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The manual doesnt exist but….

The other day I mentioned that the manual doesn’t exist. There’s no specific manual or step-by-step action plan to achieving success, but there are tools to guide you.

However, these tools only work when you’ve got the endpoint in mind. This reminds me a lot of GPS Navigation.

If you get in your car and decide you want to go to the airport, your GPS won’t do anything useful until you tell it exactly where you’re going. It will show you the map and you’ll see yourself moving along, but it will haphazardly follow all the bad decisions you make along the way. It won’t start offering advice or correcting your mistakes until it knows where you’re going.

Your goals have to be a lot like a GPS.

If you’re in Canada, you can’t punch Dubai into your GPS and expect a clear path. It’s kinda like saying, you want to build the next Facebook or create a billion dollar company. It’s a silly thing to say. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for big goals and big dreams – but realistic goals are the key. Your GPS will actually try its best to map out the trek to Dubai, but the path will be almost impossible to follow.

But if you’re goal is to build a business that earns you $75-100K a year, that’s achievable. That’s like setting a destination into your GPS that’s maybe a day’s drive away. It’s long and complicated, but the path can be mapped out and you can get there. If you make a wrong turn, you’ll know it right away (“GPS Re-calculating“), and you’ll be offered advice for getting back on track as soon as possible.

Your goals are a lot like a GPS. There needs to be an end-point in mind, and it needs to be specific, or you’ll just be driving in circles.

Sit Down and Shut Up: Become a Robot

I read a quote from Hugh MacLeod on GapingVoid.com, where he said,

“Everyone is born creative, everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.”

I agree. Yet somewhere along the way, most of us seem to lose that creative spark.

Who’s to blame?

Do we blame schools and education? Do we blame our parents? Our Teachers? Society itself?

Eventually, most of us were told to put the crayons down. In kindergarten, we were given the crayons and told to be creative and express ourselves. They said, “colour outside the lines, it’s perfectly acceptable!” They shouted, “be free young one, and express your creativity!”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moriza/53283937/

A few years later we were told that crayons were childish, and we were big kids now. Big kids don’t play with crayons.

We were told that going outside the lines wasn’t acceptable anymore. Big boys and big girls stay inside the lines.

Then things got a little nuts. We were told to put our heads down, shut the hell up, and study hard for the next twenty-some years.

We were told that the only route to security and happiness in life was to stay inside the lines. We were told we had to follow the status quo.

And what else did the status quo say?

  • It said that understanding the difference between a stratified sample and a random sample was more important than creative expression.
  • It said that knowing the difference between a parallelogram, trapezoid, and rhombus, was worth six weeks of our lives.

I’ve been out of school for a while now, and I’m still waiting for the moment either of those skills are required.

Were we tricked?

This was the start of it.

When we were told it was no longer acceptable to colour outside the lines, the indoctrination had already begun. Conforming meant staying inside the lines.

Smart kids; good kids; well-behaved kids, coloured inside the lines.
Smart kids became robots.

Today, the most successful people I know are the ones who could never colour inside the lines.

The thing I’m starting to realize is this, it wasn’t because they were too dumb or not smart enough, it was because they were already challenging the system.

The power of the “staying inside the lines” metaphor and the impact it’s having on all of our lives is huge! We’re only starting to see the ramifications of it now.

The system is no longer rewarding the people who stayed inside the lines and shut-up without a fight. Instead, the system is backfiring! We’re seeing our friends lose their jobs and being laid off. We’re seeing people lose their pensions, (the one promise of security and safety for years of colouring within the lines).

It’s a pretty grim situation, especially if you’ve stayed inside the lines your whole life.

However, there is good news for all of us! “It’s never too late to pick up a box of crayons.”

Leadership Lessons – Creating a Movement

Have you seen the video of the guy at the outdoor festival who’s dancing like a nut and within minutes has hundreds of people dancing with him?

It’s an awesome video that made the viral rounds a while back. I’m sure you saw it.

Derek Sivers explains that there is more here than meets the eye. He says that what we’re actually seeing is a lesson in leadership. We’re witnessing the creation of a movement from start to finish. And we’re witnessing the Tipping Point in action.

