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Unhappy? Then pack your damn bags and move...

NewManRising

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I really want to move but I don't want to take a giant leap like moving out of state. It's a long term plan but I want to build my skills and income a little bit.

I am pretty angry at the moment and it has been going on for about 9 months now. Long story short, I come from an extremely dysfunctional family. My brother also married a woman who brought her extreme selfishness, greed, and recklessness into out family.

There is a long history of multiple family members basically ripping my mother off for 10s of thousands of dollars over 25 years. My mom passed away in 2019. Since then everyone has been on my back trying to basically put me in the position my mother was in.

I moved out of state to get away from one family member. My brother basically conned/convinced me to move back to Los Angeles and said they had a vacancy at his apartment complex. Aside from it being expensive ($1650 for a 575 sq ft 1 bedroom), my brother problems from his marriage are finding their way to me.

There is no fixing their marriage, his wife is too psychotic and her pride and ego is through the roof. She has to live like she's rich and pretty soon, they are going to run out of money. They have a pattern and no matter how much money they have, they always wind up broke due to his wife's over spending.

I can just feel the pressure and stress because they are implying, signaling and even acting in ways where they think they are going to start draining my finances.

Most of my life I've been an outsider to my family. There were multiple families within my family that really divided people and it was all about money. I spent most of my life surviving with zero help. I've had to deal with so much bullshit and struggle.

But through the years I got educated, and then even Fastlane educated. When I first came to LA, I was organized, high energy, had somewhat of a good network and now all that is gone. My personality now is changed and I am nothing like who I am. I am having performance issues at my jobs. This is a problem because if I can't do this work I cannot survive in Los Angeles. Nothing pays what I need to make in order to sustain myself. There's also a lot of discrimination due to identity politics.

I know I need to disappear and leave my family for good. I am pretty sure my brother's wife is going to eventually put him and then the rest of their family on the street. This is a real reality. I don't want to be around for it and feel extremely sad for him. He just doesn't have the balls to say no or stand up to his wife. And now they have the oldest daughter basically living as a clone of his wife. Like I say, it is about her pride and ego.

I was planning to move somewhere away from them but still local and not share my location with them. Problem is, to live anywhere a little better than the city I am in, the rent starts at at least $2000 a month for a 1 bedroom.

I can't even concentrate and make any consistent money. I was doing contract IT work and basically learned everything hands-on. This type of work requires extreme professionalism, organization, good attitude, critical thinking, etc and I have lost this. I am even having days where I'd rather isolate and not even go out in the world. I am having road rage and impatience with people and people are noticing.

I'd move anywhere but my thoughts are that you need to be able to make money. I am just not quite where I need to be. This is the one barrier that holds me back from taking these big leaps. I feel that if I do not have a solid plan and the ability to make money locally, I could put myself in a trap.

The thought of staying local makes me think that once the stress and problems go down I can concentrate and build something. This goes back to my history over my lifetime. My family has always made sure to sabotage or prevent me from ever really building anything. Their problems, their burdens, their greed of having to come first has always had an effect on me. It's something I could never escape no matter where I went.

I thought when my mom passed away this all ended and I could finally live my life. But, all that has happened is the snakes in my family have pivoted over to me and have been relentless for the last 4 years.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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I'd move anywhere but my thoughts are that you need to be able to make money.

Excuses. You can make money anywhere.

Clearly the pain of having to deal with an insane family isn't quite enough to the perceived pain of moving and figuring it out.

I moved 1,800 miles with $900 and no job and a business that made about $100/mo.

Instead of thinking about every excuse why I couldn't, I thought about how I could, right down to the worse case scenario which was still BETTER than staying put.
 

Wael

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I really want to move but I don't want to take a giant leap like moving out of state. It's a long term plan but I want to build my skills and income a little bit.

I am pretty angry at the moment and it has been going on for about 9 months now. Long story short, I come from an extremely dysfunctional family. My brother also married a woman who brought her extreme selfishness, greed, and recklessness into out family.

There is a long history of multiple family members basically ripping my mother off for 10s of thousands of dollars over 25 years. My mom passed away in 2019. Since then everyone has been on my back trying to basically put me in the position my mother was in.

I moved out of state to get away from one family member. My brother basically conned/convinced me to move back to Los Angeles and said they had a vacancy at his apartment complex. Aside from it being expensive ($1650 for a 575 sq ft 1 bedroom), my brother problems from his marriage are finding their way to me.

