I love Santa Monica. But finding a nice yet reasonably priced place to stay there is a pain in the ass.

A big chunk of that is due to the cost of accomodation in the area, with hotels usually starting in the hundreds. I love splashing out on $500/night hotels, but only if I wasn’t paying for them. And considering that I’ve gotten old of pick-pocketing cheap toileteries and hotel sandals, I needed something that yieleded a bit more benefits.

So after scourging through Tripadvisor, Virtualtourist, Orbitz and Travelocity to find the best deal possible and calling 18 different hotels on speed-dial seeing if any of them could hook us up, we stumbled upon the Santa Monica Travelodge on Pico Boulevard.

Ranked at the #6 spot on Tripadvisor, its rates were surprisingly lower than the rest of the competition by at least $100-$150. The only downside was its location.

It’s located 2 miles away from Santa Monica Beach, and 3 miles away from Venice Beach. So at first we thought that would mean having to hitchhike to offset the price difference, but it turned out that it costs like $10 in a cab only, which still means we’re saving at least $100-$200 a day compared to staying in the other places.

We booked a king bedroom ‘suite’ with a separate sitting area at a rate of just around £67 per night.  (FYI this occurred in January, and June-August rates are peak season, so prices go up to around £100 / room.)

When we first arrived, we didn’t know what to expect.  We were surprised therefore to find that the hotel was located on a main street that led directly into Santa Monica.  I was expecting it to be in the middle of nowhere, but there were actually plenty of restaurants, shops, and bars in the area. Not that I’d spend my whole time there, but at least weren’t in a completely isolated area, which is what I initially thought.

Upon arrival, the buildings weren’t much to look at from the outside, but as soon as we stepped into the hotel, the receptionist greeted us with a swift check-in.  We were also welcomed amicably with complimentary free parking on site, and given instructions on how to use the Wifi.

“Remember the complimentary breakfast from 7am-10am,” he said, and left us to check out our rooms.

As soon as we got to our rooms, our worries melted away.

I was worried about noise from the main street, but our rooms faced the courtyards and could barely hear anything.

The room was well furnished, with a nice double bed, a large flat screen TV, a separate kitchen/sitting area and a bathroom.  It was no designer hotel, but was very decent, no frills, and everything worked.

“It’s like a mini-suite on a budget,” I remember saying.

At some point we also got pretty thirsty, so we rang up the front desk asking if we could buy some water in the area.

Next thing we knew, a knock on the door, and we were brought 4 bottles of complimentary spring water.

4 bottles? Excessive but impressive.

Considering most hotels in the area probably charge $5 a bottle, I’m starting to like this place.

We got out of the hotel, and found that the bus stop was only across the road.  We also took a cab back to the hotel from Main Street / Ocean Blvd at 3 in the morning for just under £6 ($10).

Having saved over £100, we spent it on great food and some great souvenirs. Do check out The Massage Place where you can get a great massage for just $60, and also EuphoriaLovesRAWvolution, a subsidiary of The Euphoria Company that serves some great raw food.

I wish I woke up earlier to get the continental breakfast, but the next morning, we woke at 11 because the alarm didn’t go off (excuse for a late night), and so we frantically called the front desk requesting a late checkout.

The manager, a really cool guy, said

“Don’t worry. It’s Sunday and I never chase my guests out.”

Never heard that one before, but a good note to end on, along with the complimentary copy of USA Today at our doorstep.

The courtyard also had a few benches to soak in the sun, but we decided to spend it at the Farmer’s Market, worth a check if you want to experience some of the freshest and healthiest food you will eat in your life.

My personal opinion is that if you want to find an overpriced, expensive hotel in the Santa Monica region, there are plenty of them.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a nice, affordable place to stay at a great price, keep The Travelodge in mind when you’re in the area. And don’t forget your toiletries.

“Worry about being better; bigger will take care of itself.”
Gary Comer (1929–2006)-American entrepreneur, founder of Lands’ End

Ever since my early teenage years, I’ve had a passion for starting businesses.

The first business I ever did was selling flashing mobile stickers when I was 18.

I didn’t make alot of money, but it taught me a few things, from word of mouth marketing to seeking ‘distributor channels’ (including the guy down at the pub).

Then, there was eBay. I got into it in the early days (now it sucks, in my opinion).

I borrowed £60 and turned it into a bit over £15k within 3 months, and within 6 months, I was an eBay powerseller.