Not to mention it’s a really fun video.

Make sure to watch and listen to the whole thing as the most important part of Derek’s message comes at the end.

(Derek’s original post can be found here)

“When you find a lone nut doing something great, have the guts to be the first person to stand up and join in.” ~ Derek Sivers

Do you know a nut doing something great?

How to Get Lucky

No, not in the sense you were thinking! My wife won’t let me write that post!

But hear me out.

Yesterday I heard a comment while watching an event being streamed live on ustream.tv with someone very successful. One of the viewers made a comment suggesting that this person’s success and was the result of “luck.”

Everyone thinks people get lucky and some cases people do. I’m constantly told I’m lucky because of all those prizes I won, that I spoke about the other day.

You’re lucky if you win 30 Million bucks in the lottery.

You’re lucky if you’re on a plane that strikes birds and the pilot lands it safely in the Hudson River.

You can get lucky in a variety of ways.

Of course, we often hear most people complaining about the lucky people. We get jealous from other people’s  fortunate good luck.

“He’s so lucky he got that job”

“That lucky SOB is being paid that much to do THAT!?”

“I can’t stand Phil! He’s so lucky!”

But what about Mark Zuckerberg who created Facebook, did he get lucky?

What about Larry Page and Sergey Brin who created Google, did they get lucky?

Sometimes my view is a little different from others but here’s what I consider lucky.

Consider the scenario:

You just got laid off from your dead-end job. Some would consider this the worst thing that could happen. After all, you were promised a pension! Oh my gosh! A pension!

And we’ve all seen how safe those are.

Do you consider this twist of fate lucky or unlucky?

Here’s my opinion. I consider this good luck. You’re being presented with an opportunity. You might not see it right away. But being laid off or fired is a lighting bolt of good luck.

You’re being given a chance, a moment,  to reinvent yourself on your own terms.

Does this mean starting a business or a new career? Not necessarily. You can go out and find another job but this time it’s on your terms, not theirs. Don’t settle. Especially when luck is slapping you across the face with a giant tuna fish.

Luck is not something we either have or don’t have. Luck is the result of effort and hard work.

To win all those contests it took time and effort. I entered 30-50 contests per day and as a result I got lucky. I know it’s hard to believe especially when you look at the sheer number of prizes and contests I won in a short period of time. But folks, these contesting people are nuts and dedicated and they WIN. Why? Because they enter religiously.

The luck is created because of the work put towards the end-goal.

Take a look at this section of a popular Canadian forum. This is where the dedicated contest go’ers post their  wins. You’ll see the same people winning over and over and over again. Go back a few pages and just look at the crazy stuff people are winning.

It’s not because they are a collective of “lucky people,” it’s because they take action and  extend a consistent effort towards something.

The same concept can be applied to ANYTHING. Want to make more money? Have a bigger and better business? Find a better job? Same concept.

Luck is created by taking action. Luck is taking an opportunity when it’s presented and doing something about it.

You know what happens when you take action and start doing things? You start to get lucky.

You know what happens when you skip the 4 hours of reality shows tonight and tackle something productive? You get lucky.

Guess what happens shortly after that – the people around you start to get ticked off at how lucky you are.

What it takes to be an Entrepreneur in 2010

To continue with my Seth Godin fanboy’ness  I wanted to share an interview with Seth that David Garland conducted today. David who I met and found through twitter runs a cool site called “The Rise To The Top.” It’s worth bookmarking in your RSS reader. David’s got good advice and has some great guests.

Key points I took away from the interview.

  1. The world is changing, are you a dispensable cog? If so, you need to become indispensable.
  2. Are you creating art or conducting “paint by numbers?”
  3. Are you an entrepreneur or a freelancer? For a long time I thought I was an entrepreneur but I’m working more like a freelancer. It’s time to change that.
  4. The lizard brain and why you can’t follow anyone else’s map to defeat it.

Watch this. I’m begging you.

I just saw this thanks to a link on Seth‘s blog. He got it from Paul. I’m sharing it with you.

Powerful stuff.

Cost of starting an online business

I just had someone in my office who has created a product to sell online. He needed help creating a PayPal button to actually get paid for the product.