There is no fixing their marriage, his wife is too psychotic and her pride and ego is through the roof. She has to live like she's rich and pretty soon, they are going to run out of money. They have a pattern and no matter how much money they have, they always wind up broke due to his wife's over spending.

I can just feel the pressure and stress because they are implying, signaling and even acting in ways where they think they are going to start draining my finances.

Most of my life I've been an outsider to my family. There were multiple families within my family that really divided people and it was all about money. I spent most of my life surviving with zero help. I've had to deal with so much bullshit and struggle.

But through the years I got educated, and then even Fastlane educated. When I first came to LA, I was organized, high energy, had somewhat of a good network and now all that is gone. My personality now is changed and I am nothing like who I am. I am having performance issues at my jobs. This is a problem because if I can't do this work I cannot survive in Los Angeles. Nothing pays what I need to make in order to sustain myself. There's also a lot of discrimination due to identity politics.

I know I need to disappear and leave my family for good. I am pretty sure my brother's wife is going to eventually put him and then the rest of their family on the street. This is a real reality. I don't want to be around for it and feel extremely sad for him. He just doesn't have the balls to say no or stand up to his wife. And now they have the oldest daughter basically living as a clone of his wife. Like I say, it is about her pride and ego.

I was planning to move somewhere away from them but still local and not share my location with them. Problem is, to live anywhere a little better than the city I am in, the rent starts at at least $2000 a month for a 1 bedroom.

I can't even concentrate and make any consistent money. I was doing contract IT work and basically learned everything hands-on. This type of work requires extreme professionalism, organization, good attitude, critical thinking, etc and I have lost this. I am even having days where I'd rather isolate and not even go out in the world. I am having road rage and impatience with people and people are noticing.

I'd move anywhere but my thoughts are that you need to be able to make money. I am just not quite where I need to be. This is the one barrier that holds me back from taking these big leaps. I feel that if I do not have a solid plan and the ability to make money locally, I could put myself in a trap.

The thought of staying local makes me think that once the stress and problems go down I can concentrate and build something. This goes back to my history over my lifetime. My family has always made sure to sabotage or prevent me from ever really building anything. Their problems, their burdens, their greed of having to come first has always had an effect on me. It's something I could never escape no matter where I went.

I thought when my mom passed away this all ended and I could finally live my life. But, all that has happened is the snakes in my family have pivoted over to me and have been relentless for the last 4 years.
Having lived in Africa for 15 years in the middle of nowhere, I aspired to launch online businesses. However, after realizing a lack of opportunities, I made the decision to move to France a few months ago. It's there that I chose to adopt the Fastlane philosophy.

It's regrettable to see people born in a country and stay there their whole lives, as it can be a major mistake. Perhaps it's necessary to step out of our geographical comfort zone to seize new opportunities and achieve entrepreneurial ambitions.

Because apparently, it's by stepping out of our comfort zone that we discover our true potential and can truly turn our dreams into reality.
 

amp0193

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I wonder if you're a dad with 2-3 family members, are you going to do the same thing?

Being in 20s is easy to move alone and get a job, but with family of 4 it's holding me back

It's harder, but possible.

I was ready to move 8 years ago. My wife wasn't. Some of the "sacred cows" from MJ's OP were mental blocks for her.

I would rather stay here and be with my wife, than move and not be. So I let it go for a while.

But through travel every couple of years, and lots of discussions over the years, and just growing older and changing mindset, she was eventually ready.

Now my kids are 9 and 7. More painful for them to uproot than when they were 3 and 1. But I think it will be a net benefit to their (and our) lives in the future, so I'm working on making it happen regardless.

Like pretty much anything else in life: if it's important enough to you, you find a way to make it happen.
 
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amp0193

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I love Texas, but I hope that the culture isn't changed from everyone else moving here. We are nice, we are kind, will open doors for another, we don't tolerate people who do bad things to others. From disasters we help each other. Don't ruin our state with other policies from other states.
And gas/rent is cheaper than other places, and no state income tax.

It's also hot as shit for 3 months out of the year.
 

David Fitz

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I took the leap and moved from Ireland to Portugal.

I was very comfortable in Ireland. I was earning decent money with my cleaning business.

I was very unhappy though. I've always hated living in Ireland.