I have also done ventures ranging from building websites to investing in 1st edition books and the entertainment biz.

All of which I made a profit with.

But I also had a problem.

I grew too fast, and I got cocky.

And as I grew, I wanted a fancier website, a cooler logo, a team of staff, partners, automation, etc.

The problem was, I stopped focusing on being ‘better’ as I started to focus on being bigger.

I am a pretty competitive guy, and I like to win. But as soon as I win, which is often the case when I do something that excites me, I start to lose interest.

I’m sure this is also related to why I find it hard to just do one thing. I have too many ideas, and I want to do them all.

The problem with this approach, and I’m fully aware of it, is that it’ll be hard for me to be truly successful.  Instead, as my friend Todd says, it’s the easiest way to hit ‘mediocracy’.

I do find myself thinking: “If only I stuck with this, or that… not only would I be excellent at it now, but I’d probably also be a multi-millionaire.”

And if I look at my wealthy /successful friends, ranging from web entrepreneurs to multimillion business owners, their ability to stick to what they do is a big part of their success.

Last night here in Bocas Del Toro, I realised that I must re-strategize and re-think how I am approaching my business(es).

For one, I need to cut out the (es)xcess and start focusing on THE business, until I make it work.

Next, I have to focus on being better, instead of being bigger.

The easiest way to do that would be to do what truly excites me, something that I believe in, and where my energy lies (credit to my friend Fredrick).

How would I do that?

I can think of 3 main changes I must make (besides re-evaluating what truly excites me instead of focusing on the money):

(1) focus on that one thing, and one step at a time, and
(2) get through the dip, no matter what
(3) contribute, grow and giving value to be the best.

I have a better idea now of what truly excites me, and hopefully I’ll find some way to integrate this into my life.

And I hope you will too.

A few days ago, my friends Todd and Tynan from Life Nomadic called.

‘Hey man, we’re going on a chocolate road trip.”‘

‘What?’ I responded. Have my vegan friends turned chocolate fiends?

‘We’re going on a mission to find cocoa beans. Near Boquete. Are you in?”

I hesitated.

It sure sounds like an adventure, but I was in the middle of working on some stuff in Panama City.

And of course, there was my 21 day gym training.  My trainer would not be happy.

I also just started taking spanish lessons (along with my handy Pimsleur audio set).  How would I continue?

As I sat there in my A/C and Wifi equipped master bedroom, my laptop all setup for ‘work’ (not), and great restaurants at my doorstep, I was coming up with every excuse possible to just stay.

It would be more comfortable. I have work. I have commitments. I’ve also already paid for a whole month’s rent. I have milk in the fridge.

It was in that moment, when it hit me.

My excuses were lame.

The point of coming to Panama in the first place was to experiment implementing vacation with work life.

But so far, my ‘vacation’ has turned into my normal life back home.

I was eating at the same restaurants, walking the same streets., going to the same shops.

And if I stay, while I’d continue to enjoy $4 meals (like the Pollo con Arroz and Vegetales to the right), I thought to myself, would any of that change?

As someone who spouts and believes in pushing my comfort zone, new adventures, and living life to the fullest, deep down, I knew the right thing to do.

“I can work on the road. Do cross-fit with the guys. Hire an online Spanish teacher.”

So I made the decision.

“Ok… I’m in,” I said.

“Great! It’s going to be an adventure,” responded Tynan.

I knew it was going to be fun to travel with these nutters, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to work. I’ve always separated my work and my vacations. But maybe it’s time to experiment.

The very next day, with my backpack crammed full of what I thought as essentials, Todd and Ty drove to pick me up.

The adventure began.

To my surprise, I managed to more work on the 8 hour road trip than I probably would in days if I had just stayed where I was.

In the last few days, I’ve written a few articles, caught up with editing photos, got my product back on track, and instead of sitting at a desk with a view of a bunch of old buildings with cars honking 24/7, we are at an altitude of around 3000 feet in the mountains of Boquete.

The altitude not only means that I no longer need A/C with a cool refreshing breeze outside, but it also means a clear sky filled with stars at night, and clean fresh air.

And in between doing work,  we have already had some crazy adventures.

Yesterday, we went to explore wild life at an animal rescue sanctuary. I got a rare blue African Macaw to sit on my arm, fed a Cockatoo, played with a Jaguarundi, and held a 2 toed sloth upside down… just to name a few.

