Uncategorized

For the longest of times, I was scared of going to the gym. I know that sounds silly to some but, having grown up as a scrawny computer geek, walking into a building full of athletic gods wasn’t my idea of a good time.

But for about as long, I wanted to lift weights. I didn’t want to remain a scrawny computer geek. I wanted to squat and bench and deadlift, and I had all the motivation in the world, but I didn’t have the mindset. Whenever I thought of going to the gym, I couldn’t help but assume:

• I wouldn’t fit in.
• I’d hurt myself.
• I’d embarrass myself.

And basically, the gym wasn’t for me because I wasn’t “the sort of person” to train at the gym. I’d put myself in a box and I wouldn’t let myself out. If all of this sounds familiar though, fear not: I’ve found the solutions.

[Read more…] about Gym Fear: How To Not Be Afraid of the Gym

For the last four years, I’ve run the most popular blog about the Nintendo 3DS. The blog is past its prime — half-abandoning it for nine months while backpacking around the world isn’t a great marketing strategy — but it’s how I’ve made a living since the age of 20.

If you want the vanity metrics, here’s a few of them:

• At its peak, the site averaged 27,214 visits per day.
• For a long time, the blog was ranked #3 in Google for “nintendo 3ds”.
• The associated YouTube channel has 31,323,239 views.

There’s other metrics I could share but that’s not the point of the post. We’re here to wonder, how can you make a living by writing about video games?

Because while I’ve had a lovely time over the last few years, I’ll eventually move on and I figured it’d be useful to share some things I’ve learned along the way. I have no need to hold back so this is pretty much everything I know.

[Read more…] about Video Game Blogging: What I’ve Learned from 27,214 Daily Readers

Long before I started traveling, I loved to:

• Read about the stuff that people travelled with.
• Consider how I’d fit my entire life into a backpack.
• Learn about the gadgets I’d use along the way.

I’ve since travelled a decent amount and my love of packing lists holds strong and it’s because of this love that I’d like to answer a question no one is asking: what do I take with me when I travel? The list, as you’ll see, is quite short.

[Read more…] about Digital Nomad Packing List: How To Travel the World with (Very) Few Things

I’ve never been a fan of supplements. I take Vitamin D and Fish Oil because they’re the most common deficiencies but I rarely feel different after taking multi-vitamins or those herbal medicines with funny names. (But maybe the difference isn’t meant to be overtly felt? Maybe the magic is more subtle?)

Last year though, after hitting an abrupt wall with my training at the gym, I started to experiment with creatine — a supplement I’d heard a lot about but one that also attracts a lot of critics:

• “It doesn’t work!”
• “It’s bad for the kidneys!”
• “Isn’t creatine a steroid?”

But less than a week into taking the supplement, I could only wonder: why isn’t everyone taking this stuff? Because it wasn’t like most supplements. I could actually feel the difference and it was big.

(And don’t worry, I’ll address the critics soon enough).

[Read more…] about How To Become 20% Stronger in 7 Days: A Beginner’s Guide to Creatine

Whether or not I enjoy a flight mostly depends on where I sit and, since I’m mostly flying to and from Australia, the wrong seat can be the catalyst for eight or more hours of hell. To deal with this, I’ve developed a system for choosing my seat on any plane that pretty much guarantees a half-decent flight.

Be warned though: I’m neurotic and, when I say, “I’ve developed a system,” that isn’t meant to be taken lightly.

[Read more…] about International Flights: How To Choose the Best Seat on Any Plane