I am better than you.

Most of us can agree the consumerism of developed countries has gone a little mad. There has to be a better score card for life than the quantity of possessions you buy. And yet, we keep consuming.

This really is a difficult issue because consumption is not necessarily bad. Possessions make our lives easier and often better. There is that imaginary line that is presumably too much but demarcating that line is extremely difficult.

Extreme excess is easy to point out. Automobile industry executives flying in their corporate jets to ask for billion dollar government bailouts after years of mismanagement comes to mind. However, most of us do not make multi-million dollar salaries and have extravagant lifestyles.

How much is too much for the little guy on the street? Even the most ardent environmentalists have to fly sometimes, purchase clothes, drive cars and consume. Is it decadent for a concert musician to own a million dollar violin when that instrument is so integral to their art? Am I a lessor person because I bought the new 17″ MacBookPro when my old computer was still chugging along?

It is easy for backpackers to shun possessions and live a minimalist lifestyle, because it is impossible to do anything else. You can’t carry a leather sofa around the world with you. However, the vast majority of us live more stationary lifestyles, which tends to facilitate the accumulation of things. Lots and lots of things. A little consumption is unavoidable, we just have to be careful not to get too carried away.

Consumption can’t be a rational metric for judging our success on this planet. It is just too debased. So what else is there. Is tracking how many countries you have visited better? Perhaps success can be measured by how much you contribute to charities? That would leave the wealth titans like Bill Gates at the top of the heap by any measure.

Perhaps the more noble minded of us will suggest that we are judged by the company we keep. Our connections to family and friends are really the only path to happiness and a quality life. Perhaps we should evaluate the quality of our lives by how many followers we have on Twitter or how many friends on we keep on Facebook?

What about contribution and leaving the world in a better place? Are people who volunteer better than people that don’t? Maybe the cumulative number of hours spent helping others should be tallied so that history can compare our impact on this tiny planet?

The problem with most measures of personal value is that they are relative. It is not the total that is important, it is how much better you are than your peers.  Whether you have a more expensive car or recycle more than me doesn’t make you a better person. So what does make you a better person? Most of us can see the problems of competing to have a better car or bigger house, but what about competing to consume less or contribute more?  Maybe competition isn’t so bad after all?

Personally, I feel that the greatest contribution an individual can make regardless of their station in life is to consume less and give more. Of course, I am talking about wealthier people living in advanced nations. Lasting happiness can only come from breaking free of one-up-man-ship, and living our lives in ways that we are comfortable with as individuals. The problem is that I personally find it hard not to compare myself with others. It is not good enough to be personally satisfied, I want to be better than others. What change in thinking is required to give up those attachments?

How do you measure success? I would love to hear your ideas.

Productivity Secrets Revealed!

Here is my guide on how to enjoy and succeed in every area of your life. If you do not get the results you want following these ideas, you may want to consider doing the opposite.

Work
Get a job you hate. That way you have something to complain about to your friends.
Don’t work hard or put in more than the absolute minimum to keep employed; you don’t want to risk getting accidentally promoted.
Never start your own business. That is for those enterpr….intreprineuters… iprenerurs… you know those French people. Those guys are crazy.

Debt
Debt is your friend. The more debt you get into, the more purchases you can make. If you get good at acquiring debt, you may even be eligible for a government bailout. Your motto should be, “too big to fail!”

Consumption
When you go shopping try to remember these key words: “bigger” and “more.” Learn to super-size your life.
If you don’t have the cash, go back to the previous step, “debt is your friend.”
Buy lots of stuff you don’t need because someday you might.
If you have trouble choosing, close your eyes and point to random things.

Play
Watch lots of TV so you can use up all those excess hours in the day and you can also get good ideas about what to buy and eat.

Health
Don’t exercise. That takes work and you even after to shower afterward. It is much better if you feel lazy and sick all the time because it is a great excuse to watch more TV.

Education
My uncle’s friend’s brother’s acquaintance’s cousin dropped out of junior high school and look where he is now.
Don`t do it! Studying, reading, knowledge. Yuck! Enough said.

Love
The best relationships are those where you suck as much energy from your partner as possible. People are to be used.
Never give compliments and it helps if you complain a lot.
Try starting all sentences with, “You are so…..” and “You are too….”

Family
You probably never wanted to have kids anyway, so try not to spend too much time with them.
Television is the best parent. It did us perfectly fine.
If your kids whine a lot, give them whatever they want. It is easier to buy things than spend time with children.