The highlight was getting to hold a baby owl in my hands, blowing on it to keep it warm, while it looked lovingly at me with its big eyes.

It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

And today, as I write this, I’m recovering from an evening of horseback riding with a rodeo in the mountains.  We’ve decided that today will be a day of work.  Oh, I also got a new Spanish teacher who will be giving me 1-1 lessons on Skype in between.

In summary, I definitely think making your normal life a vacation is entirely possible. You will need to be willing to burn a few bridges, have the right equipment, business, and push your comfort zone. Hanging with the right people, like my Life Nomadic pals, with a good work/life balance and are up for doing cool stuff all the time certainly helps.

“Don’t Take a Vacation From Your Normal Life. Make Your Normal Life a Vacation”

Panama’s been getting more and more interesting.

Just the other day, I almost got arrested by 2 police officers.

Here’s the whole story, and what I learned from it.

Background

It was late at night.  The local supermarket was open for 24 hours. I was bored.  So I made a trip.

The roads were entirely empty.  I felt pretty safe.  But just as I turned a corner, a police van drove by very slow on the other side of the road.  I noticed there was a cage on the back of the van.  I felt amused, and wanted to take a photo.

But before I could, they rolled down the window, and started shouting at me in Spanish.

The van stopped. Crap.  It was only me and then on this street in the middle of the night.  I looked at them.  They looked at me, and gestured me over.

My 2 Options

I figured I had one of 2 options:

1. Run as fast as I could, and hope they don’t shoot me in the back.  (The probability was probably 50/50, depending on how often they practiced on the shooting range vs scamming tourists)

2. Go over and say hello.  What’s the worse that could happen?  Hey, maybe I’ll even learn some Spanish.

I went with the latter option.

Corrupt Cops

As I approached the van in the dim moonlight, I could see they were in police uniform, in what looked like an authentic van. Okay, should be safe, I said to myself.

But as I got closer, I could see the hungry look of the 2 cops inside. They way they looked around, with their eyes darting.. something was off.

In my very limited experience with police officers and CSI Miami, these 2 looked like what would be coined ‘Dirty Cops’.

That’s when I recall rule number 1 in situations like this:

1. Act Like A Dumb Happy Tourist

The first cop asked for my passport.

Pretended I didn’t know what he was asking for.

He asked for it again.

So I handed him my US driving license.

The truth is, I didn’t have my passport on me.

Oh man, this is turning into Prison Break, I thought to myself.

Fortunately, Cop #2 nodded.  Phew.  But Cop #1 stared at me.  The other cop now said something about ‘dineros’.

Doesn’t that mean money?  Are they asking me for a direct bribe?

I do recall reading on Tripadvisor that police officers get paid pretty poorly and often have side hobbies like this.  It’s rare, but happens.  All you have to do was to tip them off with a $5 or $10 note.

But herein lies the problem…

I only had 3 dollars on me.

‘Lo Siento!’ I said. ‘Solo Tres Dollares!’

They looked at each other, probably thinking damn, what a waste of time.  These chinos so stingy! I thought I was going to get away with it, when the first cop pointed at the cup of water I had in my hand.

He grabbed it, and sniffed it.

‘Alcohol?’ he asked.

No you idiot.  It’s water.

‘Agua Freya,’ I said.

He sniffed it again.

I figured I had  to act fast, because in about 10 seconds they’d probably pull out their breathalyzer.

Then again, their damn breathalyzer was probably out of batteries.

Seeing that my options are running thin and my patience was running out, I took approach number 2:

2. Act Like A Chinese Triad Mafia

Panama happened to have a population that is 10% chinese.  I happen to look like one of them.  It also happened that my apartment was in the ‘Chinatown’ of Panama.

Perfect.

I told them that ‘mi chino amigos’ were just around the corner.  I completely made that up.  I  figured if I told them I had chinese friends around the corner it would at least put them off a bit.

It worked. They looked at each other, and scanned me up and down, and looked confused about what they should do.

So I stuck out my hand for a handshake.

The first cop fell for it, and shook my hand, and handed back my ID, albeit somewhat hesitantly.

I ran away.

Lesson Learned

1. Minimize going out at night. Alone…. In the dark.

2. Police van stopping you with dodgy looking cops? RUN!

3. Carry more than $3.  Just in case.

4. Make friends with the local triads

5. Believe in pattern interruptions.  Believe. (thanks Tony Robbins)

Ok bedtime.  Pura la vida!

