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How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise and Get Paid to Change the World

This guest post is by Jon Morrow of Smart Blogger (formerly Boost Blog Traffic)

After all, that’s the dream, right?

Forget the mansions and limousines and other trappings of Hollywood-style wealth. Sure, it would be nice, but for the most part, we bloggers are simpler souls with much kinder dreams.

We want to quit our jobs, spend more time with our families, and finally have time to write. We want the freedom to work when we want, where we want. We want our writing to help people, to inspire them, to change them from the inside out.

It’s a modest dream, a dream that deserves to come true, and yet a part of you might be wondering…

Will it?

Do you really have what it takes to be a professional blogger, or are you just being dumb? Is it realistic to make enough money from this to quit your job, or is that just silly? Can you really expect people to fall in love with what you write, or is that just wishful thinking?

Sure, it’s fun to dream about your blog taking off and changing your life, but sometimes you wonder if it’s just that: a dream. This is the real world, and in the real world, dreams don’t really come true.

Right?

Well, let me tell you a little story…

How I quit my job

Jon's van

My van

In April of 2006, I was hit by a car going 85 miles an hour.

I didn’t see him coming, and I don’t remember much about the accident, but I do remember being pulled out of my minivan with my shirt on fire. The front end of the van was torn off, gasoline was everywhere, and my legs were broken in 14 places.

For the next three months, I had nothing to do but endure the pain and think about my life. I thought about my childhood. I thought about my dreams. I thought about my career.

And overall, I decided I didn’t like the way things were going.

So I quit.

I sold everything I owned. I stopped paying most of my bills. I turned in my letter of resignation, worked my two weeks, and then disappeared without saying goodbye.

Hearing about my insanity, a friend called and asked me, “Well, what are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know,” I told him. “Maybe start a blog.”

And so that’s what I did.

For the next three months, I didn’t just tinker around with blogging. I dedicated myself to it. I started work at 8 AM in the morning, and I kept going until 11 PM at night. I didn’t watch television. I didn’t see my friends. From morning till night, I was writing, reading, and connecting with other bloggers. Nothing else.

Within a month, I had On Moneymaking off the ground, and within two months, it was getting 2,000 visitors a day and Performancing nominated it for the best business/money blog of the year. A couple of months after that, Brian Clark asked me to become the Associate Editor of Copyblogger, and so I sold On Moneymaking for five figures and went to work at one of the most popular blogs at the world.

And amazingly, that’s just the beginning of the story.

How I moved to paradise

Have you ever woken up one day and realized you secretly despise everything about where you live?

The weather is horrible. Your neighbors are jerks. You don’t like inviting anyone to your home, because it’s always a wreck, and you’re ashamed of how it looks.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to me in January of 2009. I was sitting in my pathetic apartment, wrapped up in blankets to keep warm, trying to get some work done on the computer, when it struck me how monumentally stupid it was.

I was a full-time blogger, for God’s sakes. I could do my work from anywhere in the world. Why on Earth was I living in this hellhole?

The only problem was I had no idea where I wanted to go, but a couple of weeks later, the telephone rang, and it was an old friend who had retired to Mazatlan, Mexico. As usual, he was calling to gloat about the weather and the food and the general superiority of the Mexican lifestyle, but instead of just suffering through it this time, I stopped him and said, “No, don’t tell me any more. I’m moving there.”

Jon's office

My office

“What? When?” he stammered.

“I don’t know exactly when,” I told him, “but I’m starting right now.”

Two months later, I took a one-week trip to scout it out and look for places to live. When I got back, I started selling all of my stuff, packing the rest of it into storage, and saying goodbye to friends. Almost one year to the day after our phone call, I hopped in the car and drove just shy of 3,000 miles to my new beachfront condo in the finest resort in Mazatlan.

As I write this, I’m sitting on my balcony with my laptop, watching (no kidding) dolphins jumping out in the Pacific. It’s a sunny day, there’s a nice breeze, and I’m thinking about ordering a piña colada from the restaurant downstairs.

Lucky me, right?

Well, what might surprise you is I left out a piece of the story. It’s the part where I have a fatal disease, I can’t move from the neck down, and yet I essentially get paid to help people. Let’s talk about that part next.

How I get paid to change the world

You know what’s funny?

Jon

Yours truly

The worst part about having a disease like SMA isn’t how everyone treats you like a charity case. It’s not the frustration, anger, or depression. It’s not even the inability to reach over and pinch a cute girl’s butt when you want to (although that’s pretty bad).

