Ten years

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“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

– Bill Gates
  • 2011: When my album came out, I had just started a master’s degree in linguistics, began a temporary job as a system administrator, and went freelance as an event manager on the side.
  • 2012: A year later, not much was different, except my label went broke. I contributed a track for a sampler of a well-known artist though.
  • 2013: Two years later, still not much was really different. But I finished my studies and the student job turned into a permanent one. My remix of a track by another well-known artist was published in a well-known music magazine.
  • 2014: Three years later, I decided that I didn’t want to have a three digit weight and started with sports. My fitness level: for a 5k run I needed almost 40 min.
  • 2015: Half a year later, I lost 20 kg. I changed companies and started my first real regular job in my desired profession. At that point, I was still tied to my physical workplace.
  • 2016: I officially ended my career as a beatboxer, cut my 5k run time almost in half, decided to do a complete cleaning out of my room.
  • 2017: I ended my career as an event manager. I started learning Spanish just for fun and reached the B2 level in half a year. I made a list of 15 languages I wanted to speak.
  • 2018: I had a short episode with web development on the side and managed to keep my 5k run time under 20 min. But otherwise not much happened this year, I guess it was the calm before the storm.
  • 2019: I got my professional skills certified by Microsoft. I reduced my entire life’s possessions to the size of hand luggage. I traveled to almost 20 countries and shifted the center of my life to Madrid. It was the year I decided to be happy. And to tell my story.
  • 2020: I started learning Swedish, the fifth language from my list. Corona. I had my premiere as a speaker at the UK’s biggest language exhibition.
  • 2021: I’m still living my dreams and looking forward to ticking off next languages, countries, items from my bucket list.

We have a lot more choices than we realize. Not changing is also a choice. That said, a lot more things that happen to us are actually our own fault. Which in fact is a good thing because it means that we have more control over our life, and are not always a victim of the world and our environment. We may not be able to control every situation and its outcome but we can control our attitude and how we deal with things.

You’ve probably reacted to the same situation in two or more different ways before. This demonstrates that it’s not, for example, that some dog is making you annoyed because it’s barking loudly, but you choose to get annoyed when it does so. Feelings come from within, not from without. Someone or something isn’t controlling you, you are in control, you are responsible, you can change your feelings. Thus, so many things, bad and good, that have happened to you are actually your fault – proving that your future is clay ready for you to manipulate. This mindset gives you control to be who you want and to live your life the way you want.

Everything is possible. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. You decide what you become, you design your reality. Dream » Believe » Achieve.

About the author

Art Balsam

Polyglot and traveler Art Balsam has changed his life almost completely in the last few years. From fat to fit, from hoarder to minimalist, from office slave to digital nomad, from just comfortable to actually being happy. In 2017 he made a list of 15 languages he wanted to speak while living in each of the corresponding countries. Since then he has reduced his entire life's possessions to the size of hand luggage and traveled to over 20 countries. He is currently living mainly in Madrid and already learning his fifth language. Since Art's story inspired many people around him, he now wants to take on the next challenge. As a motivational speaker he is offering a bigger stage for something that has grown from a craziness through a fascination to a way of life. Let him take you on a journey from Dream through Believe to Achieve.

By Art Balsam