I'm here now in Portugal and don't think I'd ever go back home.

I had to start out from Scratch with an online business. Last month I thought I was going to have to get a JOB but it all seems to be working out now.

You just have to take that risk and move.
 

MTF

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I took the leap and moved from Ireland to Portugal.

I was very comfortable in Ireland. I was earning decent money with my cleaning business.

I was very unhappy though. I've always hated living in Ireland.

I'm here now in Portugal and don't think I'd ever go back home.

I had to start out from Scratch with an online business. Last month I thought I was going to have to get a JOB but it all seems to be working out now.

You just have to take that risk and move.

I love it. That's awesome. Are you buying a house in Portugal? Are you learning Portuguese? How has your daily life and hobbies change?
 
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David Fitz

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I love it. That's awesome. Are you buying a house in Portugal? Are you learning Portuguese? How has your daily life and hobbies change?

Thanks.

We're still sussing out Portugal and deciding between here or Spain. Taxes in Portugal are high if you don't get the NHR scheme here and it's only for 10 years.

Property is dear here too compared to places in Spain like Alicante.

Lifestyle has changed a lot. We are very active which we wanted. The sun shines about 300 days a year compared to about 100 back in Ireland.

We seem to be meeting a lot more people than we did back home which is surprising. It's like when you meet expats you have something in common and a lot of people have moved here too who work or a have a business online.
 

ygtrhos

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I have done this 3-4 times and it creates sometimes more problems than it solves.

1- Moved in 2010 from Turkey to Darmstadt - I was 21 - best decision I have made in my life. I have got access to Euro, a stable currency, I got a degree for almost nothing (for which I received a 0% interest tuition credit). Following this, I made a PhD.

I could earn in TR around 600-700€. I earned 3700€ when I left my job in Leipzig.

Downside was the social life. Darmstadt has two big technical schools. If you dive deep into data, it has 4 times more men than women between 18-29. My life sucked there big time. I had no friends for a year, and no gf for 3 years. I had to really make it a priority to get women.

2- Moved in 2015 from Darmstadt to Frankfurt - I was 26 - I would not consider this "a move" really. It was only 30 km away, I just moved to the bigger city.

Frankfurt attracts a lot of financial white collar slowlaners - which I also was at that time. Did not really improve my dating life a lot, but my friendship circle improved due to the dudes I moved in together.

I also got the German passport, which seems to be a huge plus to move to CH later.

3- Moved in 2020 from Frankfurt to Leipzig - I was 31

I had a cushy desk jockey job in railways and had the chance to move somewhere, where I could buy real estate with my credibility and make money. I had a string of dating failures and wanted to change my circle as well. Leipzig was also cheaper and more comfortable than Frankfurt.

My timing could not be worse. I moved there in Feb 2020 - a month before the pandemic. I was isolated for around a year completely, maybe except my colleagues. I could not meet any people and entered a mildly depressive phase, which continues to today. I had two side hustle failures and a few dating failures after the pandemic. The cushy job became sour as well, so I decided to change things.

The 3 things I did really well were learning how to drive in the pandemic (I did not have much experience) and I hunted for a real estate bargain, which made me buy a flat. I am making 350€ a month on this flat, after all expenses. This will stay with me until 2033. I also covered that 0% tuition debt, because I had very little expenses practically. I had a good slowlane life. It was the best I could do. But I still could not find that woman and the freedom I was looking for.

4- Moved in 2023 from Leipzig to Switzerland

I wanted to change jobs and earn more. I was thinking to save money and replicate my flat deal back in Leipzig, 3 years ago. I cannot repeat it with borrowed money, so I thought, if I can save 50-60k and replicate it once a year, I could acquire 1000-1500€ monthly cashflow. Only for me.

Turns out this would fire in my face back completely. The job I took was completely chaotic, underpaid and some promises about me being involved in sales & marketing, rather than engineering were not kept. I have torn my a$$ to move here (actually I moved once more within Switzerland). And now I have to move back because Switzerland is not EU and they refuse to keep my residence permit if I do not keep a job.

Switzerland is a very rural country. The biggest city - Zurich - seem to have all problems Frankfurt had, only 10x more. A lot of Slowlane workaholics, trading their lives away for half a million Euros in 20-30 years and abstaining from everything that is fun - sex, traveling, sports, roadtrips, you name it.