No, the worst part is the freakin’ bills.  The doctors. The medication. The nurses.

I added it all up, and the total cost of keeping me alive in the US was $127,000 a year. That’s not rent. That’s not food. That’s just medical expenses.

Granted, I didn’t actually have to pay all that. I had private insurance, Medicaid, other government aid programs, but all that support comes at a price: they control you. The government allotted me only $700 a month to live on, and I had to spend every single cent above that on medical expenses, or they would cut me off.

So for years, that’s what I did. If I made $5,000 one month, I set aside $700 for living expenses, and I spent the other $4,300 on medical bills. Nothing was left. Ever.

And eventually, I got sick of it.

I wanted to make money without having to worry about losing my healthcare. I wanted to take care of my family, instead of them always having to take care of me. I wanted to actually live somewhere nice, not some ratty little apartment built for folks below the poverty line.

The only problem was, it just wasn’t possible for me in US. No matter how I played with the numbers, I couldn’t make it work. So, I did something crazy:

I quit Medicaid. I moved to Mexico. I stopped worrying about myself at all and started a business based on one simple idea:

Helping people.

I found up-and-coming writers who wanted a mentor, and I trained them. I found businesses who wanted to cash in on social media, and I developed their strategy. I found bloggers who wanted more traffic, and I created a course on how to get it.

In exchange, they paid me what they could. Some folks gave me $50 an hour and others $300 an hour, but I treated them all the same, and I dedicated myself to making their dreams a reality.

The results?

Within two months, I was making so much money so fast PayPal shut down my account under suspicions of fraudulent activity. Today, not only am I making more than enough to take care of myself, but a couple of months ago, I got uppity and bought my father a car.

Do you understand how precious that is? For a guy who can’t move from the neck down to buy his father a car?

And the best part is, I’m not making money blogging doing mindless drudgery. I’m changing people’s lives.

Every day, I get emails from readers who say my posts have changed their thinking. Every day, I get emails from students who say my advice has changed their writing. Every day, I get emails from clients who say my strategies have changed the way they do business.

I can’t really believe it. Normally, a guy like me would be wasting away in a nursing home somewhere, watching television and waiting to die, but here I am speaking into a microphone and essentially getting paid to change the world. If my fingers worked, I’d pinch myself.

And here’s the thing:

I don’t want it for just me. I want it for you too.

The reason I told you this whole story wasn’t just to brag but also to convince you of one incontrovertible point:

YOU CAN DO THIS!

You want to quit your job and become a professional blogger?

You can.

You want to travel around the world, living life to its fullest?

You can.

You want to dedicate your every hour to helping people and making the world a better place?

You can.

Because listen … I know it’s horribly cliché, but if I can quit my job, risk the government carting me off to a nursing home because I can’t afford my own healthcare, convince my poor mother to abandon her career and drive my crippled butt 3,000 miles to a foreign country, and then make enough money to support myself, my mother, my father, and an entire nursing staff using nothing but my voice, then what can you accomplish if you really set your mind to it?

My guess: pretty much anything.

No, it won’t be easy. At some point, I guarantee you’ll want to quit. I guarantee people will treat you like you’re insane. I guarantee you’ll cry yourself to sleep, wondering if you made a horrible mistake.

But never stop believing in yourself. The world is full of naysayers, all of them eager to shout you down at the slightest indication you might transcend mediocrity, but the greatest sin you can commit is to yourself become one of them. Our job isn’t to join that group, but to silence it, to accomplish things so great and unimaginable that its members are too awed to speak.

You can do it.

I believe in you.

So get started.

Right freaking now.

Jon Morrow is Associate Editor of Copyblogger. If you’d like to learn more about what it really takes to become a popular blogger, check out his free videos on guest blogging.

About Guest Blogger
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Comments
  1. Jon, this is the best thing I’ve read in a while. Really inspirational, before reading this I was sitting around complaining, looking at my stats decline a little. But this post inspired me to say forget it, and to keep working hard. Because I know with hard-work and dedication I can do exactly what you did. Although, I don’t think I could ever have the same willpower as you.

    Thanks!

    • I completely agree with DeShaun. Very powerful words. You are a true inspiration and your story goes so much deeper than the headline. I felt a chill from your story, then a strong boost of inspiration. This will be a great post to boost me up whenever I’m down. And to DeShaun, stay positive. I know exactly how you feel. I’ve been there many times over but the dream of a better tomorrow is to strong to give up on hope.