Travel
It is best to wait until you are retired to travel. That way you might die or get sick and not have to go to some strange country that doesn’t even speak English.
If you do go, make sure you choose a place with lots of fast food restaurants. Why would you try some exotic food when you have McDonald’s?
Don’t bother to learn foreign languages. That is a waste of time. If the locals don’t understand you, just speak in a louder voice.

The Environment
You are only one person so what difference does it make how much you pollute and consume. You can’t solve all the world’s problems so don’t waste your time worrying about it.
Besides if everything is as bad as scientists say, then the world will be gone in a few more decades anyway. Abuse nature now before it is all gone.

P.S. Hopefully, some of you will recognize a hint of sarcasm in this post. This is what passes as my limited sense of humor.

Rocking in Australia

My cousin Trevor Stefiuk is the perfect embodiment of the ideas behind JetSetCitizen. He had a well paying job, a nice house and a decent life in Canada, but he gave it all up to pursue his dreams on the other side of the world in Australia.  This is lifestyle design at its finest. Moving to Australia took years of effort and waiting to secure the visa, with the move costing a  significant amount of money. In Australia, he went back to school to further develop his skills in his life long passion of music. Now he is self-employed recording local musicians, playing guitar in a couple of bands and even giving music lessons. Trevor is a professional striving for excellence in a career he loves. He moved to a warm country to have the weather and quality of life he wanted. Trevor is a Jet Set Citizen. Here is an interview that I hope will provide some inspiration for others considering a major career change.

What were you doing before you became a JetSetCitizen?
Well John, in the 24 years since I left high school I’ve worked as a musician, sound Engineer, millwright and power lineman. I reckon that varied work experience has gone a long way to bringing me to where I am now. The powerline trade certification that I have was my main source of income for almost 16 years. For those that don’t know what a powerlineman is, we work on the high voltage lines and equipment that make up the electrical grid that gets the power to your house. My specialty in this trade was working the lines energized. It’s called “liveline” work in the trade.

Why weren’t you happy in that profession? What was missing from your life?
The powerline trade is a physically and mentally demanding job that can be fatal if you have a bad day on the job. I learned over the years to really think about what I was doing, but I also learned that not everyone you work with shares that same mind set. This can be a bit disconcerting when working with electricity. In my time  doing this trade, I have had six close calls that could have ended my life. These close calls were caused by factors out of my control. The risk/reward ratio in this profession wasn’t worth it for me.

I am a stubborn sort so I did this job for as long as I did to prove to myself that I could do a job most people can’t or won’t do. The part that was missing for me was a real satisfaction and peace about where my life was going if I continued on in this trade. I looked around me at work and saw most of my co-workers to be bitter, arrogant, aging prematurely and generally in a state of mind and being that I didn’t want anything to do with.

What sacrifices and risks did you make in order to get to where you are today?
In Canada, my wife and I had secure jobs with pensions, a nice new house, new vehicles and the freedom to do lots of fun stuff and not worry about how to pay for it. For some this might be the goal to work towards. We unfortunately did not get satisfaction from this life.

The accumulation of stuff, the ability to get more in debt and pay more taxes had lost it’s appeal. We wanted a somewhat simpler life with a better lifestyle. Less consumerism, capitalism and waiting for retirement and a lot more living in the now. It took almost two years for us to get a permanent immigration visa. It has cost us thousands of dollars to relocate and get re- established with no guarantee of success. You leave friends and family half a world away and you end up going to a country where you know no one. Some of our family and friends said we were crazy for starting down this path. I reckon that from the outside view of what we were doing it did look a bit odd.

When you completely up root your life and move to Australia there has to be a willingness to not be afraid and trust that if you make the effort you will have some success. Fear is mankind’s greatest enemy and I can say that it came up in our thoughts at times. If you succumb to fear you will never live your life. Who wants that? I certainly didn’t.

What advice would you offer for others pursuing the same career objectives?
As I said before, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to give anything a go. Don’t be afraid to fail even. Don’t be afraid!!!
On a practical note. Plan as well as you can. There is no strategist that can account for every possibility, look at the Yanks and Iraq for example, but at this stage in your life you should know a bit about yourself. Plan for your strengths and weaknesses and plan for the stuff you didn’t think you had in you. A big move and career change requires an open mind. Do not expect everything to be the same as it was back home. For example, did you know that radar detectors are illegal here in Queensland? That little known fact in Canada cost me $ 235 AU the first week we were here. The radar detector came with the vehicle I bought second hand and the previous owner didn’t bother to mention they were not allowed. Oh well, live and learn. Information is key to having a decent time of it no matter what country you settle in. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the locals. You will be surprised at the help that can be offered to you.