Apart from Zurich, there is no urban area where you have 1 million people. The city I live in has around 200-300k people in 20-30 km radius. There is enormous competition for women here and nobody really takes the time to date.

Real estate market is practically dead, I have to bring 100k to buy a 400k flat for 3% yearly return on it. And 400k is the starting price. Something you would love to live in would cost around a million at least. Probably 5-10m in Zurich or Basel.

I will quit my job at the end of April 2024. After that - no idea. I only have a German passport, 40-50k money on my name and endless time.

After 7-8 failed relationships and 2-3 business ventures, I think I will die as a lonely, sexless and broke man with a PhD. :D

So why did I write my story here?

1. Move away, yes. But have an idea of why you move away. For a passport? For a business venture? To make your relationship / marriage better? Maybe yes.

2. Try living there for 2-3 months before you move there, if you can.

Switzerland was the best country I could look for - until I looked through the social dynamics and lifestyle here.



My question to you: Can I really earn money everywhere? It sounds almost impossible. I was saving 3-3.5k monthly here and it almost seems surreal if I can make that much money without slaving my life away for a job or a business venture in a cold & cushy country where I am seen as "just another immigrant".
 

MTF

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I have done this 3-4 times and it creates sometimes more problems than it solves.

1- Moved in 2010 from Turkey to Darmstadt - I was 21 - best decision I have made in my life. I have got access to Euro, a stable currency, I got a degree for almost nothing (for which I received a 0% interest tuition credit). Following this, I made a PhD.

I could earn in TR around 600-700€. I earned 3700€ when I left my job in Leipzig.

Downside was the social life. Darmstadt has two big technical schools. If you dive deep into data, it has 4 times more men than women between 18-29. My life sucked there big time. I had no friends for a year, and no gf for 3 years. I had to really make it a priority to get women.

2- Moved in 2015 from Darmstadt to Frankfurt - I was 26 - I would not consider this "a move" really. It was only 30 km away, I just moved to the bigger city.

Frankfurt attracts a lot of financial white collar slowlaners - which I also was at that time. Did not really improve my dating life a lot, but my friendship circle improved due to the dudes I moved in together.

I also got the German passport, which seems to be a huge plus to move to CH later.

3- Moved in 2020 from Frankfurt to Leipzig - I was 31

I had a cushy desk jockey job in railways and had the chance to move somewhere, where I could buy real estate with my credibility and make money. I had a string of dating failures and wanted to change my circle as well. Leipzig was also cheaper and more comfortable than Frankfurt.

My timing could not be worse. I moved there in Feb 2020 - a month before the pandemic. I was isolated for around a year completely, maybe except my colleagues. I could not meet any people and entered a mildly depressive phase, which continues to today. I had two side hustle failures and a few dating failures after the pandemic. The cushy job became sour as well, so I decided to change things.

The 3 things I did really well were learning how to drive in the pandemic (I did not have much experience) and I hunted for a real estate bargain, which made me buy a flat. I am making 350€ a month on this flat, after all expenses. This will stay with me until 2033. I also covered that 0% tuition debt, because I had very little expenses practically. I had a good slowlane life. It was the best I could do. But I still could not find that woman and the freedom I was looking for.

4- Moved in 2023 from Leipzig to Switzerland

I wanted to change jobs and earn more. I was thinking to save money and replicate my flat deal back in Leipzig, 3 years ago. I cannot repeat it with borrowed money, so I thought, if I can save 50-60k and replicate it once a year, I could acquire 1000-1500€ monthly cashflow. Only for me.

Turns out this would fire in my face back completely. The job I took was completely chaotic, underpaid and some promises about me being involved in sales & marketing, rather than engineering were not kept. I have torn my a$$ to move here (actually I moved once more within Switzerland). And now I have to move back because Switzerland is not EU and they refuse to keep my residence permit if I do not keep a job.

Switzerland is a very rural country. The biggest city - Zurich - seem to have all problems Frankfurt had, only 10x more. A lot of Slowlane workaholics, trading their lives away for half a million Euros in 20-30 years and abstaining from everything that is fun - sex, traveling, sports, roadtrips, you name it.

Apart from Zurich, there is no urban area where you have 1 million people. The city I live in has around 200-300k people in 20-30 km radius. There is enormous competition for women here and nobody really takes the time to date.

