Hey friend 👋🏼, how was your week? It was a busy one for me. Yesterday, I enjoyed Thanksgiving with my family, and it was filled with food and relaxing. I have been on this challenge to put 20,000 steps (approx. 10 miles) on my legs every day. It’s been hard work, so I was thankful that the gym was open on Thanksgiving morning so I could get most of the work done early. I post my daily step count on my Instagram Story. While jogging on the treadmill, I started thinking about the things I was thankful for. I know it sounds kind of weird, like something your Mom would force you to do, but I was feeling very gracious for where my life is right now. Things are not perfect, but they are pretty great. I think sometimes we need to remember just how good things are even when they might seem like they are not.
There are a few topics that will likely be common in my emails. The first is on building alternative sources of income. Besides my digital marketing agency, I produce YouTube videos, write reviews, and teach online. I am very close to having replaced my income with revenue from these efforts. I would love to share more about how I was able to do that.
The second topic is on productivity and life optimization. I used to like the term lifestyle design, but for me, it’s more about life optimization. Life optimization means doing the work it takes to make your current life better rather than always chasing something in hopes that it will bring happiness. There is happiness right here. It just takes work.
Before we jump into the topics and interesting things I have to share, I wanted to let you know that over 350 people have downloaded my Daily Log template in the last week. That’s pretty awesome. I plan to make a video about how I use it this week; I will share that with you in the next email. Of course, you can always subscribe to my personal YouTube channel so you get notified when it goes live.
Lastly, today is Black Friday. I am not sure if that is a common thing or not, but are you buying something for yourself on Black Friday? I always put away a few dollars in case something I want but wouldn’t pay full price goes on sale. This year I held back and didn’t purchase anything personal on Black Friday. I do make business purchases on Black Friday because, for some reason, companies that sell business services give deals as well. I’ll list my Black Friday Purchases below. Reply to this email and let me know what you are buying today.
Be Challenged Now
It’s almost the end of the year, so you are probably starting to think about those things you want to either start or stop doing at the beginning of the year. Wanting to start right away, I started challenging myself in a few ways already. In the last email, I shared my progress with you, and I will continue to update you at the bottom of each email so if I start slipping, you can call me out 😜
The hardest part about sticking to something for me has been staying motivated. I have found that the simple act of tracking it each day has been motivating enough. If I do something for five days in a row, I don’t want to have to start over at day one again, so I keep going. I have been testing a few habit tracking apps and also added a section to my Daily Log to track my progress as well.
Here are the three Apps I have been testing out. I will make a video about them soon, but to be honest, I prefer to track this in my Daily Log even though these apps are also on my Apple Watch, which makes it easy to check off achievements as they happen.
I’m not looking to develop a habit of anything specific; I’m developing the habit of doing things and challenging myself. Most people talk about doing things, few people do things. I want to be a person who is always doing things. What is one thing you always talk about but never do? Hit reply to this email and share that with me.
Listed from left to right:
- Productive – Nice interface. Easy to use. Has a monthly cost. (iOS & Android)
- Strides – Simple interface. Easy to use. Monthly cost, but can be used for free with limitations. (iOS Only)
- Streaks – Easy to use. I like the big buttons. App has a cost, no monthly subscription. (iOS Only)
If you are an Android user and want more options, let me know. I will test a few and include them in my video.
📺 New Videos This Week
State of Tech – Mobile Tech Reviews, Tips & News
Have you heard of 4K Laser Video Projectors? I spent some time with one to see if it would make a good replacement for our TV. This projector doesn’t have to go clear across the room, it goes up against the wall and projects almost straight up onto your wall. Pretty cool.
Video Update!
I did a lot of filming and editing last week but only got out one video. Going into December, I have a lot of videos I want to put out on State of Tech, Ditch Auto, and my own YouTube channel. I will keep you updated in these emails but you can also go subscribe to my channels if you prefer.
My Black Friday Purchases
- Freshbooks – This is the Invoicing & Bookkeeping service I use to run my business. I’ve been using Freshbooks for over 12 years now and it just rocks. They are running a Black Friday discount for new users. Save 50% off plans for the first three months if you skip the 30-day trial. Try Freshbooks
- LensProToGo – I don’t need to own all of the camera gear. It’s actually cheaper to rent some of it just when I need it. I just rented a camera and lens I have wanted to try to take to Florida next month when my wife and I travel there for a friend’s wedding. You can actually use the coupon code “JERAD” to save 15% off of your rental. I don’t get paid for sending you there, I just like their services. Try LensProToGo
- Teachable – I have hosted my online courses on Teachable for a few years now and Teachable just works well. They also run Black Friday deals each year so I renew at this time and save each time as well. Try Teachable
- Namecheap – I buy way too many domain names (website addresses). Namecheap is running a bunch of sales right now so I purchased a new domain name for a small side project I have wanted to start working on. Check out Namecheap
Momentous Occasions
My youngest turned one the other day. We had a party for her last weekend. I captured this photo of her dumping the pumpkin off of the chair. That is totally her style. She keeps me busy. We brought her home at 11-days old and she officially became part of our family on August 12th. It’s crazy to think that this time last year we had no idea she was being born and that on December 7th we would get a call asking us if we could provide her with a home. One day I would like to tell the story of our adoption journey somehow. The entire journey took us almost three years.
What Resonated This Week
Ideas, quotes, and thoughts that are “resonating” with me make it to a new section in my Daily Log. Here are a few from the past week:
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” – C. S. Lewis
“I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.” – James Baldwin
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” – Haruki Murakami
Now
🇺🇸 Writing From: Home Office
💪🏼 Current Challenges:
- 20,000 Steps/Day for 30-days (Day 9 – Friend me on Fitbit)
- No Sip November – No alcohol (Day 28)
📱 App of the Week: Zero – Intermittent Fasting Tracker
🎧 Listening: The Side Hustle Show Podcast
📖 Reading: I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships by Michael S. Sorensen
🍿 Watching: Disney+
➡️ More now
Next
Several of you responded to my last email letting me know that you wanted a photography-related newsletter. I am trying to figure out what that might look like. Next week I will likely have a signup form, so make sure to look out for that if you are interested.
Thank You!
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