Do you have any regrets about leaving Canada and your old job? (lost friends, income, etc.)
With all honesty, not one regret. In hindsight, I would have liked to have planned a few things better here and there. That is part of the learning curve on any adventure. Again, live and learn.
With online communications being what they are today you can maintain relevant contact with friends and loved ones easily. You will also make some great new friends in your new location.
Jobs can and will be replaced. I reckon the days of working your whole career at one spot are dying as quickly as the the record companies. If you have skills and are happy to get involved in your new home, you will do well. My wife Shelley has had a dream job for the last 2 1/2 years. She is doing something she would have never ever thought of on her own, but through some hard work on her end and having some relevant skills she was able to have this happen for her.

For myself, I am doing some really cool and diverse things in the music business. Things I thought were left in my twenties. We are amazed at the way life has gone for us. We couldn’t have planned it so good. For us, I think the key thing has been attitude. Sure you are going to have shit days, they come and go, but, if you can maintain a genuine gratitude for life and joy in the day you have NOW, things will come out good for you.

Links
THS Audio for studio and live sound engineering in Australia
Brixton Rockers on Myspace

I have been outsourcing to lower wage countries for about 5 years now. Only recently have I started to read about people with reservations of sending work overseas, particularly when their own citizens are facing increasing unemployment levels. Some people also feel in is unethical to pay overseas workers such low fees. I would like to address some of those ideas.

First of all, anyone who establishes long term relationships with professional outsourced developers will realize that the world is not falling to some inhumane subsistence wage. Quite the contrary all talented, professional workers wherever they are located soon start to earn world class incomes. I have seen this scenario play out many times. Low cost outsourcers in countries like India or the Philippines start by offering their services at ridiculously low rates; sometimes only a few dollars per hour. Workers who consistently over-deliver quality work, on-time can steadily increase their hourly rates. There are plenty of workers living in third world countries making first world incomes. It is not unusual for a talented worker to make five to ten times their starting wage in only a couple of years. I have seen it happen with several of my developers. Western income levels are not going down as much as poorer countries’ incomes are increasing.

A few dollars per hour may seem like a criminal wage in America, or other richer countries but in many developing countries this can be well above average. Anyone who has traveled through countries like China, India, Thailand or the Philippines understands the extreme levels of poverty many people have to endure. Even professional careers often only pay $300 or $400 per month. You are not taking advantage of people, you are giving them great opportunities to earn more income and expand their skills.

Another key issue is the entire idea of the nation state. It is important to understand that the concept of nations and countries was only invented a few short centuries ago. We live in a world where it is possible to live and work anywhere. Outdated notions of national boundaries only serve as barriers to the interconnected world we live in. The idea of countries was fabricated in order to better manage trade, commerce and taxes in market oriented economies. I think it is important to start recognizing the fact that we live in a global network based world. Hiring locally or the government equivalent of industry subsidies may protect local producers temporarily but at the cost of disrupted natural trade flows and harming the poorest people of the globe. Consider the fact that in some countries parents are forced to sell their children in order to survive. They are not barbarians, they truly have no other choice. How desperate would you have to be to give up your children?

Most people have no problem buying low priced goods from Walmart, or eating a diet largely comprised of processed food made in distant countries. We all want lower prices. In fact, we demand lower prices. Where do you think those low priced goods come from? They are all produced in factories where workers are earning just dollars a day in harsh conditions relative to developed countries. Purchasing those products does far more damage to the workers, environment and your own health than outsourcing work on the Internet. Think of all the oil consumed in transportation, chemicals used in production, and generally abusive working conditions of overseas factories. I am sure that an overseas Philippine data entry clerk making $2 per hour is better off than most other workers in their own country. In fact, it is impossible to abuse overseas workers. If they are unhappy with the working conditions, all they have to do is stop answering their email.

Don’t forget that those that earn more income want to spend it as well. They buy western fashion, listen to western music and drive western cars. Economists call these multiplier effects. Every extra dollar spent actually generates about $5 in total benefit. The dollar you pay, goes towards salaries and profits of others, who in turn spend the money and generate more salaries and profits, and so on. This is basis for all the global economic stimulus packages being implemented in the world.

The outsourcing revolution is bringing millions, maybe billions of low income people onto the world stage. Teenagers in New Delhi can effectively compete for web development projects with companies in America. The Internet is truly revolutionizing how we live and work. Age, education, experience, race, and nationality no longer matter. Purchasers only care about your ability to deliver on your promises. That is amazingly liberating.