Real estate market is practically dead, I have to bring 100k to buy a 400k flat for 3% yearly return on it. And 400k is the starting price. Something you would love to live in would cost around a million at least. Probably 5-10m in Zurich or Basel.

I will quit my job at the end of April 2024. After that - no idea. I only have a German passport, 40-50k money on my name and endless time.

After 7-8 failed relationships and 2-3 business ventures, I think I will die as a lonely, sexless and broke man with a PhD. :D

So why did I write my story here?

1. Move away, yes. But have an idea of why you move away. For a passport? For a business venture? To make your relationship / marriage better? Maybe yes.

2. Try living there for 2-3 months before you move there, if you can.

Switzerland was the best country I could look for - until I looked through the social dynamics and lifestyle here.



My question to you: Can I really earn money everywhere? It sounds almost impossible. I was saving 3-3.5k monthly here and it almost seems surreal if I can make that much money without slaving my life away for a job or a business venture in a cold & cushy country where I am seen as "just another immigrant".

This may be politically incorrect but have you ever considered that you're moving between two very non-feminine cultures? Germany, Switzerland, and Austria would be some of the last countries where I'd be looking for a girlfriend lol.

Also, a lot depends on your hobbies. It's much easier to meet a cool girl at a local beach in an outdoorsy, sociable country like Spain than in a stand-offish high-class bar in Frankfurt or Zurich.
 
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MTF

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Property is dear here too compared to places in Spain like Alicante.

Property is ridiculously cheap in Spain if you know where to look.

If you're willing to live in a town that's like 20 minutes away by car from a big city, it's shockingly inexpensive. I recently watched a part of this video about Venezuelans living in Spain:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3oaVVCWdpY


This duplex behind her I posted below (in the video it starts around 3:16) costs 60k euros. SIXTY THOUSAND EUROS! Others are renting apartments for 250 euros a month.

The house comes with a large communal pool and is located by a golf course. The house in itself isn't that huge (she gives a quick tour of a similar house) but still has a nice large terrace and is ridiculously cheap considering that it's in a town:
  • located 20 minutes by car from Murcia (with over 400k inhabitants),
  • located 30 minutes by car from Cartagena (with over 200k inhabitants),
  • located about 35 minutes by car from some really nice beaches and coastal parks (like Sierra de la Muela, Cabo Tiñoso y Roldán),
  • located about 15 minutes from a large natural area (El Valle y Carrascoy Regional Park),
  • located 10 minutes from an international airport of Murcia,
  • located in one of the warmest and sunniest areas of Spain with perfect conditions to grow your own food.

1708118385691.png


1708118435028.png

And there's even Amazon's warehouse there if anyone is looking for a job.

Sometimes it really blows my mind that people would rather live in a big city where a shitty apartment costs like half a million euros where you can still live very close to a big city but have like 10x lower living costs.

But yeah, even in Alicante you can find some nice apartments for relatively reasonable 300k euros, like one with this view:

1708119252361.png
 

David Fitz

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Property is ridiculously cheap in Spain if you know where to look.

If you're willing to live in a town that's like 20 minutes away by car from a big city, it's shockingly inexpensive. I recently watched a part of this video about Venezuelans living in Spain:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3oaVVCWdpY


This duplex behind her I posted below (in the video it starts around 3:16) costs 60k euros. SIXTY THOUSAND EUROS! Others are renting apartments for 250 euros a month.

The house comes with a large communal pool and is located by a golf course. The house in itself isn't that huge (she gives a quick tour of a similar house) but still has a nice large terrace and is ridiculously cheap considering that it's in a town:
  • located 20 minutes by car from Murcia (with over 400k inhabitants),
  • located 30 minutes by car from Cartagena (with over 200k inhabitants),
  • located about 35 minutes by car from some really nice beaches and coastal parks (like Sierra de la Muela, Cabo Tiñoso y Roldán),
  • located about 15 minutes from a large natural area (El Valle y Carrascoy Regional Park),
  • located 10 minutes from an international airport of Murcia,
  • located in one of the warmest and sunniest areas of Spain with perfect conditions to grow your own food.

View attachment 54270


View attachment 54271

And there's even Amazon's warehouse there if anyone is looking for a job.

Sometimes it really blows my mind that people would rather live in a big city where a shitty apartment costs like half a million euros where you can still live very close to a big city but have like 10x lower living costs.

