You've obviously hit on a hot button topic as is evident by the preceding comments. It's also a topic I've been wrestling with as well so I'm glad to see yours and everyone else's viewpoints. I think a certain amount of transparency is not only important but vital if you want to have a voice that is followed.

I feel like some of the "big dawgs" have become a bit complacent with their posts writing from a "just do this and you will succeed (or be happy, or rich, or whatever you want to put here)" frame of reference rather than a truly helpful / honest viewpoint. But there are a number of mid-range bloggers who are beginning to make names for themselves by being upfront and honest about where they are, where they want to get to, and what obstacles lie in their way (a few of these bloggers have actually left comments here).

When I started blogging I thought that you HAD to develop a perspective as a "fake it til you make it" type of writer to get anywhere. But I quickly realized (1) I wasn't comfortable with that approach and (2) people didn't want to connect with that type of shit anyway.

In the end, I think people truly resonate with stories and people that they can relate to. And transparency is the best way to form that connection. Great post…

Paul

@Johnny (thelifething) … I totally believe thats possible, but my flavor of life design does not include moving to a different country to succeed. It's probably one of the best ways to create focus through environment and live cheaper…it's just not a realistic setup for several of us.

What is wrong is pretending you have all the answers when you don't.

It's also clear that you have and are taking steps along the way towards your goal. Many people who want to pursue the goal of lifestyle independence won't have got to the stage of leaving the 9-5 job and building up freelancing work.

I don't think that not having achieved your goals yet is a reason not to blog, you can advise those who aren't as far along the path as you are. For example, you could write posts about how you source your freelance engagements and how you built up regular work. You could talk about the mindset that you had to develop to leave the security net of the 'safe job'.

And of course, you can post about your own experiences as you strive to reach your own goal and share what has worked and what hasn't along the way. The transparency is more like to make people relate to you IMHO as you will seem like a human being and not some demi-god who makes our own struggles seem like failures every day.

Good for you for taking a stand – long may it continue!

Your goals, aspirations & desires will continue to evolve and grow with you for your entire life, and as Clay Collins said in my recent interview with him, finding your purpose isn't a destination, it's a path—a journey. It never ends, at least I hope your growth never ends.

Anyway, I'm glad I've gotten to know you. Seems like we share a lot in common and we're both young guys feeling our way throug the dark trying to find the right career, mission, and lifestyle that fits us. I wish you all the best with it. Thanks J.D.!

I haven't found the problem in the blogosphere (at least in this general circle of lifestyle design/LIPs) to be that people are pumping themselves up to be necessarily bigger than they are. It seems to me that the issue is more that everyone is repeating the same thing; they are reiterating what has worked (is working) for others. There's no fault in jumping on a band wagon and getting excited about new ideas and sharing them. That may sometimes come off as an attempt to appear to be an expert on something to some people, and I agree then, that transparency should be applied. But I found in this group that most of the bloggers are just over excited about ideas they're beginning to implement. I'm really interested to hear how you're adapting what you're learning to your circumstances; from that I might be able to tap into clues to help me in my circumstances. And from that we can move into the next stage of greater efficiency and increased potential.

This could be me arguing semantics here, and I'm excited about this flush of honesty from some of the longer running (yeah, that's you) bloggers in this circle. It's setting a great example, and reminding those of us who are just starting that we're not so far apart. I just hope no one is going around kicking themselves and feeling like they've been intentionally dishonest to their readers. Unless of course you have. But it doesn't seem that way to me, and I don't feel that I've been lied to. Unless of course I have

Anyway, I think you will reach your monthly goal sooner than you think, good projects with great viewing potential are the best advertisement you can ask for as far as online work goes. So worry not.

I think its very important for readers to know the difference between a suggestion made because you've had repeated success with it and suggestions made because you're exploring and trying to find a new avenue to pursue. I've struggled with this in the past, thinking that people wouldn't want to read about me making guesses about what will work and what won't in my life, but that's turned out to not be true.

People seem to appreciate honesty above all else and, whether you're talking from an authoritative stance or a questioning, exploratory one doesn't really matter as long as you're simply giving it to them straight.