With the recession taking its toll, it’s a good idea to save some money. But your health is still important, so ideally you don’t have to compromise fitness for budgeting.

If you want to go cheap, try running around the house.  Naked.  Also, my mom had a theory that gyms don’t work . She suggested that I consider sweeping the floor or cleaning the windows.  I considered it for a while, but not seeing any results, I’ve decided to stick to the gym plan.

I am currently on day 2 of my 21 day ‘Wong Body Transformation Program’. And today I decided to share some details of how I got this gym membership, tailored diet plan, and even a personal trainer available 24/7 for the next 21 days to whip my body into action….  all for just $100 (£68).

For one, I’m in Panama.  That means things in general are cheaper.  But before you start shouting at me for comparing the impossible, know that the average tourist here pays around $75 a month for a gym membership alone.

So how did I get my training program for under $100 / month, which includes a gym membership, a tailored 6 daily vomit-inducing meal plan, the occasional complimentary protein shake, and the pleasure of a meathead PT shouting at me in Espanol for 2 hours a day?

(1) Going basic, and pushing your comfort zone
(2) Going OFFLINE
(3) Negotiating (and knowing what you want)

1. Going Basic and pushing your comfort zone

The gym I just joined is not somewhere you want to bring your wife or kids. Think Gold Gym with no air conditioning, mostly free weights, and with most guys 3-4x my size (and I’m average weight for my height).

I must admit when I first stepped in, I felt uncomfortable. But I also realised that the shape most of these guys were in was also closer to where I wanted to be.

There were no fancy widescreen TVs, wireless internet, nor Pringle machines in the hallways (as a friend of mine spotted back home.  Surely is a crime).

I decided that I was there to work out, not to gawk at eye candy (having said that, the eye candy at Powerclub did make that decision a bit more difficult)

2. Going Offline

Looking around on major Panama forums, the 2 major gyms in Panama City are Sports Tek, the newest addition, and Powerclub (a chain, like David LLoyds and LA Fitness).

The average gym membership starts from around $50 a month, with a $40 mandatory joining fee.

As I’m only here for another 21 days, it works out as a pretty bad deal for jsut the gym alone.  A personal trainer would cost $15-$25 per hour in addition to that, which still works out cheaper than back home, but still….

So I decided to go offline.

My theory: Businesses that advertise online usually have money. They have money because they make good profit. They make a good profit usually because they have a recurring program designed by marketers that maximize their upline.

So by looking online, you miss out on smaller ‘family run’ traditional businesses that may not have the resources to hire a tech savvy team. 

I found this gym in the local yellow book, advertised simply as a 2 line regular ad in the phone directory.  Never to look at big catchy colourful ads, because that is also an indication of their ad budget (which obviously they have to make back).  

I am not interested in a place that’s owned by corporate people trying to grow the business to a gazillion chains.

3. Negotiating (and knowing what you want)

The initial price quoted to me was $30 a month for the gym itself and $15 per day for a trainer.

It’s alot cheaper than the major chains that want $20 / hr, plus no joining fee.

But at the rates given, it still worked out around $200 for the whole 21 days (give or take, as I don’t plan to be there every single day).

The question obviously is: how did I get it down to $100 for the whole 21 days?

By negotiating. And by knowing exactly what I want.

Firstly, I made sure I spoke to the boss (who subsequently decided to train me personally instead of his staff). I made it clear that my maximum budget was $120. I want to get the most I can for that money but I definitely want a trainer.

Second, I explained that I would only be in town for 21 days. That I plan to only work out 4 days a week, 1 hour a day, and in the mornings when it’s quiet. I also explained I had no need to call for personal advice, and will stick to whatever diet plan is given.

Finally, I had a conversation (in very broken spanish). I discovered that the trainer’s son was a graphics designer. It happened that I need someone to do some graphics for one of my websites. I didn’t promise anything but said I’ll have a look at his portfolio and see if I can get him some work.

In the end, he offered it to me for $100. Conditions? None! I still get to call him when I want, and go to the gym all day if I like (no thank you!).

Conclusion

This is by no means a comparison to what’s available in the US or UK.   Just remember to look around and remember to look offline. Know what you want, and ask if you really need all the ‘extras’ for the goal you are trying to achieve. And if possible, for smaller gyms, speak to the individual (ideally the owner). And once you’ve joined a gym, don’t try to go – stick to your plan!