But yeah, even in Alicante you can find some nice apartments for relatively reasonable 300k euros, like one with this view:

View attachment 54272

Wow. Thanks. I'll look into this. Didn't realise it was this cheap.

Where abouts are you living?
 

Mr. Tycoon

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So I suggested she learn a specific online business, and told her what it entailed. She did, and once she had a few ongoing clients months later, she quit the job and hasn't had to go back to it.
What advice would you give to someone looking to learn specific online skills in order to start a business , work remotely, or explore new opportunities in that field?

My background is in hospitality, real estate, and sales, so I have no prior experience in online-related areas.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Andy Black

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What advice would you give to someone looking to learn specific online skills in order to start a business , work remotely, or explore new opportunities in that field?

My background is in hospitality, real estate, and sales, so I have no prior experience in online-related areas.

Thanks in advance.
Here's what I said when someone asked me how best to learn digital marketing:

"It helps to not have a goal to learn, but to have a goal to help someone. A friend was an electrician and his work dried up in 2009. I built a small website for him then fell into Google Ads. My goal wasn't to learn. My goal was to get his phone to ring."
 

MTF

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Wow. Thanks. I'll look into this. Didn't realise it was this cheap.

Where abouts are you living?

My home base is in Poland due to family reasons but each year I live in warm countries at least 3-6 months. Last year it was about 9 months spread mostly over Australia, New Zealand, Greece, and Bonaire. The eventual goal is to find 1-2 awesome places where I'll buy a house and rotate between them throughout the year (in addition to Poland).
 

ZackerySprague

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And gas/rent is cheaper than other places, and no state income tax.

It's also hot as shit for 3 months out of the year.
Yeah the summers can be terrible.
 
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JophMax

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I pulled this quote out from another thread on doing something that you wish you would have done sooner...




If you haven’t yet considered it, I highly recommend moving to a new city and a new culture on the other side of your country. Or hell, even expating to a new country if that is an option.

If you live in a shit country where emigrating is difficult, make LEAVING your priority. Forget the business stuff. What do you need to do to leave? Do you need a skill?

Don’t let “sacred cows” keep you immobile and planted like a tree.

A “sacred cow” keeps you planted with lame excuses like, “oh I grew up here, I can’t move.” Or, “my family is here,” or “My favorite football club is here.”

While family is important, most families are dysfunctional and many of them simply aren’t supportive of an Unscripted existence.

Moving to Arizona from Chicago was one the best decisions in my life.

If you have negative or uninspired history in a particular city, it can add significant mental baggage to your progress. Living in a place where you have struggled, failed, and lived unhappily is a mental burden, no matter how you want to frame it.

...Oh there's my old high school where I was bullied...
...Oh there's the intersection where I got into an accident...
...Oh there's my old best friend's house before he cheated with my girlfriend...
...Oh this is the route to my old job that I hated...
…Oh there’s the McDonalds I used to work at…
…Oh here’s the shitty weather that I can’t stand…
…Oh there’s my old neighborhood where my parents were divorced…
...Oh I hate shopping at that grocery story where I always run into my X-girlfriend...
...Oh there's that local park where the neighborhood bully beat me up...


Folks, STOP KIDDING YOURSELF.

There is nothing stopping you from moving. I moved to Arizona with $900 in my bank account. I realize that those with family, things are more complicated, but it's not rocket science. It's a matter of importance and prioritization.

Do you want to own a business? Or do you want a safe and secure job that keeps you mildly entertained for 50 years?

Making big decisions like this is on par with the big decision to become an entrepreneur.

You only live once. Yes, happiness is largely a choice. However, you can make choices that make the choice to be happy, much easier.

Make happiness a priority. Make choices that make happiness more likely.

Another way of looking at it... if you grew up in a home with a lot of bad memories, what the hell would you choose to stay there? Why do you want to be reminded of bad times? And if your city/home does a good job at reminding you of unhappiness, PACK YOUR DAMN BAGS and MOVE.
This is precisely why I decided to move to another country. I'm a student and I still haven't had my first job, but I know that If I'd stay in my country, I'd be perpetually drowned by mediocre comfort and familiarity.

Apart from this, my native country is a corrupt wasteland where doing business is basically dealing with the devil (The government) on a regular basis.

Thank you for this great post MJ.
 