  2. callmebob says: 05/18/2011 at 7:03 am

    Last year, I had a depression. I lost my online job and my client only paid me only half of the bill and they’re gone. My finances were almost zero and my credit card bills were skyrocketing because I can’t pay my monthly due. Companies I applied with, did not accept me. I was jobless for a year and barely surviving. It made me depressed and planned of commiting suicide.

    But my faith is strong, and pushed myself. I thought, if no one is hiring me, then I’ll start my own company and hire myself. My first project, was to start a sports league in my country for non-professional tennis players, My first tournament was successful so I challenge myself to organize a bigger tournament. I presented my vision to a marketing company to help solicit sponsors but they rejected me because they thought the event cannot attract as much traffic they need to attract sponsors. One venue even discouraged me of my efforts. With no one to turn to, I started a blog and a fan page to attract fans and built its media value. I am very happy that I got positive feedback from the players. With very limited resource and with only one sponsor I organized the event on my own and again it was very successful.

    This year, I organized another one, this time a lot bigger. I was able to get more sponsors, and even asked two of the leading newspapers in my country to advertise our event. Our fan page has grown to thousands. I was very happy.

    At present, I was hired back by my previous company (I left that company 4 years ago) to help them in their social media campaign. I also started paying off my debt. I believe I am on the right track.

    Thank you for your story it inspired me more to continue pushing harder.

  3. Thats great! And its so true, so many people are just living in situations they don’t like because it is all they know- who just up and moves to Mexico? It sounds crazy to most people but there really isn’t anything crazy about it at all. Congrats and keep it up. Hopefully I’ll be among those who made their entreprenuership-in-paradise dreams come true soon.

    I wrote a post to try to inspire people to quit their jobs and travel- check it out :)
    http://www.escapenormal.com/2011/03/01/top-8-reasons-to-quit-your-job-to-explore-and-enjoy-life-and-the-world/

  4. George says: 05/18/2011 at 7:26 am

    Wow. What a way to start the day! Thank you for the inspiration, Jon. You are truly blessed. I have a feeling I’ll be talking to you really soon. God bless you.

  5. Wow, Jon. Amazing! I knew about your medical obstacles, did not realize you had also expatriated. Last year I caught some flack for writing about medical care being a big reason for people to move overseas, and you’re a shining example of the new wave. Very brave and insanely sensible to give up the abomination that calls itself health care in the US for an actual life somewhere else.

    All the best,
    Susanna

  6. This is the most wonderful post I have read in my entire life…First, it teaches me more than anything, or anyone else I have listened to. The way you say things, the way you write and they way you think – it’s just too great. You are now my inspiriation, I thank you for helping me even though thousands of people read this, but good luck to you man and I wish you a great life! I told all of my blogger friends to read this and this is something I can read at any time, even 10 times per day.

    Thank you for making my life nicer ;) I got motivated by +1000 now! Philippines, here we come, hah.

  7. Sometimes I struggle with getting myself motivated to get things done. Reading this post was truly inspiring. In fact, I’m now having another look at my “blog project” to see if I can’t shake that thing up a bit.

  8. Post Of The Year

  9. Hi Jon,

    I just put down Guy Kawasaki’s book, Enchanted, and then landed on this post minutes later. Talk about enchanting. You and your story are truly moving in that they move the heart, the mind, and then an entire person to stop dawdling, stop whining, and just act. Thank you and warmest wishes to you. I bet your dad LOVED the car.
    Denise

  10. Hi Jon,

    First off, thanks for inspiring the living sh!t out of me. I can’t express how this single post as pushed me over the edge not to just take an action; but to plan a series of actions that can catapult me towards success.

    After reading this GP, I packed my laptop and notes and am about to start some serious work. Again, thank you!

  11. Robin Jong says: 05/18/2011 at 8:50 am

    What an amazing story! The mind indeed appears to be the strongest force!

  12. That’s what I want, to quit my job and work in paradise with nothing but my laptop (and of course my wife and kids). My friend and I have started a fairly new blog site with an average of under 10 visitors a week, 1 month into it, but that’s what I see in my future (or would like to see I guess), blogging……this site sure is motivational.

  13. Thank you Jon for writing this. Lost for words, inspirational is not enough but you are that! I will share your philosophy and knowledge. Jane

  14. Sarah Hopkins says: 05/18/2011 at 9:07 am

    This article is FABULOUS beyond words!!! You are honest inspiration on ALL levels Jon! Thank you for being so genuine and for PUMPING US UP! You’re fantastic, keep it up! Wishing you the very, VERY best now & always!!