We accomplished the task at hand and then got to talking about the costs associated with starting an online business.

It’s 2010 and the barriers of entry into the marketplace have never been lower.

Do you want to be an author?  Do you want to create and sell art?  Maybe you want to design t-shirts, cups, or business cards?  Maybe you want to draw and sell your own comics, because it’s being done.

There has never been a more affordable and opportunity overcharged moment in history to get your ideas in front of people’s eyes.

Here’s how the costs broke down for this person:

  • Blogger Website (free)
  • PayPal Account (free)

Total Costs = $0.00

Yup, that’s the end of the post.

Were you expecting more?

Setting Goals in 2010

Saying “I want to make a lot of money” isn’t good enough.

Here’s the thing, many people set broad goals in life and end up never accomplishing anything.

The biggest and most well-known examples of this are:

I want to make more money
I want to lose weight

The goal might be stated like this:

“My 2010 New Year’s Resolution is to make a lot of money.”

“I want to lose 20 pounds.”

“My goal is to read more books in 2010.”

In my opinion that’s too vague.

You need to have specific goals and hold yourself accountable if you truly want to achieve them.

Here’s a better way to state those goals.

  • “By March 15th, 2010 I’ll make an extra $2000 freelancing.”
  • “I’ll lose 20 pounds by June 15th.”
  • “My goal is to read at least 2 books per week in 2010.”

Go ahead and set big goals. The bigger your goals the better in my opinion! Shoot for the stars (within reason of course.) If you’re 58 and just now deciding that you want to be an astronaut, chances are this goal isn’t necessarily attainable.

And if you’re really  serious about the desired goal then you’ll also find a way to hold yourself accountable should you slip up and fall off the wagon.

By holding yourself accountable you’re even more likely to achieve your goals. Give yourself something to lose and you’ll work your hardest not to lose it.

Remember “swear jars?
Many families had a swear jar and every time someone swore they had to put some money into the jar. (losing money is always a powerful motivator)

Think of when you were a kid and how you got an allowance for good behavior or when your mom and dad said they would give you $20 bucks for every “A” you got on your report card.

This looks a lot like bribery, but it really isn’t, this was a way of helping you reach your goals by holding you accountable. By getting all “A’s” the potential payoff was big, but by not getting a’s you had much more to lose.

By setting measurable and distinct goals and holding yourself accountable you’ll be far more likely to succeed.

What are your goals this year?

Creating Your Own 4-Hour Workweek in 2010

Hey everyone, Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday season, but now it’s time to get back at it. I apologize for any typos or grammatical errors in advance, but I’m tired and fat from too many delicious treats over Christmas.

I’ve spent the last 4-5 days driving my wife totally bonkers. Why? Because I’ve been reading the 4-Hour Workweek again by Tim Ferris. I read the book when it was first introduced, and I immediately implemented some of Tim’s recommendations. But now Tim is back with an Expanded & Updated version of the book which was just released last month.  I believe 2010 is the year to truly put Tim’s methods into action. 4hour

So first things first – I’ve found that when I mention The 4-Hour Workweek (4HWW) it can instantly turn some people off just based on the title. My wife being one of them… She can’t imagine why I would only want to work 4 hours per week or how it would financially feasible to do so….So  we better get something out-of-the-way, right away…The 4HWW isn’t really about working 4 hours per week. On a deeper level it’s about living and creating the ultimate life for yourself during this very short time we have here.

Many people hear the title and react as if you’re holding some sort of scam or get rich quick scheme. Maybe the title is a little off… Tim suggested he tested the title of the book and I believe with some it turns them off and with others it invokes some serious curiousness.

There’s a whole lot more going on here and I want to briefly explain to you some of what you’ll find.

I also want to mention that the 4HWW is currently my #1 reading recommendation for everyone looking for a plan in 2010. I’ll be implementing various aspects of the teaching and documenting them along the way.

The newly expanded and updated version has 4 sections or steps that give you a guideline for achieving the 4-hour workweek.

