The Three Month Vacation Podcast
Sean D'Souza, founder of Psychotactics, shares his strategy for taking three months off every year without harming his business. He explains how to structure a business to allow for hard work followed by extended vacations, emphasizing getting paid in advance. The podcast offers practical advice on enjoying work and vacation time, based on his experience since 2004.
Episodes
How to be excited about your business for over 22 years (The story of 5000bc)
Everybody starts out very excited when a business is in its infancy, but after a while, doesn't it get boring? How can you sustain a business for so long? 5000bc is our community site, and it has stayed steady for over two decades. Why is this the case? If you have an information-based community, how can you create something similar? This episode is a lot about me telling my story, but hopefully i
The Adventures in Greece: Part 2 (And A Meeting With Keanu Reeves)
What happens when we finally get from Greece to Frankfurt ? What's the meeting with Keanu about? Do we have any proof? Here's Part 2 of the trip to Greece.
The Adventures in Greece: Part 1
Generally, a holiday is full of different and new experiences, but sometimes it can take a sudden, unusual turn. You hope that you don't have that crazy experience while on a flight 30,000 feet above the air, but that's just what happened. That was the start of our journey to Greece.
The Trip to Thailand: Part 2
Dogs are lovely and I love dogs so much, but stray dogs are quite something else. Here's part 2 of the trip to Thailand. Dogs, gifts, mango milkshakes and fishermen who took a break. Enjoy.
The Monsoon Trip to Thailand (and the relaunch of The Brain Audit)- Part 1
Almost 20 years after we launched The Brain Train, we weren't expecting anything dramatic to happen, and yet suddenly it was on a bestseller list. Not the New York Times bestseller list, but in Thailand. Here's the story, not of the book alone, but of our travel through Thailand as part of the three-month vacation.
The importance of "normal speed" in learning
When you speak to somebody, do they get impatient? When you do an illustration, does it feel like the other person is waiting for ages? This is because you and I are operating at below normal speed. When we operate at below normal speed, we are reaching for information, and so we struggle quite a lot. What is normal speed, and how do you achieve that normal speed? That's what this episode is all a
Why Most Storytelling Is Terrible (And Why Clutter Plays a Huge Role)
When you think of storytelling, you just think of a sequence or what happens next, but the reality is that storytelling is a curated amount of information. Anything that is not required simply becomes clutter, and clutter destroys a story. How do you recognise this clutter? Well, there are three ways.
How I used AI for my Article (And what it did to my writing)
Some people are adamant that they will never use AI. However, that's a tiny, obscure minority. AI is here to stay and that means we've all dipped our toes in it. Well, I took a bath one day. I got AI to tidy up my article. What happened next? Let's find out.
How to Sidestep Perfection—And How to Use "Quantity" to Your Advantage
Many of us burn out simply because we live in the past. How long the past? We could go all the way to our childhood, and it's there where we learn how to go for perfection. It's this level of perfection that continues to drive us crazy for the rest of our lives. Is there a way out? Yes, there is. It's called quantity. Instead of trying to go for quality, you get to that stage of quality by working
1% Better Every Day: What Does It Even Mean?
We hear that somehow we have to get 1% better every day. However, how do you measure this improvement? Can it be measured at all? And what does it mean?
The Roundabout Principle: Why Self-Management Actually Works (And How to Make It Stick)
Once a course ends, it's often just the beginning of a journey. Think about it for a moment: you've finished an article writing course, and you've just managed to put all the pieces together. Now you need to keep going. That's the point when the teacher leaves the room, and so does the group that held everything together. We've tried, tried and tried again to make this follow up work but it's been
Why We Struggle To Acquire Skills (And How The Mindset Of The Teacher Is The Root Cause)
Why Understanding The Faces Of Overwhelm Helps You Sidestep Frustration
Eternal Sales Page Dilemma-How to choose the precise headline to get clients interested.
Test How Your Audience Will React To Your Story
Three Ways To Motivate Yourself Again (And Restart What You Want To Do)
Charlie Brown Moments: Why We Choke Under Pressure (And How To Practice Under Lucy Moments)
Intense Story: Why Starting With The "Stuck Point" Creates Intense Stories
The Art of Less: Why the Best Professionals Work with a Smaller Palette
We are constantly inundated with something new and improved. It seems almost impossible to keep up and we scramble for new tools. But what if we could pare back a lot and stay with a lot less? How can we achieve a much bigger "wow factor" with a lot less?
Storytelling: Misdirection
It's not important to win an argument in person. However, when writing a book or creating a presentation, you need to get a slightly new idea across. However, what if the client has a strong counter-opinion? In this episode we look at how to use misdirection to get across an idea that's new and make it feel like it was the client's idea all along.