What everyone should really be angry about is all the squandering of opportunities in the world. Far too many people in richer countries have grown up in times of extreme abundance. We have become fat and lazy in an era of increasing convenience and decreasing costs. We all expected the good times to continue forever. Well they have ended. If you want to be rewarded for your work, you have to create real value for your fellow citizens. Those citizens are not limited by the artificial boundaries of nations, but by the one planet we are all fortunate enough to inhabit. Hire the inexpensive worker in the Philippines. With the money you save, strive to create more value in your own company. That will help your customers create more value in their own lives and maybe the lives of the customers they serve. We do not live in a zero sum world.

Goodbye Television!

There are two resources that you need for anything you want to do in life: time and money.  Time and money are often  mutually exclusive. When we have a job we have money but not much free time. When we are unemployed we have lots of free time but little money. Time and money are often the key constraints people see as holding them back from the lives they want.

I want to start a business, but I don’t have time and/or money plus [add your favorite excuses here].

I want to travel, but…

I want to lose weight, but…

I want to write a book, but…

I want to have my own blog, but …

Here are some secrets to get more money and time now.

Get More Money NOW!
If you want more money, spend less. Curtail your consumption and you will have more savings guaranteed. This extra savings is not taxed and you will not have to work more for it so it will not cost any extra time. You are not your possessions. You are what you do. Are you writing everyday? Then you are an author. Are you playing the piano everyday? Then you are a musician. Be a doer not a shopper and you will have extra money and time to pursue your goals. Live with less. Downsize your house. Don’t upgrade your car, furniture, electronics, or appliances until it is absolutely necessary. Don’t buy designer bags, shoes and clothes. Only buy durable but relatively inexpensive belongings that you really need. Eat healthy food at home more often. Assuming an interest rate of 3%, saving an extra $250 per month is equivalent to having $100,000 in government bonds. ($100,000 X %3.0 = $3,000 per year or $250 per month)

Get More Time NOW!
If you want more time, stop watching TV. The average American watches about 28 hours per week of TV. There are 168 hours in a week. How does the typical person spend their week?

56 hours: Sleep
40 hours: Work
10 hours: Commuting to work
12 hours: Eating and food preparation, shopping, etc.
10 hours: Household chores

128 hours TOTAL

168 hours per week minus 128 hours of occupied time leaves 40 hours a week for exercise, friends, family, hobbies and time to work on personal goals or dreams. If you are watching 28 hours of TV a week, then you are spending about 70% of your free time in front of a box with your brain turned off. Sell your TV and cancel your cable subscription. You will save money and likely double the amount of time you can devote to the important things in life.

Low cost computers and Internet access have put the power of creative expression in the hands of the masses. Any one can start a blog, write a book, publish their photographs and music or sell their services online. Lack of money or time are not the problem. It is an issue of priorities. Do you value your flat screen TV more than saving money to start you own business? Do you value re-runs on TV more than quality time with your family and friends.

It is not necessary to quit your job to create the life you want. You can create more time and money just by focusing on the priorities in your life. Focus on the ONE, the one thing that will have the greatest impact in your life. In fact, quitting your job will likely be detrimental. You will be preoccupied about where and when money is going to come in that you will not be focused on doing what you know you need to do. If you can’t make the time to pursue your dreams and build the life you want now, quitting your job is just going to give you a lot more free time to waste vegging out in front of the TV,  browsing the Internet or drinking beer in the backyard. You have the time and money now if you decide to cut out the slack in your life and focus on what is important.

Please consider subscribing to my newlsetter or the RSS feed.

A beautiful goal.

Many people have goals to be rich, famous, travel the world, write a book or maybe even to lose 5 kilograms or 10 pounds. Those are all nice and interesting dreams but that is all they will be for most people; dreams. It is great to accomplish specific objectives and achieve goals, but there is more to life than just crossing off a list of experiences or purchases. What about the notion that the journey is its own reward? Is that just another bunch of feel good nonsense?

Perhaps a better way to improve the quality of your life is by cultivating habits. A habit is something you do everyday because it makes you feel better about yourself and your purpose on this planet. Instead of creating a goal to lose 5 kilograms, you might start eating healthy and exercising every day. What will have a greater impact on the quality of your life: losing 10 pounds or a lifelong pursuit of health and fitness? Of course, when you stop worrying about a big goal that can sometimes seem impossible to accomplish, and just focus on doing 5 or 10 minutes of exercise a day to start, you will soon see that your goal of losing weight will be accomplished anyway.

