7
Sep
Why I Don’t Play the Piano and Speak Chinese
Posted by Frederic Comments Off on Why I Don’t Play the Piano and Speak Chinese

Here’s an obvious but important concept for you: everything we do is at the expense of something else that we can’t do.

Economists call this the “opportunity cost.”

If you go to the movies one night, that means you can’t also go to the theater. Or you can’t go work out. Or work on your business. Or stay home and cook for the week.

Of course, you could go to the movies one night, and then do other things the next day, but there is eventually a limit to the number of activities you can do.

If you buy a house, that means your down payment can’t be used for something else. And vice-versa.

There’s always an opportunity cost to what you can do with your time and resources.… Read More »

13
Apr
A Trick to Kick Start Your Passion
Posted by Frederic 1 Comment

Businessman Hotel Room Working

I used to rent hotel rooms for a weekend just so that I could complete a massive project quickly, such as finishing a new product or website.

The hotel might have been only a few miles away from my home, and not in an attractive location, but my reasons for booking it was to get things done.

I picked up this trick years ago from Jimmy D. Brown, an author on all things marketing related.

He called it the “Lock-In.”

You lock yourself in a hotel room for one or two days and get things done!

Does it work? And if so, why?

We get stuck in our ways. We develop bad habits. And those habits are entrenched in the place where we live, which is full of distractions.… Read More »

6
Apr
The Lie of Success: Be Balanced
Posted by Frederic 2 Comments

work life balance

Recently an article came up in my Facebook feed called, “7 Secrets of Successful People to Living a Balanced Life.”

This article painted a fantasy world where high-level CEOs and other successful individuals are superhuman beings who can remain perfectly balanced in every aspect of their life.

They find the time to exercise exactly 40 minutes a day.

They spend the exact amount of time they should with their kids as proven by the most recent scientific research.

They make sure never to neglect their friends and family.

They, of course, meditate every day and pursue a spiritual path.

They even take on new hobbies like learning a language or a musical instrument!

On top of that, they volunteer for causes in which they believe.… Read More »

25
Feb
Where to Be a Snowbird
Posted by Frederic 3 Comments

In my last article, I talked about the cost of spending the winter South as a “Snowbird.” Now let me share with you the pros and cons of different locations to do this.

Southern US States — Florida, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas. This is the destination of choice for most Canadian snowbirds. They’re all accessible driving for North Americans, and can all be relatively inexpensive. However, the big negative for me is that: they’re not warm enough. As any resident of the Sunshine State knows: there is a winter in Florida! I’ve been bitterly cold in Fort Lauderdale in February, and January can be even worst. I once spent December and January in Corpus Christi, Texas — and although it was sunny and beautiful, it was by no means “warm.” Having spent a couple of years in San Diego, I can also testify to the possibility of a rainy and cold winter in Southern California!… Read More »

20
Feb
Success in Wellness Podcast #1 – How To Succeed Where Others Have Failed
Posted by Frederic Comments Off on Success in Wellness Podcast #1 – How To Succeed Where Others Have Failed

Today we discuss how to succeed with starting an online business in the natural health space. I talk with Natasha St-Michael of clearskinessentials.com and together we go over the different money issues that you need to think about when starting an online business about natural health. www.dowhatyoulove.com

… Read More »

6
Feb
Travel Gear You ACTUALLY Need
Posted by Frederic 2 Comments

Whether you are going on a trip around the world for nine months or just taking a short trip and want to make your life easier, I’m going to show you what I found that works and I find essential.

But first, let’s talk about a few things that made sense when I heard about them, but turned out to be items I never used or too “techy” for the purpose they served.

What You Won’t Need

You might come across some of these items on various travel gear lists on the Web. In my experience, they are not necessary.

7492975276_27a15771ea_bA “Spork”

This is a combination of a fork and spoon, and sometimes a knife too! Unnecessary unless you go camping.… Read More »

2
Feb
Tips for Traveling With Less
Posted by Frederic Comments Off on Tips for Traveling With Less

I’d like to share with you a few tips that will make your life easier as a traveler, whether it is for a trip around the world or only visiting family in Tucson.

There are many blogs on the topic, and you can find a ton of ideas if you browse a little, so I’m going to be as accurate as possible to make it easier for you. The goal is not to become a truly “minimalist” traveler but merely get by with less stuff that you have to carry around and remove some of the hassle out of traveling.

Clothing — Most people bring way too much. The goal is to bring as little clothing as possible and not have to do laundry very often.… Read More »

22
Jan
Don’t Listen to Successful People
Posted by Frederic 4 Comments

My Facebook feed is filled with articles such as:

  • 10 Things Successful People do Differently
  • The Morning Routine of Successful People
  • 5 Things Rich People Do Differently

I’ve always been very skeptical of those articles, finding no real value in them. Now, science is coming to the rescue proving why this type of advice does NOT work.

One of the best explanations of WHY that is is a little video I found recently.

The analogy made in the video is VERY revealing.

How to Be Right 10 Weeks in a Row

  • You take 50K people and tell half of them that the stock market will go up and the other half that it will go down.
  • Every week only contact the people who received the right prediction.
… Read More »
8
Jan
Can You Afford the Snowbird Lifestyle?
Posted by Frederic Comments Off on Can You Afford the Snowbird Lifestyle?
My winter retreat in Costa Rica. 1-bedroom apartment cost me $375/month.
My winter retreat in Costa Rica. 1-bedroom apartment cost me $375/month.

Some birds live in Northern latitudes during the summer and migrate South during the winter. How wise of them to do that!

Many Canadians and Americans also do that. Instead of relocating permanently to a Southern State or abroad, they get the best of both worlds by spending a few months in the winter ‘down South.”

Maybe you’ve been to these towns in Florida that have been “invaded” by French Canadian Snowbirds. In some parts of Florida, there are so many of them that they managed to publish their newspaper, get their TV in French and even Canadian banks have opened up locations to get their business there.

It’s often a thing you do at retirement.… Read More »