  • Step 1: D is for Definition
  • Step 2: E is for Elimination
  • Step 3: A is for automation
  • Step 4: L is for Liberation

The DEAL is the core of what makes up Tim’s step-by-step training plan to living the life of the New Rich (NR).

Tim constantly refers to the NR as those who realize that there is more to life than materialist possessions and retirement planning or as I would say, working to  “buy stuff.” We all have so much “stuff.”

Here’s how we classify the NR versus Old Rich (OR)

To be considered NR you value

  1. time
  2. income
  3. mobility.

I’d put an emphasis on time because with all the money in the world and no time, the money really means diddlysquat.

“The NR are those who abandon the deferred-life plan and create luxury lifestyles in the present using the currency of the New Rich: Time & Mobility” – TF

The OR spend a lifetime building wealth and buying things along the way with the hopes of living and experiencing only if and when enough money is acquired and they can finally retire (i.e. granting themselves time)

The NR understand that all three can be had right now. Just reading the above sentence and the OR sounds like such a backwards way of thinking.

Tim says “Retirement planning is worst-case scenario insurance.” Suggesting that we should view planning for retirement as the life insurance against the absolute worst-case scenario. Diligent savers and the OR will also scoff at such a suggestion.

But Tim isn’t suggesting not to save, (he’s maxing out his own retirement savings every year) rather he’s suggesting that a life of working with retirement as the end-goal is flawed and he gives three reasons why:

1)   It’s predicated on the assumption that you dislike what you are doing during the most physically capable years of your life.

2)   Most people won’t be able to maintain their current quality or standard of living.

3)   Most hardworking people get so bored one week into retirement they begin looking for a new job. Tim notes, “kinda defeats the purpose of waiting.”

Let’s break down each section of the book.

Step 1: D is for Definition

Definition is truly a great way to start the book. This chapter is about letting it all hang out. It’s about defining what your dream life looks like.

You’ll find similar aspects in various business books. Most goals in life will never come to fruition unless you can totally define exactly what it is you want in life.

Maybe it’s a Ferrari…

Maybe you want to spend 6 months of every year living in Patagonia fly fishing…

Maybe you want to learn new languages…or study the martial arts….or become a chef…

Whatever it is, this step is crucial for the NR. It’s about figuring out what it will cost to live your dream life. Tim does suggest a limit on material possessions when planning your dream life but it’s OK to include them if they are truly part of your dreams.

Tim wants you to nail it down, actually putting a dollar amount on it. He even suggests calculating it right down to the daily cost of living your dream life.

But aside from dreaming up your ultimate life, this chapter is also about defining your fears and nightmares or conquering pessimism in your life.

We’ve talked about fear of taking chances before. Tim wants you to define all your fears and challenges getting in the way of your dreamlining.

Step 2: E is for Elimination

This chapter is about time management. Many of Tim’s suggestions on just about everything in life are summed up using the Pareto Principle of 80/20.

The Pareto Principle states that 80% of effects come from 20% of the causes.

Tim asks us to consider the following

1)   Which 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness?

2)   Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcomes and happiness?

One of the things I really enjoyed about this chapter was Tim’s look at 9-5 work. I worked 9-5 in an office environment for a few months and I totally get it. Tim suggests that society has agreed to shuffle papers between 9-5 and much of that time is wasted (80/20). Yet society has deemed this the time when things get done and we do somehow manage to accomplish all the required tasks during this time even if we’re only working 20% of the day. Tim believes the concept of 9-5 is a totally arbitrary one and I tend to agree.

The ultimate goal of elimination is to find the  80% of distractions and eliminate them.

We then take the 20% of sources and use various techniques to even further optimize our output and eliminate time required.

Step 3: A is for automation

This is where things start to get interesting.

Outsourcing life and taking advantage of Geoarbitrage.

The NR take advantage of outsourcing.

“Becoming part of the NR isn’t just about working smarter by applying the 80/20 rule, it’s about building a system to totally replace yourself.” TF

Think about all those lingering tasks that we constantly put off and procrastinate. Imagine you no longer had to worry about them because your personal assistant in India was handling them.

This chapter seems to get most people’s blood boiling the quickest. “How appalling,” some might say to the thought  of hiring a personal assistant in India, paying them far less than you’d pay someone in North America and having them do work for you.