You may have a goal to write a book. Completing a full book, getting it published and marketing it is a huge undertaking and is likely to be overwhelming for most people. It is much easier to put it off until you have more time, more experience, more education, etc. We can always imagine a better time in the future to do something. That is called procrastination! How about starting the habit of writing instead of the goal of finishing a book. Everyday turn off the TV and write for one hour. Often your writing will be total garbage, but sometimes it might actually be creative and insightful. One thing is certain, you will get more done and the very act of writing will improve your skills regardless of whether you ever publish a book or not.

Many people would love to travel around the world. That is a very worthy goal that everyone should aim for if they can. However, dreaming about it doesn’t make it happen. Start acting today and everyday towards something that can help you travel. This may be forgoing eating lunch out everyday. Instead make a simple but healthy lunch at home and each and every day put $5 into your “travel around the world” jar. Five dollars a day is about $150 per month and $1800 per year. With some other savings and maybe some airmiles accumulated from credit cards you will be able to take that trip in a few short years.

I want to buy a new 17″ Macbook Pro, they are beautiful computers. I haven’t bought it yet so it is still a goal. It is not a particularly difficult goal to achieve. Anyone can buy one and if you don’t have the money you can probably put it on a credit card. However, getting the new computer will only bring temporary happiness as you play with your new toy. After the novelty has worn off you will be looking for the next latest, greatest gadget to add to your collection. Instead of having a goal to buy a new computer, try to put aside 10 percent of your income aside for purchases that are not really necessities but would be really nice to have. Let’s call it a “cool toy fund”. Instead of rushing out to buy it just because you can, consider if it is really necessary to the life you are trying to live. Think about the purchase for a few weeks before you buy. You may very well need the latest, fastest toy to do your work but still take some time to consider the purchase.

Consuming products doesn’t make you a better person, living positive habits everyday is the path to improving your life. Achieving goals do not make you a better person and they often don’t improve your life in measurable ways, but positive habits do. Consuming less, eating healthier, exercising more, thinking and writing more, all create lasting happiness in your life if they are lived daily as positive new habits.

What happens when you go out and buy a new car? You have this beautiful thing that is your identity. You drive a blankblank. Your blankblank is the newest and coolest on the block. You wash it more than your old car, you inspect it for scratches whenever you approach it and you do your best to keep it out of harms way. No parking next to other cars or leaving it on the street for some neighborhood kids to hit with a ball or a hockey stick.

Your blankblank is your friend. You caress it and love it like you would a pet, or maybe even a spouse. Not only did you spend a whole whack of cash on your blankblank, you are also paying higher insurance premiums and spending more of your free time taking care of your little blankblank. Even when you are in your office or at home in bed you worry if your blankblank is safe and protected. Blankblank is costing you money and time.

Your car, your house, your clothes, your toys; are all costing you time and money.  Consider the fact that billions of people live on less than you spend on a non-fat, tall, double latte each and everyday. Huge numbers of people can survive on a few dollars a day all over the globe. Certainly you can do with a little less. There are many ways to simplify: maybe downsize your house, drive your old car for a few more years, cycle to work so your family doesn’t need two cars, or don’t buy that fourth television.

If you want to live like the Jet Set without being rich, learn to simplify your life. Buy less things and experience life more. Bigger houses, faster cars and more toys are for rat race slaves that always manage to spend beyond their incomes. It is possible to travel the world and do the things you really love doing if you are willing to purchase less. There are basically two ways to put more money into your pocket; earn more or spend less. Earning more is important, you certainly want to work smarter and make more money. However, spending less is immediate and often easier than earning more. Saving $100 is worth more than earning an extra $100. Any extra money you make will be taxed so your take home amount maybe only $80 or even less if you are in a high income tax bracket. $100 in savings is $100 extra in your bank account.

Why should you save and sacrifice? We are all entitled to the good life, right? Perhaps. It is certainly your right to consume, but at the end of the day do you want to be known as a shopper or as someone who lived life? The time and money you spend on goods and unnecessary services would go along way to funding your dreams and creating something that will make a lasting impact on your life. Not having enough money is not a particularly convincing  excuse in this day and age. Anything is possible for anyone. It is not only the money your are sacrificing, all possessions require real and mental maintenance. The biggest cost of your possessions may very well the brain power you expend shopping for things, caring for things, and worrying about things. How much of your life is spent thinking about your possessions? Probably, too much.