Storytelling: Why the Ending Matters Most of All When You're Crafting a Story
Notice something strange when you tell a story. People are always waiting for you to finish because they want to know the point of the story. This subtle curiosity level gives us an advantage. It means that we can play director and change the path of the story. Every story seems to have a predefined pathway; yet what if we took one story and swung it in different ways? Wouldn't that be amazing? Le
How to Overcome the Obvious Fears of Group Consulting — Part 2
One-on-one consulting seems logical, even superior to group consulting. It's why clients consistently prefer it. Which is why it seems almost reckless to move to group consulting. All the obvious fears bubble up madly. How can we tackle these fears and keep the client more than happy? Let's find out in this second episode.
How to Go from One-on-One to Group Consulting (and Have More Time for Yourself)
No one needs to tell us that one-on-one consulting is extremely tiresome, even when it's rewarding. Each consulting session takes so much time: the preparation before, the downtime needed after, and the session itself. But will clients appreciate it—or even stay with you—if you suddenly change to group consulting? Let's find out how it's done, because yes, we've done it before, and so have many ot
Free or Paid? How to Know in Advance if Someone Will Pay — Part 2
Free or paid? That's the question that rattles around in our heads when we want to promote an information product. And if it's free, why free? What's the benefit for you? If it's paid, should you go high or low? Let's explore Part 1 and Part 2 of this seemingly eternal mystery.
Free or Paid? How to Know in Advance if Someone Will Pay — Part 1
It seems almost impossible to price a product—and even harder to decide when it comes to information products. How do you decide if you should give away the information free or charge for it? Let's explore the first two parts in Part 1 and Part 2.
Why going backwards is often a good sign of progress
When we think about the journey of a thousand miles, we often assume it means constant forward movement. We picture ourselves taking one step after another, continuing steadily until the journey is complete. But in reality, most journeys involve setbacks. At times, after making progress, it can feel as though we're actually moving backwards. Strange as it sounds, going backwards is a good thing. L
How to Make Additional Time Out of Thin Air.
There's hardly anyone who says they have loads of time. We all want 36 hours per day and eight days a week, and yet most of the time the time we so desperately seek lies in plain sight. If you use your time well, you will find that you suddenly have lots of time to waste. Let's go on this weird journey to find time that already exists.
Why Self-Study Works for Some People and Fails Miserably for Others
We believe coaching is often the best approach but it's not always the case. You might find an average coach and make little progress or you could have an exceptional coach and become incredibly skilled. For most of our learning, self-study is essential but it doesn't seem to work for many people. Why is this? Sometimes the most perplexing question has a surprisingly simple answer. Explore why sel
Why all the productivity in the world may not matter after all
You are told that you have to be productive, but how productive is productive? We have been at work for close to 26 years, and we still have a full day of activity. Isn't that good enough reason to slow down or just do nothing at all for some of the days? Let's find out why productivity needs a break.
Why Feedback Barely Helps Progress (And Why "Instant Feedback" is Crucial, Instead).
If you ask most people what is the core of learning, they will give you something banal like hard work or practise; however, they will also state that you need to get feedback. The problem is that feedback almost never has the necessary impact. The reason why it fails to help us move forward is because of the timing. What we need is not feedback but instant feedback. But why is instant feedback fa
Why Habits Fail Consistently (And Why You Need a Habit System Instead)
Most of us still accept the idea that you need 21 days to build a habit. Yet, most habits can fall apart even if you labour at them with dedication. That's because of why a habit fails. It fails because of a lack of a system. But what's in that system? It's the drive to remove inefficiencies. All habits fail if they're inefficient. Find out why you need a habit system, instead.
Why Habit-Change Is Almost Always Temporary (And How to Create Lasting Habits)
If habit change is really about personal effort, why do so many carefully built habits quietly fall over the cliff? The answer isn't motivation and it's certainly not willpower. Bah, grit! Habit change is based instead on your environment. It's almost always based on the company you keep. Let's find out why your environment is the most important habit changing strategy of all.