ZackerySprague

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It feels like that Dallas-Fort Worth is becoming a major Hotspot. Just got a newsletter from someone I follow, one of their retreats is that they are coming here.

Food for thought.
 

Xavier X

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What advice would you give to someone looking to learn specific online skills in order to start a business , work remotely, or explore new opportunities in that field?

My background is in hospitality, real estate, and sales, so I have no prior experience in online-related areas.

Thanks in advance.

How can you help businesses in hospitality and real estate get more clients or leads online?
What products/services did you need while working in hospitality and real estate, and how can you offer that online to the industry?

Nothing says you have to stick to your industry, but it helps to have domain knowledge. When you've thought about the questions above, and arrived at something.. anything, decide what your next little step (achievable in 1 day) could be, toward making that a reality.
 
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Sirrom

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Thanks.

We're still sussing out Portugal and deciding between here or Spain. Taxes in Portugal are high if you don't get the NHR scheme here and it's only for 10 years.

Property is dear here too compared to places in Spain like Alicante.

Lifestyle has changed a lot. We are very active which we wanted. The sun shines about 300 days a year compared to about 100 back in Ireland.

We seem to be meeting a lot more people than we did back home which is surprising. It's like when you meet expats you have something in common and a lot of people have moved here too who work or a have a business online.
You can still get an NHR status. I can hook you up if you want? I’m getting mine now as well.

I’m still in Asia currently, but from april I will move to Porto.

Spain is much cheaper to live though. Beckham law is also good for taxes, but it’s not 100% safe in my situation I believe. I don’t know if thats the case with you as well.
 

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I love and hate the place where I have been living for the last 9 years. This country has 300 days of sunlight, cool breeze, blue water, and nice people. However, I have had some good and bad experiences while living here for a decade. If it is my decision, I would move from here the next moment but I have lots of reasons not to move at this point. My daughter is 10 years old and she enjoys this place, my wife does a good job and she does not have enough expectations from life or business as me, so she is okay here, so it's just me who wants to move. I have a few offline/physical businesses and a few online - this is another part that I have to fix and bring these few to just "one" soon. I am working on that to move myself to Fastlane. This is the reason I wanted a new place, a new environment, different people, a different house, a different locality and all. Dont know how to take this decision while my family does not want it. Please suggest.
 

Paul David

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I love and hate the place where I have been living for the last 9 years. This country has 300 days of sunlight, cool breeze, blue water, and nice people. However, I have had some good and bad experiences while living here for a decade. If it is my decision, I would move from here the next moment but I have lots of reasons not to move at this point. My daughter is 10 years old and she enjoys this place, my wife does a good job and she does not have enough expectations from life or business as me, so she is okay here, so it's just me who wants to move. I have a few offline/physical businesses and a few online - this is another part that I have to fix and bring these few to just "one" soon. I am working on that to move myself to Fastlane. This is the reason I wanted a new place, a new environment, different people, a different house, a different locality and all. Dont know how to take this decision while my family does not want it. Please suggest.
Ultimately if your family doesn't want to move you either suck it up and stay or move away from them.

My wife is a slowlaner, she couldn't think of anything worse than not having the security of a job. She'd love to move to Spain as I would but is attached to a job that she needs to be in the UK for and our kids are 13 and 15 so they aren't at a good age to move them to a new country where they don't speak the language etc.

So I've got no choice but to stay here hating every day because the weather is shit and wait until kids are older and see what happens or the alternative option is move away on my own and not see my kids every day. That's not going to happen.

I'd be happy being in the sun but miserable away from my kids. It's a no win situation at this time in my life.

Sometimes you just have to suck it up.
 
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David Fitz

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Yo

You can still get an NHR status. I can hook you up if you want? I’m getting mine now as well.

I’m still in Asia currently, but from april I will move to Porto.

Spain is much cheaper to live though. Beckham law is also good for taxes, but it’s not 100% safe in my situation I believe. I don’t know if thats the case with you as well.

Thanks but we're moving to Spain in a few weeks. Portugal is ok, not for us.
 

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Ultimately if your family doesn't want to move you either suck it up and stay or move away from them.

My wife is a slowlaner, she couldn't think of anything worse than not having the security of a job. She'd love to move to Spain as I would but is attached to a job that she needs to be in the UK for and our kids are 13 and 15 so they aren't at a good age to move them to a new country where they don't speak the language etc.