But it’s really quite the contrary. The biggest companies in the world have been outsourcing everything for years and the NR have realized they can do so as well.

For example, if you believe Microsoft has been manufacturing and boxing up xbox’s to ship out, you’re dead wrong. They outsource and the NR apply the same techniques to both our personal lives and businesses.

Many will say, “why would I hire someone to do that when I can do it cheaper?” Tim confirms this…. “You can always do them cheaper but just because you can it doesn’t mean you should”

The book is chalk full of examples of how the NR are using outsourcing to improve their daily lives. I wanted to include a few here for enjoyment.

For the record I use outsourcing from a tech support company in India that handles the support of all the web-hosting clients I deal with. The support is professional and extremely fast. It costs me about $120 per month but frees up and unprecedented # of worry-free hours for me.

Examples of ways the NR have used outsourcing:

1)   Finding a parking spot for your car in another city before you make the trip

2)   Personal Chef for less than $5 a meal

3)   House repairs while you’re out of the country

4)   Charting a diet plan and ordering the groceries for you

5)   Apologizing to your spouse and sending flowers when you screw up

6)   Automatically sending flowers to your mother and spouse on the important days

7)   Scheduling interviews

8)   Personal daily wake up calls

9)   Research

10) Creation of reports, legal documents, graphic design, marketing

11)  Web development, SEO

12)  Travel Arrangements

Just about anything you can think of can be automated.

Outsourcing isn’t just about going overseas either. Just because you can get it done cheaper overseas doesn’t make it the right decision. There are certain language barriers that might not be as problematic if working with a Virtual Assistant in the USA or Canada. Either way, the 4HWW provides a ton of tips and strategies for finding appropriate outsourcing.

The main and ultimate goal is freeing up your free time to pursue your dream and dream life.

Relative VS Absolute Income

The NR are interested in relative income over absolute income.

Absolute income refers to the “Old Rich way of thinking” in that that the dollars made is what defines being rich. Your wage per year determines if you’re rich or not….

The NR value relative income and understand both money, time and mobility. The money you make per year is an arbitrary concept much like 9-5.

Here’s the example Tim provides.

Jane makes 100k per year
John makes 50k per year

In absolute terms Jane is wealthier than John. But take a closer look:

Jane works 50 weeks per year and makes 2k per week. She’s a workaholic and ends up spending about 80 hours per week in the office. She eats and sleeps with her blackberry.

In reality she makes $25 per hour.

John works 50 weeks per year and makes 1k per week. John is a member of the NR and works only 10 hours per week to provide 50k. In relative income terms , John is 4 times wealthier than Jane. John also earns $75 more than Jane per hour. Go figure… Yet our society would say Jane is richer.

You must keep in mind, 50K is all John needs to live his dream life he defined earlier. Your dream life will be different.

The rest of this chapter deals with creating a business that can automate the task of making money. When I first read Tim’s book this section was a let down. Tim started a company that sold a supplement and he did extremely well. But he didn’t share much more beyond that and still doesn’t in the expanded and updated version. Tim includes some basics on Google Adwords and testing but otherwise I was a little let down by this chapter. I would have liked to see Tim really break down the process of his supplement company or at least expand on this section.

Many of you who I work with or that read my blog will be at skill levels far beyond what Tim is teaching and I’d consider that a huge advantage…. By implementing the rest of Tim’s training you’re already going to be way ahead. For those who’ve never developed a product to sell on the Internet, Tim’s training will provide a nice base and starting point for you.

Step 4: L is for Liberation

This chapter is really what it’s all about for me and probably the reason I drove my wife completely nuts over the past week or so.

This chapter is all about breaking away from the norms of traditional society and truly embracing the ideals of the NR.

This is about working from home or working anywhere else in the world for that matter. Tim suggests mini-retirements and experiencing the world rather than seeing sections of it in a short 1-2 week vacations. Tim wants us to remove the shackles of the expectations of Western life and develop the rules on our own terms.

For the employee it’s about escaping the office but maintaining your job.