  15. Wow, I needed to read this post today and I’m happy I clicked the link to visit. I have been feeling so down about my blogging that I was tempted to just give up. Now my dream is not the same but I do dream of starting an offline business someday and growing my blog so I can move to an area where I can do so.

    After reading this I’m motivated to make a new plan knowing that if you can get to where you are I can do the small steps to get to where I want to be. It’s not a huge dream, but just enough out of my reach where I’ll still have to work hard to get there.

    Thanks for the motivation!

  16. Inspiring story. There is something to be said for having clear purpose and motivation. And health insurance. Good luck! (not that you need it much anymore)

    http://www.awkwardengineer.com

  17. Jon, You’re an inspiration – that’s for sure. Thank you for that.

    (I saw a video you did once on controlling a word processor with voice commands. I thought it was pretty cool. Some time LATER I found out you knew how to do that because you HAD to write that way.)

    The point is, you know a whole lot of sh..stuff. and REALLY… thank you for THAT. And for sharing it all with us.

    Best wishes, man…

  18. Hiya Jon,

    First and foremost, let me say just how awesome you truly are. This article was amazing! I’ve only been blogging for almost 4 months now,and certainly haven’t made it to making any money for my work; but I truly am hopeful that my time will come. My last job was as a flight attendant for a major airline. At the beginning of the recession, I was let go; that was two years ago back in January. I have tried without fail to find another job, with not much success. So after an interview where the manager said, “I was too professional” for a position at Old Navy Clothing store and another airline turning me down because I didn’t speak another language or had a college diploma; I figured I’d set out to do something I enjoy.

    Today, was one of those days where I got a little discouraged. Because not only have my blog not been getting steady views, but my networking sites also cutback on activity. Then I read what you posted. “The world is full of naysayers, all of them eager to shout you down at the slightest indication you might transcend mediocrity, but the greatest sin you can commit is to yourself become one of them.” All I can say is Thank You so very much! I am more encouraged than ever to go after what I want and to prove those Naysayers wrong! You are such an inspiration bud! And I truly can’t say Thank you enough for this article that you’ve shared.

  19. Your story is inspirational. I will use it in my work with severely disabled children to help them understand that they can achieve great things. Maybe not always world changing, but always great! You may be interested to know that here in Otago, New Zealand, almost 100% of children with, even the most severe disabilities, attend their local school. This has been a very hard thing to achieve, and it has taken over 25 years to reach this point, but your story helps me to believe this was the right thing to do.

  20. Outstanding. Everything else I’ve read the past two years about motivation, inspiration and creating a blog has been bullshit. This is it. Thanks for sharing your story, Jon.

  21. What a BEAUTIFUL, thought-provoking post. Thank you so much for sharing your story and being an inspiration to not only the readers here but the people who get to interact with you on a daily basis. THANK YOU and keep up the positive outlook – we need many more people in the world like you.

  22. Thank you for writing this. I am heading to Sanya China on June 17th to start working at a Ski manufacturing compnay (skilogik.com) – This is the motivation I need to start the blog about my experience – stay tuned. :-)

  23. Very inspiring read! Just what I needed today :)

  24. Hi Jon, you’re phenomenal in every way:) Love reading this and am soooooo happy you get to live in a gorgeous place. It really makes all the difference. Brilliant message here that we really can have it all if we only reach out for it.

    Thanks for saying “I believe in you” it really helps to have that support but most of all we have to believe in ourselves like you do and enjoy life because it is far too short.

    Gracias senor Morrow y Rowse para la inspiration;)

  25. I just saw this as a tweet and wow, it was amazing. You are an inspiration. What a well told story.

    I’m making the same plans… to quit my job, to travel the world, and to change lives (and mine included!).

    You are a motivation beyond anything I’ve come across in a looooooong time. Enjoy yourself my friend!

  26. starting right freaking now!

  27. This is freaking incredible. It’s beautifully written (maybe you could teach people something about that? HA!) and it inspired me as a blogger, human being and mother. Thank you!!!
    Now, I am off to quit my whining and get to work!!!

  28. I really love this post. It is very inspirational. I wish I could get others to see that they can achieve anything if they set their mind to it. Honestly if anyone would stay “safe” in their job and life style it would seem that you would have but it is very good for you that you did not and also for those of us who are trying to find a way to be free like you.

    Thanks again for the inspiration I am hoping to do what you did before this year ends.