There’s 4 words I want to say today.

Do it fucking now. (or the HKW coined ‘DIFN’ concept. What do you prefer? :))

What do I mean?

I mean cut your excuses, your rationalisations, your delays, and your bullshit.

Because if you don’t do it now, you probably will never get around to it.

Example

DIFN is the reason I’ve just started my crazy 21 day ‘Wong Body Transformation Program’ and have shaky legs as I stand and type this!)

There are plenty of other examples I can give in my life when I delayed and never go around to doing stuff.  For example, a year ago, I found myself preoccupied with thinking of quitting my day job as a hospital doctor.   It was, at the time at least in that reality, a really foolish thing to think about.  But in hindsight, probably one of the best things I’ve ever done (but that’s for another story).

I’m truly trying to implement this DIFN concept, because I’ve had too many times in my life when I did NOT do it sooner and regretted it.

Often, whatever you think about the most is what you need to do the most.

Do What You Are Most Uncomfortable About

Try an experiment, suggested by a mentor of mine for years.  Each day, do something that makes you uncomfortable.  Push yourself beyond what you believe your identity is.  Most likely right now, you’ve fallen into your daily routine and just doing what you’re comfortable with.

At first, you’ll have to be consciously aware of it.  Then after a while, it becomes almost natural.  You start chasing the “adventure” for the adrenaline.

Don’t Let Fear Control You

But it’s not always excitement.  Sometimes it can be fear.

For example, I almost backed down on this 21 day transformation challenge.  When I found the gym, and got close to going through the checklist (and it started meeting my criterias), excuses I came up with include:

-This gym sucks. It’s too basic.
-21 days is not enough time. I won’t see any changes.
-There is no eye candy
-These guys don’t speak much English.
-It’s too expensive
-Why waste my holiday on working out
-I can do this tomorrow.  I’ll go home and think about it.

Be Consciously Aware

The last one (for me anyway) is usually the killer.  I had to become consciously aware that I was delaying and postponing the process out of fear.  I knew that if I went home and thought about whether I wanted to eat 6 meals a day and spend 2 hours a day over the next 3 weeks of what is to be a relaxing holiday in the gym, I would probably self talk myself out of it.

Going to the gym and improving my health/fitness and physique is something I need to do, but one of the last things I want to do.

Reframing

Usually the last thing you want to do is probably the thing you should do first.

It also reminded me of a Steven Covey (I think) quote: “First things first, second things never.”

What I had to do was consciously reframe every resistance I had.  So from the list above, I turned it into:

-No frills is good.  AND with the biggest meatheads I’ve ever seen? This is how I’ll grow.  I’ll leave and go back to the UK and kick some ass.
-21 days isn’t alot of time, but wouldn’t it be amazing if I can create a physical transformation that is noticeable?  How impressed would I be with myself, and how much bragging rights would I get?
-It’s good that there’s no eye candy.  I am there to work out. (Plus my girlfriend will be happy)
-I get to learn some Spanish while I’m at it
-I’m getting a bargain.  Personal trainer 24/7 PLUS hardcore gym for $100, I won’t get an opportunity like this again anytime soon.
-2 hours a day during my time here would set me even more productive.  I’m wasting 2 hours a day on nothing now.  Better fitness = better mind = better enjoyment.
-I only have 21 days, so the sooner I do this, the better.

DO IT NOW!

Whatever it is you’ve been wanting to do…. but been giving yourself one excuse after another…. do it fucking now, or you’ll never get around to doing it.

You can decide AFTER you start doing it whether it’s the right thing.  Even though sticking and pushing yourself through the dip is for a whole other discussion. :)

Anyway, time to go to bed.  Day 2 of The Wong 21 Day Body Transformation begins tomorrow.

I’ll share more tomorrow.  All I will say is that the meals are killing me, and the workout is so intense I sometimes wonder if I’m even doing the right thing.  I know I am, and I just have to keep the belief, yo!

I was having a chat with my good friend Jared recently, and decided to write a post about the importance of investing in yourself.

Not only is Jared a great guy and a mentor of sorts, but he’s a very successful one at that with a very varied life.

I look up to Jared as a great role model, both in terms of his success with business, and as both  a great husband and father.

In fact, beyond our similar interests in business ventures, Jared inspires me in many ways to be a better man.

So we were recently talking about spending money, when he said something that really stuck with me.

‘I invest in myself,’ Jared said.