How to speed up answering e-mail—and everyday messages as well
We are constantly typing, whether it's on our phone or at the computer. Sometimes, it's just a simple message; at other times, it is a bunch of emails. But the typing is relentless. No matter how quickly we type, we can speak a lot faster (sometimes between 80 to 100 words per minute). This is where Wispr Flow really helps. It works at the speed of thought, and better still, it formats everything
Re-Run 007 Why Willpower is Weak (And How Numbers Help You Stay on Track Instead)
Re-run 06 How To Become More Productive (While Reducing Overwhelm)
Re-run 05 How To Calm Your Nerves Before A Speaking Opportunity
Re-run 004 Why Business Philosophy Creates A Uniqueness Factor (Even When Clients Don't Know You At All)
Re-Run 003 Why Negotiation Consistently Fails In Real-World Scenario
Re-Run 002 "Why You Need To Get Off The Internet – And Meet Real People Instead"
Re-run 01 Why Would They Choose Me? Getting Past A Mental Block
How a slight "problem-change" can dramatically make a massive difference to your business model.
What if the secret to growing your business isn't changing your product, but changing the problem it solves? This article takes you on a surprising journey from airport walkways to creative entrepreneurs, revealing how a simple shift in perspective can unlock untapped markets and breathe new life into what you offer. With real-world success stories and a healthy dose of marketing wisdom, you'll di
How to explain concepts elegantly (and keep the attention of your audience)
We all seem to believe that there's nothing left to explain. There are millions of articles, books and stories out there. Yet, there's always a way to cut through the clutter. No matter how much information exists, some people are still able to communicate in a way that gets and keep your attention. Here's how you go about it.
Why Habits Can Be Temporary and Environment Matters More, Instead.
Are you really in charge when it comes to changing your habits?.While self-help books promise transformation, true change often stems from a shift in environment. Explore how small differences can influence your daily routines. Let's jump on the environment bandwagon because it knows where you and I are headed.
How to Use Grumpy People to Find Your Uniqueness
You and I avoid grumpy people, if we can. However, when those grumps happen to be your prospects or clients, you better pay close attention. Why? Because they're they are key to finding out your uniqueness for your products and services. Uniqueness seems so hard to find, but grumpy people are everywhere. Here's how you harness the grumbles to your benefit.
Why Learning Is So Tiresome (And How to Identify and Overcome The Barriers)
We believe that we're talented in some areas and not talented in others. However, a lot of this understanding of talent is an illusion. It's based on what we have been told and also our current behaviour. How can we overcome these barriers and become better learners? Let's find out.
The Dropout Factor: How to reduce dropout when teaching or learning
One of the unseen enemies of learning is dropout. Clients get into a course very excited to learn. Then they go off a cliff. They don't show up as often, if they show up at all. This dropout factor isn't a new problem. It has existed for hundreds of years, but it's only recently that we've understood how to get better results while spending less time. Let's find out how to quell and even get rid o
How to Outsmart Procrastination with the 9/10 Principle
We think procrastination means laziness. But often it's just the first step that feels impossible. How do you make your clients move ahead quickly and recommend you more often than ever before? Let's find out how this principle works.
Why "distraction" isn't usually the reason you can't focus
IF you ask someone why they can't focus, they usually say they're very distracted. But are we really distracted? Or is it congestion, instead? Let's dig deeper into this slight nuance, because distraction may be a good thing after all.
Re-run 07 Sales Page
Re-run 06 U-turns: Why Almost Every Article Needs One To Create Drama
Re-run 05 Why Writing Down What Delights You Can Help With Anxiety and Stress
Re-run 04 Storytelling:Why Storytelling Needs The Thumpty-Thum-Thump-Thump
Re-run 03 How to Win Friends: The Hug, Hear, Help Method
Re-run 02 Pricing Strategy: How to Increase Prices from Left to Right (or Right to Left)
Re-run 01 The Elegant Strategy
How to Overcome Information Overload (And How To Do It Almost Overnight)
How I Overcame My Three Fears
When clients look at us, me in particular, they see an almost unblemished trail of success. But you can't see the fear behind what we've been through. Yes, it's fear. Let's go into storyland and learn about the fear and possibly how to overcome it.
How to stay calm when the world is falling apart around you
If you ask anybody, you will hear that things have gotten a lot worse. But is that the case? And do we have any control over what's happening around us? How do you stay calm even when things don't work for you? Let's find out in this episode
Why We Write—Part 2
We sometimes believe we write for a client, or for a website. And that belief is true. Except, it's not true for most of the time. There comes a time when we go on a trip, a discovery of ourselves. We write for a completely different reason. Let's have a look, shall we?
Why We Write: Part 1
Writing seems so laborious at times. We feel like giving up, but there's a reason why we write. Actually, many reasons.
Why Every Day Learning Matters More Than We Think
We all seem to know how every day matters. However, what causes people to plateau suddently and how does every day activity help in avoiding that messy situation? Dig deeper into the very average concept of every day learning and you'll see it's anything but mundane.
