Whoo boy, another month, another adventure! November has been everything. I feel like I’m growing and learning at a faster rate than ever before, and that’s a really cool feeling. Empowering. Humbling.
I did very little traveling this month, with the exception of a weekend trip to visit a friend for her baby shower and an evening “Friendsgiving” celebration a few towns away. Instead, I stayed home, read a lot, learned a lot, and blogged my little heart out. I pushed myself to do uncomfortable and sometimes painful things, and I’m now better for it.
I’ll be moving into December with some emotional weights lifted off my shoulders and a sense of clarity I haven’t known in quite some time. Things are good. Things are happening. All is as it should be.
Here are the highlights of a quiet month spent in one place.
In November 2016…
I tried to live my mantra, “Create every day“
I’m a firm believer that creativity is like a muscle, one that must be exercised regularly in order to avoid atrophy. The more you create, the more creativity and ideas seem to flow naturally. At least, that has been my experience. In reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic, I was reminded that creativity doesn’t work without discipline. And that you get better at what you do every single day.
So, if I want to be a better writer (I do), I must write every day. If I want to be a better photographer (I do), I must shoot every day. If I want to be a more compassionate listener (I do), I must practice compassionate listening every single day. Living creatively doesn’t limit you to creating art, either–that’s something else I learned from Big Magic.
All this is to say that I’m working hard every day at living more creatively by creating ferociously, and with discipline. I might not have done the same creative activity every single day of November, but at the very least, I did SOMETHING creative each day (photography, writing, creating graphics for social media, even painting with water colors) and this is a practice I plan to continue.
I encourage you to find your creative groove too–if you’re not sure how or where to start, read this article for a pretty neat idea that you can easily incorporate into your morning routine.
I started a new interview series about inspiring digital nomads
Location Independent Success Stories, my newest series, came about in response to the overwhelmingly positive feedback I got from the interviews contained in my ebook, Take Your Life Back. People LOVED the insights into the lives of people who’d found success in their own unique way, whether through freelancing, running a successful online business, or anything in between.
I also thought it was important to show people how many options they truly have when it comes to this lifestyle. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, no cookie cutter formula to follow. That’s what makes it so amazing! It can be anything you want it to be, and telling you my story and my story alone doesn’t do enough to prove how true this really is.
So far, I’ve published two interviews. The first was with fellow Washingtonian and travel blogger Marissa Pedersen, who’s making a full-time living as a freelance social media manager; the second was with Kim André Langholz, an e-commerce marketing specialist from Denmark who travels the world while running his online businesses with his wife. Both interviews are loaded with juicy tidbits and advice for digital nomads–be sure to check them out!
And keep an eye out for future interviews–I’ve got a bunch more already lined up! If you’re interested in having YOUR story featured, please get in touch.
I enjoyed the company of loved ones
Between my friend’s baby shower, Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, and a few random hangouts throughout the month, I managed to see an unprecedented number of the people I love. Yes, November was overflowing with warm fuzzies, and for once it felt really good not to be on the other side of the world while everyone else was celebrating together.
Even if it just meant hanging out for a few hours while drinking wine and painting sunsets, I appreciated every moment. I hope to repeat this throughout December since I will be leaving again come January 2nd.
I had an amazing month for affiliate income and ebook sales!
Taking advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals was a great way for me to earn more from affiliate sales than I ever have previously. I also put my ebook on sale, with the deepest discount going to my email subscribers and a solid 40% for everyone else. A big thank you to everyone who purchased a copy! You make my heart sing!
If you’re interested in leveling up your own affiliate marketing strategy, check out the course that changed everything for me, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. It’ll rock your world!
I finalized some exciting travel plans!
If you’ve been following along on Facebook, you may recall that I’ve been planning an overseas trip with my mom for this coming spring. Well, we finally decided on a destination and booked our flights…
We’re going to GREECE!
I could NOT be more excited to get to share this experience with my sweet mother. We haven’t solidified an itinerary just yet, but we know we’ll for sure be spending quality time in Athens and Santorini, and hopefully at least one other Greek island. If you have any suggestions for our time in Greece, please let me know!
I spent roughly one month traveling through Greece last summer, but I know I only scratched the surface. There are so many islands to choose from, so I’d love to hear which ones are your favorites.
My Most Popular Posts
Why is ‘settling down’ so terrifying? <– This one had a mini-viral moment that practically broke my site!
How 15 Location Independent Bloggers Make Money Working From Anywhere
Save for Your Travel Goals Faster with Spend-Free Weekends
My Best Instagrams
What I’m Reading
Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life – Using teachings from the Yoga Sutra and experiences from her own life, the author (Judith Lasater) brings yoga’s teachings off the mat and shows how they can (and should) be applied in everyday situations. A light and easy yet surprisingly enlightening book that will probably be the closest thing that I’ve ever had to a bible when I’m done with it.
Bhagavad-Gita: The Song of God – “The Gospel of Hinduism” and one of the world’s great religious classics. Also known simply as the Gita, this book touches on many pressing social issues that persist still today, and has been translated from Sanskrit countless times, in many variations. Even Mahatma Gandhi referred to the Gita as his “spiritual dictionary.” So, there you have it. You know it’s legit if Gandhi said so!
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – Okay, you’ve probably spotted a theme here…it’d be no exaggeration to say that 2016 has been my year of spiritual awakening, and I’m more fascinated by spirituality and religion than ever before. This book by Eckhart Tolle came as a strong recommendation from a friend and I can’t wait to dive in.
A Few Things I’m Loving
Priime Styles – Huge selection of fun professional photo filters! I’ve been going nuts with these lately.
Forest App – Last week, I reached out to my Facebook peeps to find out what productivity methods they were using and loving, and this was an app I’d never heard of before–but it might just be the coolest thing ever! It’s a smartphone app that allows you to “plant trees” that grow the longer you go without disturbing them. A timer starts counting down from 25 minutes (or whatever interval you set). It gives you gentle encouragements as you go (“Hang in there!” “Leave me alone!”) and even knows when you’ve picked up your phone. If you give up and leave the app before time is up, your tree dies. If you can keep your trees alive, you’ll grow a whole forest. Check out this helpful video for more details!
That’s all for November…onward and upward!
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