I thought about this for a while, and ended up thinking about it for days on end.

“Do I invest in myself?” I pondered.

Of course I do, I thought.

I spend money on stuff that I think improves my quality of life.

But as I thought more and more about what I’ve spent my money on in the last year, I must admit…. it was not pretty.

5 Things I’ve Spent most of my money on in 2008

1. A 37″ Samsung Widescreen LCD TV
2. Multiple flights for trip abroad, including one business class ticket to Asia
3. A holiday to the Carribean
4. Minimally 4 star hotels
5. Other hobbies and vices that yield very little return in the long term

As I wrote them down (now), I am sat here, shaking my head.

Talk about countless hours wasted on watching movies and TV shows on my huge TV, which I could have spent to develop my business instead, or in building relationships.

And business class flights? I know at least 3 multi-millionaires who fly economy.

And expensive hotels… for the 8 hours I sleep in it, is it really worth it?  And of course, we all have vices, but not alot in return for the initial ‘investment’.

All this cash spent could have instead been used to invest in my business and in growing it.

But I don’t do it.

In fact, when I start spending money on things that yields me good long term returns, I even occasionally get ANGRY or FRUSTRATED.

Why We Don’t Like To Invest In Ourselves

My suspicion is that I am simply too focused on looking for INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

For example, I spent over $500 in meals in 5 days recently in the USA.

I was pretty pissed off about it.   I mean, $500 in 5 days on FOOD?  That’s retarded.

(Then another $300-$500 in gifts… but we won’t even go there.)

But the reality was…. it was a investment long term.

Mostly, taking people who have helped me better my life out for meals.  People who have invested in me, and my success and future.

And to me, the value I am getting from these relationships is worth alot more than the $500 or so I spent on taking them out for a nice meal or two.

On the other hand, I probably spent $1,000+ on my TV (even thought it was on sale!), and further ridiculous sums of money on other stuff that yield little return.  And I do so without blinking an eye.

Why?

I think the human brain evolved over decades, to look for a way that gives us INSTANT PLEASURE.

It doesn’t help that we live in an information age.

It must be some weird survival mechanism.

But truth is, I know it’s something I have to work on.  To change my habits and patterns, and to rewire my thinking.

Tony Robbins Says…

I was listening to Tony Robbins yesterday, and he said that WE create how we feel.

The idea is that we feel certain ways to protect our core identity.

Instead of blaming ourselves, we curse everything around us as the fault.

For example, I recently lost a $300+ camera.

I blamed it on the maid.  For stealing my camera with all my pics.  Because my roomie and I were certain it was still in the room.

I blamed it on the Sheraton LAX.  For being the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in.  Let me underline that.  They gave us a room initially with a WET carpet, billed us 3x in the first 24 hours for internet access, lost an important package delivered to me, and of course… my camera!

See, I’m doing it again.

Truth is, it’s MY fault.  I LEFT the camera in the room.

Period.

(but I will add: the Sheraton LAX IS in fact the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in.  I will underline that again!  Hotel management promised to get back to me on my camera despite numerous calls and leaving my email and they never did.  So I hope this post gets backlined to the top of Google.  How you like ‘em apples now, biatches?).

What I also discovered, was that when I had myself stuck to that mindset, all kinds of bad shit started happening.

I’m normally quite a happy, chilled out sort of guy, and things come pretty naturally to me.  I won’t go into the following 48 hours, but let’s just say it made me realise that I must in some way be responsible for causing all that was happening around me.

As soon as I STOPPED and interrupted my state, and immediately changed my PHYSIOLOGY and my THINKING, life was good again.

It’s still not going to make me feel any better, but at least by taking responsibility for something I did, and MOVING ON, it freed some weird ‘law of attraction’ type thing going on.

I digress.  Going back to the point of his post….

INVEST IN YOURSELF

Writing all this down, I realise there’s a few shifts in habits that will have to occur in order for me to change.

I’m getting there slowly.  Before I travelled out here, I’ve sold my LCD TV.  It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done.  I mentioned this in my list of ‘25 things you may not know about me‘.

Right now, I’m here in Panama, on a ticket that costed under $280 round trip.  And while I’m having a good time, the trip is actually mostly work/business related, so I’m getting some stuff done, too.

I’m also going to start focusing on hobbies that actually give me better investment returns.  Skills and assets that no one else can take away from me.

And here’s a list of a few things that I think I can focus on redirecting my money, time  and energy towards this year.