You’ll find it extremely interesting to see the employees who’ve used Tim’s advice to arrange remote work arrangements. I find this chapter most fascinating for those who do actually love their jobs but are looking for more.

Finally, this chapter is about filling the void in your life after you eliminate work.

There is so much more in this chapter but I’ve really gone on long enough.

All in all, this is a really rough take on the 4HWW but I hope I’ve said enough to intrigue you to buy and read it. The book has been on the bestseller list for over 2 years so he must be doing something right.

2010  is a big year for me. I plan to implement many of the ideas in this book and hope to share my journey with you.

Over the past week I’ve been suggesting to my wife the following:

A summer in Tuscany in a rustic old apartment drinking wine (maybe some of which we’ll actually make)

Three months of skiing in the Swiss Alps

An apartment in Paris where we could fatten up on pastries and poutine

Sipping Vodka in Prague

A few months in wine country in Argentina where I could do some world-class fly fishing…

She isn’t convinced yet or sold on the idea but she’s starting to see the light…maybe…….

Once again, Happy New Year and I wish you all the best in the coming year.

Noah

P.S. Right now on Tim’s site he has 18 videos and case studies from people who’ve successfully implemented the techniques and strategies found within the 4HWW. I suggest watching them all.

What Matters Now

Looking for some direction in 2010?whatmatter2

Seth Godin has compiled a free eBook titled “What Matters Now” with a collection of ideas from over 70 “big thinkers” about the world in 2010.

You can download the eBook free directly by clicking the button below. WhatMatters

Here are a few of my favourite ideas, thoughts or quotes from the book.

Seth Godin – This year, you’ll certainly find that the more you give the more you get.

Chris Meyer writes about the evolution of capitalism but does so by comparing business to Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos Islands. Darwin observed that the finch’s beaks would evolve and change shape to match the form of the flowers which provided their food.

Chris suggests that businesses will need to evolve as capitalism changes in our new economy. Chris suggests that the game is changing and businesses in  developed countries will need evolve their beaks and learn the new rules of the game.

Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell’s story on “Bacon Salt” and how it’s our job to find the “one percenters.” The 1% of people deep in the trenches of a niche who become the roots of word of mouth marketing.  Many are looking for the masses right out of the gate. Focus on finding the one percent first and allow them to get the roots buried deep into the soil.

William Taylor suggests that in the past businesses found a feeling of comfort by staying in the middle of the road and today the middle of the road is the most unsafe place to be. Where is your business?

John Wood – “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”

Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos.com) – Everything Tony learned about business he learned from Poker. Here’s an example: The guy who never loses a hand is not the guy who makes the most money in the long run.

Guy Kawasaki on Evangelism. Guy’s message is usually pretty consistent. He is constantly hammering home what it takes to be successful. You think he’s trying to tell us something?

Dave Balter on “Dumb

For example,

  • Putting a college Yearbook online was considered dumb..
  • Limiting small micro updates on the web to 140 characters was considered dumb.

“Recognize that your dumb idea may be tomorrow’s huge breakthrough.”

I remember when the iPod was first announced. It was considered “dumb.” Why would anyone want to carry all their music on a digital pocket device?

Look at the hilarious comments (especially the last one) left on CNET”s very first article about the iPod being introduced

“Naw …. wont take off”
“This will be the last thing from Apple ever, they’ll never be successful with this.”
“apple is going to go bankrupt with this new mp3 player thing. mp3s are going to be obsolete within the next couple years anyway”
“This is crazy. Next thing we know Apple will move all the Macs to Intel processors

WOW. In case you don’t get why the last one is the funniest it’s because just a few years later Apple did switch to using the PC’s Intel Processor.

Gary Vaynerchuk and the “Thank You Economy.

Gary is  right on the money and I’ve seen it in action. Two years ago if you made a video, posted an online petition and tweeted about Frito Lays not delivering enough Fritos to your restaurant, nobody cared.

Today, Frito’s headquarters calls you up and takes care of the situation personally. It’s an amazing world and the tools are here. How are you using them?

My father-in-law over at Quoteflections has done three awesome posts of his favorite quotes from the book. Check them out as well. #1 , #2 , #3

~Noah

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