The Four Hour Work Week
The Four Hour Work Week book is excellent and an intriguing phenomenon.
I’ve listened to the audiobook four times now and skimmed the book twice.
You may not know this, but I got into Internet marketing as a way of selling my life coaching services (not the path to a four hour work week, to be sure).
The first program I ever created was called, first, “The Game” and then later “The Amazing Momentum Generator” - I wasn’t much of a marketer then.
I’m kicking around the idea (and have in the past) of putting this program out again, specifically for Internet marketers - in a nutshell, the idea is to produce massive results (and momentum) in a relatively short period of time.
After mind-mapping “The Four Hour Work Week” there are actually a lot of similarities between Tim Ferriss’s work and my own - of course I have my own twists.
Aside from this blog, I’ve been more thin on giving than I want ideally.
So here’s a very simple approach (and worksheets to follow) that can literally triple your income and double your time off -
Although I didn’t call it “The 80/20 rule” - not sure if I even knew about the 80/20 rule at that time - the end result is the same and I think you’ll find this an easier exercise.
For the next week, track your time RELIGIOUSLY in half hour increments (worksheet provided).
1. Write down the primary task of the half hour, ie, email . . . blog post . . . phone call with X . . . teleseminar . . . etc.
2. Grade the half-hour as objectively as possible using the following criteria:
“A” - these are activities that actively MAKE MONEY.
“B” - these are activities that lead to making money, or have money making potential. IE, creating product, writing a sales letter, etc. DO NOT delude yourself - it’s easy to convince yourself that what you do is necessary to make future income - be hypercritical.
“C” - Maintenance or routine tasks. Stuff that needs done, but doesn’t accomplish anything productive. And by that I mean, doesn’t involve asset creation. Customer service fits here - necessary and important, but not creating a new asset.
“D” - Time waster. You know what I’m talking about.
Here’s the deal:
You want to spend 90% or more of your time engaged in “A”, then “B” activities.
You want to eliminate, automate and delegate “C” activities.
You want to eliminate “D” actitivities altogether. Or, discover a way to make your ‘time wasters’ an ‘A’ - ie, I’m a sport stat junky and what’s a waste of time as leisure activity during work time could become a new business.
Check out the worksheet and a snapshot guideline of “The Amazing Momentum Generator” system here:
You will quickly discover where your time is really going (and don’t be shocked if most of it goes to “C”’s and “D”s right now). “C”s and “D”s tend to be default “habit” activities. Once you become aware of how you’re spending your time, you can do something about it.
You will also notice in the worksheets that I’ve included “Who” and “Hurdles” - I grade time spent with people, even myself in a similar manner - more on that another time.
Hurdles/comments is meant to point out items that need corrected on eliminated; for example “Hurdle: Bob is IMing me eight times per day” - something needs to be done about Bob.
If you find this useful, post your comments and questions here on the blog - feedback valued and appreciated.
.X.
Principles Versus Methods
“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man (woman) who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man (woman) who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Each and every day you and I are bombarded with “methods” - just wait for the launch explosion of July 2007.
Methods are great if you have principles -
Software is great if you already have a system it can enhance; it’s a waste of money if you don’t.
“The only complexity in life is the ego trying to undo the simplicity of reality.”
- Lester Levenson
Where there is over-complexity, there is “un-necessity” -
My blip on the IM map showed up when I did things nobody else was doing; now I’ve been ripped off far and wide by lesser mortals.
More than a few people need a steel chair over the head - and it’s probably on it’s way.
And props to MF for promoting new crap (after saying he wouldn’t promote crap anymore) and labeling the “Day Job Killer” “Mr. X” . . . laughable.
NOTE: “The Day Job Killer”, whose products I’ve fully supported in the past, claims he’s not writing himself in as “X” or “Mr X” - this, apparently, was MF’s doing. Why did I never put those two initials together? Sad thing is, after having a great time at MF’s event in February I’d buried my hatchet with the guy. So why does he pull this crap? Up until now, the muse for my work has been my former boss - a control-freak who’s a real-life spitting image of Elmer Fudd. Does MF want the job of X’s muse?
But you know what? Who the fuck cares? My life ain’t never been better and I’m about to change direction again.
Deeper down the rabbit hole we go.
The wannabes? They’ll follow - they always do. But you can’t be a leader if you’re a follower and you’re a follower if you waste your time worrying too much about what the thieves, liars and leaches are doing.
.X.
Sales Bully Webinar
Watch the webinar here:
Now is the time to register for today’s Sales Bully webinar.
TOO LATE ^ Watch the Video Above
Sales Bully hasn’t been released yet and you’re being invited to a sneek peak under the hood with creator John Reel (also creator of Go Try This).
