Internet Business Success, Entrepreneurship, & Lifestyle Design
Hi there! Welcome to my website. I'm NOT some get rich quick big shot. I'm just a self-made guy who worked hard to get where I am today. The goal of my website is to teach you how to...
This is a true story. I read the book over two years ago and worked like a dog to put his ideas into action. Now, I reveal exactly how it went down in my Five Part Series on the legendary Four Hour Work Week…
Although most of my writings here at JasonClegg.com tend to cover entrepreneurship and Internet Business topics, I consider these “lifestyle design” issues (a term coined by Ferriss) extremely important. How we approach our work is almost as important as the very work we do since it defines how we live in this very strange post-office world. So, enough s’plaining — on with the story!
Tim Ferriss recently released his new updated and expanded version of his immensely popular Four Hour Work Week, which got me thinking about my own experience with this compelling piece of business nonfiction. Tim released the first version of 4HWW back in April of 2007, nearly 3 years ago. I picked up a hardcopy and then an audio copy sometime during the summer of 2007 when the book was really starting to take off. And I’ll tell you what, folks — no single book or “business idea” has shaped my thinking as much before or since.
That said, I think Ferriss’ ideas have been perverted, twisted, and misunderstood by tons of people — this includes some of his biggest fans as well as some of his greatest critics.
The whole “Four Hour Work Week” phenomenon reminds me a lot of “The Secret” — that magical video that got millions of people doing creative visualization à la Shakti Gawain and “pretend driving” Ferraris and Lamborghinis in their bedrooms just before dozing off to sleep at night.
Don’t get me wrong: I think “The Secret” was great. But let’s face it, success and prosperity does not happen by day-dreaming in your bubble-bath.
Likewise, achieving a Four Hour Work Week is not for the faint of heart (or the lazy, for that matter). Here’s the deal: I want to come clean on my own experience with the 4HWW concept and explore some of the details of this idea. My intention is not to suggest that you should do what I did nor is it to make Ferriss look like a superhero or a demon. I simply want to take an honest look at the ideas behind what I consider to be one of the most influential books of early 21st century business culture… (more…)
This past weekend I read a book that has already begun to shape my thinking significantly – The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz. I actually came across this over a year ago in the “recommended reading” list inside Tim Ferriss’ popular Four Hour Work Week. If I remember correctly, this was Ferriss’ top reading suggestion in his original edition.
Let’s just cut to the chase – The Magic of Thinking Big is an incredibly valuable text for anyone looking to rewire their thinking patterns in the direction of success. Entrepreneurs beware: This book is going to change your #@$#@ life!
David Schwartz is one of the most impressive “success literature” writers I’ve come across to date. The guy is 100% straightforward without the bull. He gets right to the core issues that lead most people to failure and a few to success. And as we all know, it’s all in your head.
What’s Your Excuse for Failure?
Right in the beginning of The Magic of Thinking Big, Schwartz lays into the most common problem everybody has with achieving their goals – EXCUSES. According to Schwartz, excuses are the #1 reason people fail. And most people chalk up their excuses to AGE, TIME, HEALTH, and INTELLIGENCE.
Think about it. How many times have you put something off because you are convinced you didn’t have the time to do it? How many times have you decided you couldn’t achieve something because you are too old or too young to make it happen? And how many times have you complained about your health? (Personally, this is my greatest pet peeve. People are always going on and on about how bad they feel. Who wants to hear that nonsense?)
But what I love most about this book is Schwartz gives you nowhere to run and hide. He quickly and effortlessly shows how each and every excuse you create is just an excuse and nothing more. It all boils down to one point – there is only one reason you are not achieving your goals, dreams, and ambitions: YOU.
Entrepreneurship is Thinking Big
There’s so much more to appreciate about The Magic of Thinking Big, but I’m sure you’re not exactly in the mood for a detailed review. If you’re reading this and you’re looking to get more out of life by getting greater control over your thought patterns and taking more control, I highly recommend you get a copy of this book (in fact I URGE you to do it).
Whether your goal is to start your own successful business or to get more out of your existing business, you must remember that entrepreneurship success comes down to the focus and determination of you, the one person who sets and achieves the right goals. Schwartz will help you to think more like a successful leader, to be more forward-thinking, and to get more support and cooperation from the people who matter most on your way to the top.
Audio Books for Lazy Readers
This is a bit of a geek confession, but I’ve always loved books and reading. Somewhere along the way, though, I fell in love with audio books. I’d say 60-70% of the books I read these days I “read” on audio. It’s a great way to enjoy the benefits of reading while driving, working out, or working on other tasks. I’m not a big fan of multi-tasking but I do think audio reading can be a nice way to make use of otherwise idle time.
I highly recommend the The Magic of Thinking Big (AudioBook/Audio CD). Many of the passages throughout the book are read by different voices which gives the audio version an upbeat and dramatic quality. Enjoy!
Press play to begin streaming the audio:
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In our latest podcast, Stephanie Frasco and I rap about some great topics:
With our unique backgrounds online — Stephanie in social media and myself in search marketing — these topics come together quite nicely for a pretty lively discussion.
I’m a huge believer in the power of entrepreneurship to change everyone’s lives, but I think women might benefit even more than men in many cases. The traditional workplace has long been overrun with and managed by men — at least in high-powered executive positions. But with the web, so many doors have opened for women to make their way without (more…)
January is a popular time to redesign your life. A clean slate. New beginnings. Fresh start. However you slice it, people have been doing this sort of thing for a long time. That’s where January comes from after all — Janus, the Roman god of gates and doorways. Anytime you see an image of Janus he has two faces, one looking back and the other looking ahead.
The only problem with January is it can become more like an endless cycle than a legitimate chance to start over and get some renewal. It that my “New Year’s Resolutions” for example are pretty much the same things year after year: get healthier, be happier, and make more money. No problems there.
But this is a bit annoying. Every year I’m rehashing the same goals. The good news is that I’m super clear about the things I value as the years go by. These things don’t change too much. The bad news is that I must be doing something wrong. Why else would I be drawing out this same exact list every time the calendar flips over?
Obviously, I value health, happiness, and wealth. Every year, I’m concentrating on these parts of my life and finding things I don’t like and beginning the year with some goals of improving them. So what’s wrong with that? I thought you’d never ask…
The big problem here is specificity. Healthy, happy, wealthy. That sounds great and all, but how exactly does one define healthy? What does it mean to be happy? And wealthy? My ideas about all three of these things are (more…)
I’m thinking ahead to 2010 today and wondering what next year will hold for online marketing trends. I certainly don’t mean to be a prophet here, but I do think it’s a good exercise to try and see the future (even if you’re dead wrong). There are several areas of the web that show signs of change and even major shifts on the road up ahead. And we all know how quickly things can change online. We should always be thinking at least a few steps ahead of where we are today. As they say, in business you’re either growing or you’re dying. So let’s consider the road ahead to be sure we can avoid disaster.
The 2010 Online Experience Transformed
If you’re marketing to your customers online, you really do have to think about user experience. As the web has become increasingly central to people’s lives, the environment itself has become incredibly dynamic. The idea of “getting online” in 2009 was very different than 10 years ago, no doubt. But it was also very different than we experienced in 2008.
In the world of marketing, the name of the game is to go where your customers are. Obvious point, right? Let’s consider the landscape for 2010 and try to predict where most customers are likely to be found.
Facebook Takes Over the World
Yes, this is the big buzz in web marketing circles. Facebook has made MySpace look pathetic. Twitter has proven that monetization is not everything. And everyone’s little brother has the next big idea for (more…)
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