  29. I am stunned, humbled and inspired. Thank you:)

  30. You touch my heart.

    God bless you! I will try to get that lifestyle for me and my wife. We are both bloggers. :)

  31. Hello Jon,

    I admit when I first saw the headline for your story I thought, “Oh boy! Another get-rich-quick scheme, but I am glad I actually took the time to read what you had to say. You are absolutely right about the control of our lives that is pushed upon us through what is essentially blackmail and it doesn’t even start with someone in your position i.e. with a huge load of medical bills.

    There’s all the other fun obligations such as legally required insurance for home and auto and of course if you want to start a business or be self-employed there are a million barriers to entry for those with little capital to start with! After awhile with what little you take home in your paycheck, once you are doing making all the payouts it starts to feel as though you are paying other people for the privilege of simply existing!

    I am SO glad you were able to succeed in your endeavors and serve as a beacon of hope for all of us in that boat because all this rowing is making my proverbial arms tired. I will definitely be visiting your site more often to soak up your wisdom.

    -Alexis

  32. That’s pretty darn amazing and you deserve every ray of sunshine you’re soaking up, Jon! Thanks for sharing your story and getting me all fired up to do something earth-changing!

  33. Thank you.

    For the reality check. For the get a grip on your underwear. For the inspiration. For the model. For the if I can do it, you sure as hell can. For the example of believing in yourself more than the system. Thank you.

    Time to take a deep breath and get back to work.

  34. I’ve got tears in my eyeballs. Thank you for this.

  35. Amazing and inspirational. You motivated me to write again and I did. Thanks<(

  36. Hi Jon. I live in Chile (the end of the world) and wanted to say THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS. You really inspired me. Un abrazo!

  37. Thanks for the inspiration. I needed this.

  38. Jon, As always your posts are an inspiration and a testament to the human spirit.

  39. That was the biggest inspiration story I have heard in a long time. It’s like a autobiography of yourself but how one needs to look past all the bad and just take action and get to it. Thats what separates us all by doing and taking action. I am happy to share this story and its contents with my friends

  40. Beautiful! Such an inspirational article. You rock :-)

  41. I know it’s been said by so many other comments here but I just had to add how inspiring you are. Everyone has within them the ability to get up and achieve so much more but we don’t. We let little things get in our way and yet you with so much in your way has accomplished so much. Truly inspiring and I thank you so much for sharing. This is a post I am going to save and refer back to often!

  42. Fantastic reading! Very inspiring. I even told my wife about what I just read. I’ve been working for myself since 1993 so even If I wanted a job now, employers won’t hire me. LOL. I blog part-time and do online marketing the other half of the time.

    I see that your will power, determination and imagination has made you realize your dreams and reach beach front freedom in Mexico!

    I’ve been to Mexico and I always tell people that, contrary to public opinion here in the U.S., Mexico is actually a rich and beautiful country with thousands of expatriates living there.

    Keep inspiring us all, friend. You have a beautiful soul. Let your light so shine before us. Thank you.

  43. Thanks … what an amazing story. Where is the book deal and the movie? I dream of having enough money so the kids and I can live on a farm with as many animals as we want.

  44. Jon,

    As someone who has benefitted greatly from your mentorship, I wanted to add my hooray to this post. You demonstrate courage and excellence day in, day out, post after post. Next time I offer a toast in your honor, I hope you’re with me. Mexico, London, wherever!

    Jen

  45. What an inspirational story and what a role model you are Jon. I can’t explain how happy it makes me feel to see someone do something so extraordinary and, as some people may call it, crazy and succeed! I wish everyone realized that they can be as strong as you and that we can all do incredible things if we follow our passions, no matter what our situation is. I have spent so much time dwelling on this idea that I started http://www.hiredfor.com in the hopes to help other individuals realize their potential in any field, skill, talent, or anything else they love doing. I wish you and all passionate people that never give up, take risks, and never let anything stop them, the best! Thank you for sharing your incredible story and I hope you open the eyes of a few people that are considering giving up on what they love to do.

  46. God bless, my man. I am sure you are an inspiration to many. I’ll be sure to tell my wife – and anyone else who is on their luck, because they can’t find a job, their degree isn’t getting them anywhere, etc. Truly inspiring words. Thank you!

  47. Moved to tears of joy for you and for me. You – because you did it. Me – because I read it. Inspired.

    Thanks, Jon.

  48. WOW! this post is better than those inspirational moves! Currently, I’ve been experiencing bad health problems and I’m depressed everyday because nothing seems to be going my way. After reading this post, you have just regenerated my battery and it will keep me going, going and going till i reach my dream! Never say never! Thanks for this nut feeling post!

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