When I quit my job back in 2018, I didn’t have a grand plan.
I was just exhausted and wanted to take a long break.

Enjoying the online ride

Now before you think I quit after getting hyped up by a guru who told me to “take a plunge, and go all in”, I did not.
I had no reasons to quit other than being burnt out.

All I had was some savings and the hope that I could find a better job in a reasonable period of time.

The Nice Beginning That Didn’t Last Long

The first two months of unemployment were cool — I spent my days relaxing, going out, and sleeping more.
I almost had zero stress in those days.

But that feeling didn’t last long. My stress and worry started to kick in when I checked my bank account a few weeks later.

I was spending money… but no money was coming in.

Since I had no idea how to make money outside of a regular job, my first thought was to look for a new one.

Here I was again — looking for a job! But something unexpected happened.
Out of pure luck, I found out I could flip an authorized copy of Banksy’s art on eBay and make a profit.

That’s exactly what I did. I flipped a Banksy authorized piece for a $1,500 net profit on eBay.

That was the sweetest money I had ever made in my life!
I felt proud. Making money on my own had a completely different taste — a monthly paycheck didn’t even come close.

$1,500 wasn’t life-changing money, but I cashed it out and added it to my already-declining balance.
It made me feel less anxious about covering expenses until I landed my next job.

A New Beginning

Four months later, I got a new job in a construction company.
I was happy and grateful.

I was back to my old routine: wake up at 6, shower, dress, commute to work, check in, check out, go home, eat, relax, and then bed.

But this time, something was different. Instead of watching TV and scrolling social media after work, I was spending my evenings on Google. My searches looked like this:

“How to make money on eBay?”
“How to sell stuff on the internet?”
“How to make a stable income from eBay?”

That first lucky sale on eBay had me hooked. I still had no idea about the “internet money” world. I was just curious.

One evening, while scrolling Instagram during dinner, I saw a video of a guy claiming he could teach me in-demand skills to make a nice income online.

The message was so captivating that I forgot to finish my dinner and watched the entire 30-minute video.

Later, I learned this was called a sales letter — and the guy was Tai Lopez.

Everything seemed right. This was what I’d been Googling for weeks.
But to my surprise, I had to pay for the knowledge.

The price? $397.

My First “Risky” Investment

I spent the whole night researching whether it was a scam. I was also calculating how much money I needed to cover bus tickets and groceries.

Even with doubts, I decided to pull the trigger.
Even if it was a scam… even if it didn’t help me make a single dollar… I wanted to try.

And that was my first real “risky” investment in myself.

Thanks, Tai Lopez.

Key lesson:
Having a job can be a good thing. It gives you the ability to explore options, fund your self-education, and work on side projects.

Diving Deep into the Online Money World

My routine became ruthless and disciplined.

Wake up at 4 am
Watch course lessons
Send cold DMs to potential clients
Do client work before heading to my day job
After work: gym, more client work, then bed

I dove headfirst into the online world:

Cold calling and DM’ing potential clients
Juggling gigs on Fiverr and Upwork
Building websites
Running Facebook ads
Crafting sales funnels
Writing copy for clients

I did $10 gigs on Upwork, $500 one-off gigs, and sold items on eBay for anywhere from $50 to $1,000.
I connected with business owners online. Some ghosted me. Some paid me and praised my work but vanished after a few months.

A year later, I tried ecommerce with my own money — selling blue-light blocking glasses.
It did okay in the beginning… but it died weeks later.

The Reality of “Success”

I learned a lot from self-education. I knew it would get me to where I wanted to be — someday.

When I started, I thought I’d be making thousands within six months.
The truth? I wasn’t.

Six years later, I’m still working a regular job. But I’ve also gained solid skills I’ll use for the rest of my life.

I feel accomplished because I pushed hard, experimented, and learned quickly.

I haven’t reached my big goals yet — but I’ve unlearned harmful mental habits and reversed a lot of the damage caused by the school system.

I’ll keep pushing and iterating.
If luck comes my way, I want to be prepared. That’s my small bet in life.

Key Lessons

Success is Closer Yet Further Than You Think
Sometimes it will feel near, but procrastination and distraction get in the way.
Unlearning is as Important as Learning
You need time to rewire your brain and erase harmful narratives before you can truly grow.
Emotional Management is Your Real Superpower
Technical skills matter — but stress and emotional control are game-changers.
Be Lenient with Yourself
You won’t always be 100% on track. The key is to correct your course without self-destruction.

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. The answers to your problems often show up in subtle ways.

The Ongoing Journey

I’m grateful for every job and side project. They’ve given me money, yes — but also invaluable lessons.

I’m still building. Still learning.
I place small bets, learn from those smarter than me, and most importantly — I refuse to quit.

A Message to Fellow Dreamers

Success takes longer than you think — much longer. But the ride is worth it, even if you never arrive exactly where you planned.

Keep going. Keep learning. Keep believing.

If you want to learn more about the course I started back in 2018 that helped me gain valuable skills, check this out (updated for 2025):
➡️ SMMA 9.0 — Learn more here (affiliate link)

Yazan Muqbel

It’s Been 6 Years of Hustle, and I Have Not Made it Yet