25 years of writing: Simple advice that will improve your articles
I've now been writing articles for 25 years. And in those 25 years I've learned some things that you may not always find on a writing site, or even in any writing article. LIsten to this episode and you'll suddenly have a completely different view of how to go about writing your article.
The Four Tyrannical Arms of Perfection: A Deeper Insight
We all want to be somehow perfect. It doesn't matter that we know it's not possible. In this podcast, we have four crazy arms of perfection brought to life by writer Keith Rhys. I wish I could have said it better, but Keith (alumni of the Article Writing Course) says it eloquently. You'll relate to these arms of perfection, no matter who you are or what you do.
The Concept of Take Off-Speed (And How it Enables You to Manage Many Things All At Once)
If you feel overwhelmed and seem to get nothing much done, you're not alone. That's because many of us go around in circles. We never attain take-off speed and are doomed to circle the airport endlessly. Or are we? In this podcast, we will examine why top speed is so crucial and how to get to the point where you can fly on autopilot.
The Five-Year Lease Concept (And How It Builds Resilience)
Do you sometimes think you have "shiny object syndrome"? Do you seem to hop from one thing to another, only to feel disappointed? What if you couldn't change your mind so often? That's what the "five-year" lease is all about. You somehow have to make it work. Let's find out how to use the "five-year" lease concept to your advantage.
Travel stories through India – another rollercoaster trip.
This is back to back travel series. First it was Europe, now it's India. Enjoy the journey!
How to become smarter by utilising the "Database Concept"
Imagine there are two computers. One computer is a standalone connected to nothing but the electrical supply. The second one is connected to a network of computers. Which of the two is likely to be more useful to you? A similar concept applies to learning. People with a greater database are almost always seen as "more talented". A database is something we can control, and learning how to use it ma
Stories of travel through India, Singapore and France
This podcast is called the Three-Month Vacation, and yet we almost never cover vacation stories. Well, that's about to change. Here are some stories from India and also from Singapore and France. Allons-y!
How to get clients: An open secret
How do you get clients? This is one question that repeats itself endlessly. You'd think the answer would be common knowledge by now, and it is. The answer lies in a concept called "groups". We fail to understand the power of groups, and that's where the struggle begins. How do you use the power of groups? Let's find out.
Burnout: Why friends and family are more likely to be early warning systems to avoid overwork
"Hard work" has never been considered a problem. If anything, we're all told to work hard. How do you know when you've crossed the line from hard work to overwork? Surprisingly, the answer doesn't lie within ourselves. Here's how to use your family as an early warning system.
How to get free of your phone addiction without software
It's clearly impossible to avoid using a phone. Which is why software seems to come to the rescue. However, the way to avoid the phone (at least once a week) is simpler than you'd think. What's more, the habit grows. You start avoiding the phone more than you'd expect. How is it all done? Let's find out.
How do you manage everything? Part 1
Podcasts, membership site, cartoons, photography, Whatsapp—the list goes on and on. And it's puzzling to clients how I (Sean) manage so much. Well, there are bound to be some principles. Here are just four of them, and we cover two of them in this first episode.
Re-run 07 The Five "Psychological Stages" of Entrepreneurship—And One That's More Scary Than The Rest
Re-Run 06 Why You Have to Keep Writing Articles (Even If You Have Written Articles for 20 Years)
Re-run05 Why does learning seem to take forever? The surprising reasons behind slow learning
Re-run 04 Why is Storytelling so Important in Marketing (and how to use it in your marketing)
Re-run 03 The Art of Praise (How to Give Genuine Praise)
Re-run 02 Three "Slightly Boring" Ways to Create Metaphors for Your Articles
Re-run 01 - How to stay on track with you goals, guest appearance by Keira Menon
How To Avoid Jet Lag
It's that time of the year when many of us travel. If it's even a short trip, we get jetlagged for days. How do you beat it? Here's a theory based on my "diaries". Diaries? Yes, diaries. Let's find out.
Why Random, Tiny Projects are the Key to Future Business Growth
It's normal to want to wait for the perfect moment to start a project. However, that's usually a mistake. A tiny, random project can be started right away. And in a little while, a whole decade or two decades pass. Find out how tiny, random projects make a huge difference.
Recommended
The Church of What's Happening Now: The New Testament
Busted Open
Deadline: White House
Crickets Corner
History of the Earthquake and Fire in San Francisco
Fox news
K-Drama Obsessed Mamas | Beyond “Just One More Episode!”
True Crime Classics
The Healer Revolution
Becoming: HER with Nikki Spoelstra
Booked, Blonde & Busy w/ Olivia Ponton
McKinsey on Consumer and Retail