So I've got no choice but to stay here hating every day because the weather is shit and wait until kids are older and see what happens or the alternative option is move away on my own and not see my kids every day. That's not going to happen.

I'd be happy being in the sun but miserable away from my kids. It's a no win situation at this time in my life.

Sometimes you just have to suck it up.
Why is your household dependent on your wife's job? Don't hate your life, change it. Be the inspiration to the rest of your family, and make it so your wife doesn't have to work.. Chances are it's not the income, you just don't need to spend as much.. The sacrifice to let my wife be a homemaker is hardly a sacrifice at the end of the day, same for homeschooling our daughter. Much higher long-term returns even if it's tight right now. Food for thought, cheers
 

Wendy2024

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I fully agree with MJ. The environment you put yourself in plays a huge role on your mood. I myself currently live in Canada, though I've been focusing on moving to the Southern US from many reasons one main reason being the weather. I get bad seasonal depression and with it now being winter and the sun almost never coming out and having to deal with ankle deep snow. It's taken a toll on me.
I live in Alberta, Canada and totally agree!
 
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Paul David

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Why is your household dependent on your wife's job? Don't hate your life, change it. Be the inspiration to the rest of your family, and make it so your wife doesn't have to work.. Chances are it's not the income, you just don't need to spend as much.. The sacrifice to let my wife be a homemaker is hardly a sacrifice at the end of the day, same for homeschooling our daughter. Much higher long-term returns even if it's tight right now. Food for thought, cheers

That's the plan but she's quite high up in corporate world and earns £120k a year so it's not a low income to replace but I'm working on it!

Between us at the moment we spend £8200 a month and apart from two holiday's a year (although last year we did have more) we're not doing anything out of the ordinary. Paying off some historic loans in that but we're not living the high life!

Cost of living is ridiculous, for example our teenage children school meals are £140 a month each! Could probably save a bit here and there but nothing that will really move the needle. Once the current loans are paid off there will inevitably be something else needed like a new kitchen or something, just normal life.

Either way it doesn't solve the problem of moving somewhere warm because of the current kids ages.
 

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I live in Alberta, Canada and totally agree!
I too used to suffer with Seasonal depression but this year has been quite different. I live in Northern Michigan, and I decided to walk outside, no matter what. Everyday. It’s helped my mood immensely!! I no longer hate the weather, because the weather doesn’t dictate my routine. Also, hunting, snowboarding, and snowmobiling are quite fun… Just a tip.
 

Paul David

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I too used to suffer with Seasonal depression but this year has been quite different. I live in Northern Michigan, and I decided to walk outside, no matter what. Everyday. It’s helped my mood immensely!! I no longer hate the weather, because the weather doesn’t dictate my routine. Also, hunting, snowboarding, and snowmobiling are quite fun… Just a tip.
I walk 10k every single day. Try and pick a time its not raining but sometimes it happens and I don't enjoy it. Can't wait to finish the walk when the rain starts!

Glad you've found a solution to SAD!
 
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ygtrhos

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This may be politically incorrect but have you ever considered that you're moving between two very non-feminine cultures? Germany, Switzerland, and Austria would be some of the last countries where I'd be looking for a girlfriend lol.

Also, a lot depends on your hobbies. It's much easier to meet a cool girl at a local beach in an outdoorsy, sociable country like Spain than in a stand-offish high-class bar in Frankfurt or Zurich.
You are 100% right, but I realized these after I made my PhD - I was 27 by then and had a very monetizable skill in these countries. I also had to pay back that tuition credit - around 30k.

I remember now that I actually read TFL the first time right after submitting my PhD thesis. :D

Now I am free, but I do not want to work in Poland for 800€. I have to get my own thing going, or follow my real estate strategy with a job I can sustain for another 2-3 years in Switzerland.
 

NewManRising

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It feels like that Dallas-Fort Worth is becoming a major Hotspot. Just got a newsletter from someone I follow, one of their retreats is that they are coming here.

Food for thought.
I looked into moving into this area but they have terrible storms (and tornados) and it worries me. Then I thought about moving closer to Austin, but from what I have read, it is turning into another San Francisco (high cost and extremely liberal people). And I hear the traffic is horrible because the infrastructure can't handle the influx of people.

Aside from this, I like everything else about the state of Texas. I'm just stuck now. Thinking about Arizona now....
 

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