I, Spaniard88, will become a location-independent web developer."

Once I do that I can always explore making a startup, a blog with a book or other content, copywriting, SEO, or many other fields that can be used to generate location-independent income, but for the next few months I'm going to continue building upon the strong foundation I already have in this field and take advantage of the knowledge I've acquired to aim for location independence via this field.

At this point, I know exactly what the holes in my knowledge are and how to fill them. I've got a study plan that will take me about a month to complete...or, actually, about two weeks...or, actually, one week, if I do close to 16 hours a day...which, really, nothing is stopping me from doing.

Let me get started on it, hope you guys are progressing as well!

Post: #35

Digital marketing/Affiliate marketing... I have been on that for some years now, just making a few bucks for now.

Post: #36

Same here. I just started buying pay per click traffic and trying to improve my email sign-up rate to as high as it possible can.

(09-11-2016 07:01 AM)monerap Wrote:  I started an affiliate project. I am trying email marketing this time.

Post: #37

Opened an account on Freelancing.

Right now, I am trying to find a proper picture (in which I look kinda cute). Pretty people play life on easy mode



By the way, does anyone have any tips/datasheets concerned with Freelancing? Thanks!

Post: #38

I did some research on selling e-books and t-shirts online. The e-book stuff I was researching was not helpful except for finding out a company that links directly to Amazon (it might be a subsidiary). A couple new players have come into the t-shirt print on demand arena so that was good. Still struggling with picking topics/ designs that are going to be a hit and product testing. But that's why I hangout here. Also began photoing artwork for online sales. Interviewed a subject matter expert and now must glue my butt to the seat to transcribe the notes. Will report back.

Post: #39

Started learning a web framework.

Started redoing some user interface code so that it's not as difficult to add functionality.

Post: #40

I'm developing an online course with the same content that I have been delivering in person to my clients (students) for several years. This week I outlined the 100 modules that the course will have.

I feel like my 'skill stack' is ideal for this project: I know what my clients need, I have a unique combination of skills that others in this area don't, and I have a programming background. (I've implemented most but not all of the course platform at this point.)

I'll be dedicating more focus to this in November. I'll be ready to launch once I have 10 modules fully implemented with video content and the corresponding content quizzes. I need to get away from selling my time teaching and move towards focusing more on content creation and especially sales. It's a project I've had in mind for a long time. If it's successful, it will justify the absurd amount of time I've spent working for peanuts.

Post: #41

(10-28-2016 12:16 PM)philosophical_recovery Wrote:  Started learning a web framework.

Started redoing some user interface code so that it's not as difficult to add functionality.

Which framework?

Are you already generating some location-independent income via web development? Or not yet?

Post: #42

(10-29-2016 01:10 PM)Spaniard88 Wrote:  

(10-28-2016 12:16 PM)philosophical_recovery Wrote:  Started learning a web framework.

Started redoing some user interface code so that it's not as difficult to add functionality.

Which framework?

Are you already generating some location-independent income via web development? Or not yet?

Phoenix.

Not yet. I have a lot of knowledge completely unrelated to programming that I'm planning on leveraging both sets of skills on. Until something sticks.

Post: #43

It's been about a week since I've graduated, and I feel like a dam burst.

I was walking around the UT Austin campus this week, and in between the various monumental buildings, and with the downtown lights visible in the distance, with the grandeur around me, in my mind I was walking down the streets of Manila through one of the open-air markets with hundreds of folks around me.

It's like I'm not even here anymore. I've checked out completely.

So this week I've been selling and throwing away my things. I'm going completely digital as far as books, so those all had to go. My bed is far too comfortable, so it had to go as well, it'll be an airbed or the floor for now. My TV was too distracting, so it had to go as well.

I'm already a pretty minimalist person, so I don't own too many things, but I want to minimize even more. I thought about my time in America since I returned from living abroad, and I realized I'm just much happier abroad, despite having less "things" that I own while over there.

When I'm abroad I live mostly out of my briefcase and backpack.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not backpacking it, that's not me, I live in one bedroom condos in the heart of a city, with great amenities, but with 4 pairs of jeans and 18 black v necks, some classy sneakers, plus some leather-soled dress shoes, a nice belt, a tailored blazer, and dress socks for any more formal occasions, I just don't need to own that much stuff.