Space is limited, so register now:
http://imxfiles.com/salesbully
Call details:
Sales Bully with John Reel
Date: Tuesday June 19th, 2007
Time: 2:00 PDT; 5:00 EDT
http://imxfiles.com/salesbully
Sales Bully is what I’d call “The Ultimate One Time Offer” software.
I’ve seen it in action - and it’s pretty amazing. This is something you want to see.
Register now:
http://imxfiles.com/salesbully
.X.
PS - John says there are some cool ways to use this as an affiliate too - I’m especially interested to hear about that.
Marketer’s Main Event?
I don’t know if this is true but someone just wrote me a message titled “This should be your next rant” . . .
“Should be about the ’sold out’ MM3 thing. Thousands of people paid a grand for a piece of software that was taken from an open source project called ” Mambo” - almost without changes. Check it out - I did”
I’m interested to hear more - any truth to this?
.X.
Get Clear
“The things you own end up owning you.” - Tyler Durden
I’m not surprised when people look at me like I’m crazy - they’ve been looking at me that way most of my life.
So it’s not a surprise when I say “One of the best things that ever happened to me was when my house burned down.”
Yeah, it sucked too and I don’t care to do it again.
Fact is - I was DAMN LUCKY to get out alive with my family.
Maybe getting out alive makes the whole thing easier to accept than if we’d come home to find everything gone.
Three amazing things about the experience - this happened two and a half years ago, BTW.
1. Losing everything freed me up to have a lot more.
Examine the things in life you are attached to - and the things you have an aversion too. You can probably live without, and sometimes be much happier without the things you’ve attached to - like a job you hate, the old couch, the pile of junk “ou paid good money for” - even the books cluttering your book shelf that you will NEVER pick up again.
You have no idea how much excess, unnecessary noise this creates in your head until it’s gone.
Is it just coincidence that after “losing everything” my money making grew exponentially?
I don’t think so.
2. When only one thing matters . . .
Imagine waking from a deep dream at 5:30 AM (you went to bed at 12:30 AM) and someone in your house is SCREAMING “The house is on fire!”
There is no time in a situation like this to think - you react.
I will admit that up until that point in my life I felt like a big kid in a man’s body. But in that moment, my purpose for being was clear; “Dude - get your family out of this house, no matter what - nothing else matters.”
I’ve always been above average in high-stress situations. I thrive under intense pressure.
But, I’ve never been under that kind of pressure and to look back at how I reacted amazes me. Now, the thing is - I reacted the way I did because there was one singular purpose to the moment.
Forget trying to save things - get out. Get your family out of this house. Everything else is replaceable - even your work.
3. Peace is a cool thing -
I read the best bumper sticker I’ve ever read last week - “Happiness is the Only Thing That Matters”.
True - profoundly.
You don’t want to hear this, especially if you’re still in the “I’m going to conquer the world” phase of your life but money and “stuff” are not the cause of happiness - in fact, the might be the cause of unhappiness. I’ve proven to myself that enough is never enough - and the more I acquire the less happy I am.
I like money - I love making money. It’s fun - but the drive for more never ends. The high is never high enough - you always want a higher high. That’s not a good thing, unless your name is Gordon Gecko.
Which brings me to my real point . . .
A year ago I bought into someone else’s idea that “The Internet Lifestyle” is a myth; that I needed to have an office with a dozen employees.
Bull shit.
I’ve lived the Internet lifestyle - and the last thing I WANT is a an office with a staff of employees to manage (I do have an office, but it’s my getaway from being at home 24/7 and one of the best decisions of the past year).
As I look at - and the point here is for you to learn from my mistakes as well as my successes - where most of my income comes from, it’s from the original vision I had of creating automated income streams. I have checks coming in every month from $250-$4000 and most of it’s from simple sites using my Black Book strategies that have been producing for years now.
If I unplugged from doing the Internet marketing teaching I do - which accounts for about 80% of my work time, my income would be about half what it is - but I’d be very close to my goal of “The Four Hour Work Week” and still making a better income than anyone I know in the real world (by a long-shot).
Take a little time today - tomorrow - the next day - and define, in exact terms, what it is that you really want in life. If you think it’s more money - WHY? What are you going to do with that money?
And if anyone tries to tell you “The Internet marketing lifestyle is a myth” - punch them in the mouth.
.X.
Imxfiles
The IMXFiles has been an idea on the back burner for over a year.
The original idea: Bimonthly physical newsletter that picked apart and highlighted the cutting edge of IM.
Here’s the thing - I know how I work and coming up with hot new ideas every other month is a bigger bite than I wanted to take.
So, instead IMXFiles will be a monthly newsletter. 
I recruited a team of marketer’s on the cutting edge of this game - that means you hear from me, but only get the best stuff I have to offer (no filler).
And you get the POV of 4 (possibly more) other marketer’s I respect - guys who always have an inside scoop or brilliant idea about something.