5 Things I plan to invest in this 2009:

1. My health: I whine and complain about a $50 gym membership.  But the outcome is to have an amazing physique.  And I know it’s possible to achieve this in under 6 months.  It’ll be around a $1k investment, along with good food/diet, and a membership.  But more importantly, it’s diverting one hour a day which I previously spent watching TV or doing something pointless to this.

2. A new skill: I recently obtained NLP/Hypnosis certification, and that made me feel really good (train with the BEST in the world: conversational-hypnosis.com) I have also always wanted to Sky Dive, or learn Scuba Diving.  I also want to learn Hip Hop or Boxing.  I also thought about starting to sing again, or do magic again.  I could start taking weekly lessons.  In fact, if I aim to get a certificate that allows me to teach these one day, it would be a great investment.  That’s what Jared is doing, and I know it’s a very smart and wise thing to do for many reasons.  It will be a steep learning curve, but certainly more intellectually stimulating that stupid hobbies and vices that yield little in return.

3. My business:  I’m already well on my way to being a minimalist, and selling stuff.  I even changed my blog design to reflect that minimalist feel (if you haven’t noticed!).  In terms of my business, I will focus on long term growth vs short term cash.  However, the past few months have been pretty great, and I am excited by where this is all going.

4. Relationships:  I am lucky to have some amazing friends and mentors, and I should continue to embrace this and invest in the synergistic relationship.  My girlfriend has also been so amazing to support me through thick and thin.  I hope to continue to be able to contribute to these relationships for as long as they last, and return the value I have been given many times over.

5. A new language: I am well on my way to learning my 5th language now, Spanish.  I previously thought it would be expensive to have 1-1 lessons, but if I can locate a good teacher that can get me up to speed in 20-30 hours / week during my next 4 weeks here in Panama to being close to basic conversational fluency, then I think it would be worth every penny.

Feel free to share yours in the comments below.

I’ve only been in Panama for 4 days but now starting to be able to do basic conversation.  Before I arrived I spoke almost zero Spanish.

How?  I will share in a different post.

This post is to share the top 100 most spoken English words, translated to Spanish.

The list actually only took me about 10 minutes to do (mostly formatting).

It may not be 100% accurate but probably a good start.  Enjoy!

Obviously having them in sentences is another story.  My current plan is:

1. Deconstruct the language to get a good overview.
2. 30 minutes of Pimsleur Spanish every day, as suggested by my pal Tynan
3. Hire a Spanish tutor locally or on Skype for 2 hours a day

We recently went to Las Vegas.

And it was spectacular.

Upon arrival, we got upgraded to a Caesar’s Palace August Tower Deluxe Suite.  Not bad at all, with a direct view of the Bellagio Fountains.

Next, we had an early morning private helicopter ride over the Grand Canyons the next day.

Then, we managed to watch Cirque’s Mystere show for FREE (worth over $150 each).

How did we manage to pull all that off?

A few elements were involved, but for the hotel upgrade, it was a variation of the $20 trick. I shall expand on this later.

Truth be told, alot had to do with meeting the right, cool people.  For one, Vegas is full of high rollers who get access to all these cool things.  A friend of mine in fact told me that he used to get offered private planes and limos with personal butlers and unlimited suite stays for him and his friends.

So often, by just being in the right circles, you’ll find yourself reaping a few benefits.

However, if you choose the DIY approach, you may want to know how you could do this without going broke.

Well, there are a few tricks that can make you appear like a high roller without actually blowing all your cash.  Here’s a few:

1. Big Bank Roll: Few of us will be at the level of Australian billionaire Kerry Packer, the world’s highest-stakes gambler, who bets up to $375,000 per hand while playing seven blackjack hands at a time.  But you don’t need to actually gamble away your life savings to reap a few benefits.

Only about 500 people in the world have truly elite high roller status (credit line of $4-5 million).  How many of these 500 people are in the casino at one time?  Very very unlikely.  And since staff are hired exclusively to look for gamblers with ‘above average’ spending, they simply rely on cues that signal that. We will delve in this more later.

2. Rub Shoulders: The cocktail waitresses tend to serve you drinks more frequently by the stakes you play.  Just having a large number of chips (if you can exercise the discipline to not toss them all on red) in front of
you will have a similar effect.

A friend of mine is a professional poker player, and told me that by simply hanging out with high rollers, you also reap the benefits.