Also, I realized that I'm too comfortable in America, and it's been holding me back. My master bedroom is gigantic, like 20' by 15', plus the large bathroom and the large walk in closet, perfect climate control, Google Fiber 150 plus mbps internet, Amazon Prime, Netflix, HBOGO, and super hot water for my giant shower/tub, these things all add up to too much comfort.

This comfort is not good, it lowers my drive to do the things I need to do to accomplish my goals.

It's very easy for me to lose a day with so much comfort around me whispering in my ear, "just relax, you don't have to do anything today."

And I don't, it's true, but if I want to be location independent, I need to stay focused on the task at hand and not get distracted by the amenities of America (or of my individual situation, anyhow).

I was reading another thread here, I don't remember which one, and a fellow was talking about how his quality of life in Russia is actually better than in America, because in Russia, he can live in the downtown area of a larger city for much less than it would cost him to live in the downtown area of a larger American city.

His comment really struck me, I could really relate to it, because when I live in Manila, I spend a little over $2000 a month or so and I live in a condo right in the center of the action, be it by MOA, in Resorts World, or in Ortigas or Makati, for example. I don't need a car over there because there's taxis everywhere, so anywhere I want to go, I can just flag a taxi down, it's fantastic.

Folks complain about traffic in Manila, but I never found it to be that bad, I was never not able to get somewhere if I needed to. I either walked or took a Jeepney or a taxi, no problem either way. Maybe I'm just an optimist.

In any case, I'm getting rid of anything I don't need so that my focus every day, 100%, can be on learning the web dev tech I need to learn to go remote, and then branch out into other web-income areas as I see fit.

At this point, this is a one-way train and there's no stopping it.

It's location independent or location independent.

Post: #44

Throwing my hat into the ring.

Been making money online since about 2008, so I just need to streamline some of my income into something scalable and coherent.

I've bought a 2-year domain and set up an email marketing campaign. I'll probably run that for a bit before incorporating some sort of landing page for a sick membership site (or something similar). I've also have another niche that I cooked up from a 'fusion' that I wanna play with so I'll probably be mapping that out and setting that up later. It's more consulting related.

Like a few others on this thread, I am also looking into development as a fulltime gig, mostly inspired by YMG and frenchcorporation. Read their posts.

My financial goals are fairly modest. 2-4k minimum is what I'm aiming for online, considering that's very doable where I live, not to mention the more popular destinations we are interested in. I'll probably update my progress in this thread, rather than starting a new one. And be as transparent as I can.

This'll prolly go better than my approach thread.

Post: #45

Any traders here?

Post: #46

^

You mean day trading? Stocks, bonds, the like?

Post: #47

- Continued to practice my Russian, since that gives access to working in former Soviet countries. This is useful for me since both Russia And Estonia are on my list of potential countries to move to.
- Began rereading "The Intelligent Investor", by Benjamin Graham. It's probably one of the best books on value investing and will help me kickstart passive income by delegating a fraction of my savings to a value invested portfolio (i.e. utilities/treasury bills/value stocks with low multiples).
- Looked at taking a visit to South America as a sort of scouting mission to see how I dig the vibe and how it compares with Asia and Europe.

Post: #48

(10-29-2016 09:01 PM)John_Galt Wrote:  ^

You mean day trading? Stocks, bonds, the like?

Day/swing trading. Could be any combination of equities, commodities, forex or options

Post: #49

(10-30-2016 01:58 PM)TheFinalEpic Wrote:  

(10-29-2016 09:01 PM)John_Galt Wrote:  ^

You mean day trading? Stocks, bonds, the like?

Day/swing trading. Could be any combination of equities, commodities, forex or options

I personally think day trading bears way higher risk and uncertainty than is acceptable for most people. Way too much effort (resembling part/full time job), higher variance/unpredictability than value investing and requires 25k+ invested in order to day trade NYSE.

This is why I go for value investing, as in finding companies with low P/E multiples, strong business fundamentals (low debt, high innovation or solid embedding in the market that won't easily change, strong leadership, no history of buying many other companies, does not spend liberally on non-targets, on the path to or already profitable), then buy stocks and hold for 6 months+. Typical examples are utilities (electric companies, water, etc.) since they aren't really going anywhere, and they often pay dividends every quarter.

To each their own though.

Post: #50

Quote: I personally think day trading bears way higher risk and uncertainty than is acceptable for most people. Way too much effort (resembling part/full time job), higher variance/unpredictability than value investing and requires 25k+ invested in order to day trade NYSE.

You can day trade with as little as 1k in North America, it depends on your broker. Obviously, you profits or losses will be small.