The theme of the first issue is “The Fastest Ways to Make Money Online - NOW!” In this issue you’ll get five step-by-step blueprints, written independently of each other, on the fastest ways to produce cash that we know.
The first issue of the IMXFiles should be ready to mail on July 1.
To be put on the advanced notification list, visit http://IMXFiles.com and subscribe.
Google Cash Detective
First off, I have seen no more of Google Cash Detective than you.
I can’t give you a review.
What I can say is the following:
1. Chris Carpenter is one guy I’ve never slammed, anywhere.
We’re chummy buddies? Nope.
I just think Chris does things as close to “right” as anyone - he takes care of his people.
2. Tools
There are tools I can’t live without, and there are tools that make life easier (but I could live without).
Let’s be straight on one thing - I’ve been successful WITHOUT tools and I think you need that experience FIRST.
Don’t buy anything with the idea it’s going to magically make you money - it’s probably not.
If you’re already making money, a great tool (which we appear to have with GC Detective) will help you make more.
If you’re not already making money, there’s a lot to the game you need to learn - and it’s very possible to make a GREAT living when those basics click.
If you want to take a ride on GC Detective, I encourage you do so - the more exposure you get to these principles, the greater your odds of success. And I have no doubt Chris will over deliver - he has with every experience I have with him as CUSTOMER.
Now, I’m going to share two secrets with you - these were my secrets and now a lot of shit balls are selling these concepts in various forms.
First - keywords.
Software like Keyword Xray and what you’ll find in GCD, I imagine, will help you determine which keyword phrases are producing for you - and which aren’t.
That’s great information to have - those tools will tell you more than I can. BUT - I can predict with a high degree of accuracy what those words will be, with a few surprises pointed out by the software.
I drill this into the heads of my students -
STOP THINKING QUANTITY - ALWAYS THINK QUALITY.
People love the idea of BIG TRAFFIC. The gurus know this - people buy “traffic” products, they don’t buy “conversion” products.
It’s easier to fall in love with “1,000,000 visitors per month” than it is to fall in love with “almost guaranteed conversion rate of 5%”.
And this is why so many people lose, and make no money (and, in fact, burn through piles of it and declare ‘Adwords doesn’t work’!”
Bull shit it doesn’t work - everything I do STILL pays $3 to 4 for every dollar I spend.
How can this be?
Simple - I promote lots of products using VERY FEW keyword phrases.
80/20 the 80/20 and then 80/20 it again.
I promote, almost exclusively, using brand name terms - trademarked terms - long-tail terms . . . whatever you want to call them.
If I’m promoting “Google Cash Detective”, then I use a keyword list that includes on “Google Cash Detective” and variations thereof. Am I running ads under “google adwords”?
Hell no.
Now, those phrases are increasingly competitive - especially in this niche, and that’s why “Bitch Slap Techniques” are necessary (as taught in the Black Book DVDs) and other techniques that are basically just SMART MARKETING (and most people in this game are not marketing . . . in a very sophisticated way, should we say - yet many are still able to make money and you can KILL them).
If you cannot convert with trademarked, brand name, long-tail terms - move on. Adding more general keywords at cheaper cost per clicks is the magic formula of doom (and a management headache).
Only AFTER you have achieved excellent conversion rates with the spot on terms do you expand (’they’ don’t tell you that and ‘they’ don’t tell you expansion requires a different approach)
How to find product?
Again, these tools can offer you a shortcut - they can point out the obvious and they can help you cover TONS more ground than you can on your own.
But, “they point out the obvious”. When you see something that looks good, you need to dig deeper on your own.
Just because an affiliate is making money - it doesn’t mean you’ll make money and it doesn’t mean there aren’t better options in the marketplace.
The key is to study results consistently over a period of time - you will learn tons about a market by doing this legwork. Often you’ll discover better products to promote in the niche - things other affiliates ARE NOT PROMOTING.
I was reading Jay Abraham’s “Mr. X” book last night and dug out two gems that apply here.
1. You must identify the gaps in the market - right now, I have a new product that’s taken off like a rocket because I identified a gap within a niche, CRAFTED A KILLER USP, and that’s clearly communicated in my ad. If you cannot communicate a USP in your ad, you have a HUGE problem.
2. Most of us think we’re in business to make money. We’re not - if that’s your sole purpose, you won’t stick around long. That’s the business panhandlers are in - “Please sir, can you spare a buck or two? No, I don’t have anything of value to offer you in return.”
We are in business to help our customers speed their growth.
It doesn’t matter what the customer wants to “grow” - if you can help him/her grow their body, their sex life, their hair, their ding-a-ling, their bank account, their time off, their pile of crap to keep up the Jones’, then you’ve done your J-O-B.
OK - enough for now. Go do something you like doing - or do whatever the hell you like.