3. Avoid the slots: Jack playing 21 is going to get more drinks than grandma at the $0.10 slot machines.  They also
tend to be spotted more, because they are in the INNER rim of the casino. You see, most slot machines are on the outer rims, where staff pay less attention. So stick to showing your cash in the inner rims, to get maximum effect.

4. Cocktail Waitress Sexy Tip: Unfortunately you can’t get around Vegas without tipping.  Most people get stingy when it comes to this and tip the minimum.

So how do you make the most of this situation?  You may not like what I say here, but a friend suggests handing her a $20
the first time (for several drinks).

The result? You instantly are an A-lister  in the cocktail waitress’s eyes.  After that, she will most likely frequent and allow you to have multiple drinks per person.  Obviously, still tip her $1 a drink on average.

How does this work out in terms of savings? Say over the course of an evening, you buy 5 drinks.  Each is worth $5-$10 in Vegas (depending on the establishment).  Say we pay an average of $8 a drink (including a standard $1 tip in USA), that works
out as:

$8×5  = $40.

By tipping $20 up front, and $1 per drink after, you get 5 drinks for:

$20 + 5 x $1 = $25.

Obviously, don’t get too drunk and gamble all your cash away…

5. Dress well: As ridiculous as it sounds, projecting a positive image in casinos = more ‘winnings’.  Las Vegas is not all glitz and glamour.  I made the mistake on the last day (being down with a cold) dressed in a hoodie, sunglasses, sneakers and a huge black fur coat.  I basically looked like someone out of ‘Cheech and Chong: Going to Las Vegas’.  As soon as we approached the table, the woman gestures the casino manager who subsequently IDs us.  We weren’t even planning to gamble!  I still like to think it was being we looked under age or something.  Self rationalisation is great.

So dress nicely.  Casino managers are more likely to approach and offer you freebies.  I know, because the contrast to the night before was huge in the way we treated.  And if Wong can do it, you can too.

If you got tips for Vegas, feel free to share them below.

I’m back!

It’s been a long time since I’ve updated my blog.

There really isn’t any excuse, except that I’ve been pretty damn busy.

Over the last few months, I’ve been focusing alot on my own personal development and growth.

I have seen some profound breakthroughs in my life, thanks to great friends and mentors.  You know who you are.  My deepest heartfelt ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my heart.  I am grateful.

So what have I been up to?  Here’s the top 10 highlights off the top of my head:

1. Reaching #1 on Google for certain keywords in my ‘day job’ that brought in offline clients.  Pretty cool!  Learned alot about SEM, SEO and SERP stuff, and writing for a top UK consumer blog that’s taught me alot.

2. Flying across the Grand Canyon on a private helicopter with friends, picnicking in the Canyon itself.  I’m sure this is the 1st of 7 (and more) wonders to experience in the world.

3. Learning alot about outsourcing and managing teams.  Will share more in upcoming posts if there’s any interest.

4. Breaking through 1k followers on Twitter (follow me @hongkongwong).  Thank you, you’re awesome! (DM or get in touch if I can help in any way)

5. Getting certified as an NLP hypnotist. Certificate and all.  Not sure what I’ll do with this yet, but I’m sure it’ll come to me in time.

6. ‘Getting’ The Power of Now.  And reaching a new paradigm shift about what life really is all about.  Profound breakthrough.

7. Meeting Eben Pagan. And getting his personal advice for my business.

8. Getting to Panama.

9. Forming my new mastermind.

10. ‘Getting’ Radical Honesty.

There’s plenty more, but that’s 10 things off the top of my head right now.  Anyway I’ll prob blog about some of these things individually later.  I want to focus on things I’m learning each and every day that I think are worth sharing on personal development, lifestyle design, travel and profound insights I’ve gained from people wiser than me.  So hopefully, you’ll learn something by reading my blog too.

I’m also hoping it won’t be much work to get back to where we were last September (reaching 50k / month readers! Thank you for reading… it means alot, and I appreciate the support).

My goal by end of 2009 would be to reach 100k readers / month on HongKongWong.  That’d be cool.

Finally, check out my friends Tynan and Todd from LifeNomadic.Com.  They will be joining me here in Panama in just a few days to begin Life Nomadic 2009.  Should be fun, as long as Tynan takes it easy with his crazy antics…

If there’s anything you particular liked me blogging/twittering about, just shout out in comments below.   Always open to new ideas/suggestions.