Got Stress? Crazy Busy? Some solutions!

The best book I’ve read in some time is Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek. It truly sets out to help us look at our life differently and challenge some of our assumptions about work and what’s important (hence the title of his book).

I for one needed to confront the fact that busyness can be used as an excuse not to face uncomfortable things in life that we’re not facing.

It’s so socially acceptable to be busy but are you doing what’s most important? It’s too easy to say we don’t have the time. Here are a few points he makes in a great book filled with strategies to help us work less and enjoy life more. I urge you to check this book out.

1. Do what excites you a.s.a.p. and not after you retire.

For years books have told us that we must know what we want if we hope to have a fulfilled life. Ferriss argues that this advice is too vague for most people.

He also believes that happiness is too hard to define for most people. His solution? Don’t ask yourself “What do I want?” but DO ask yourself: “What would excite me?”

2. If this frightens you, WRITE out the worst case scenario.

In other words, don’t THINK about it endlessly. Putting it on paper will help you see that the ‘worst’ is likely something that would have a temporary negative impact of a 3 or 4 on a scale of 1-10.

“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” What are you most afraid to do? Maybe hold this thought, walk your dog, and mull it over longer. Also think about what doing nothing is costing you. I had a rude awakening yesterday when I re-read an old journal entry that expressed concerns over two years ago that I had done little to remedy.

If you’re not taking action, accept this: “You’re afraid, just like the rest of the world.” It’s okay. It’s normal. Then think Nelson Mandela: “The brave man is not he does not feel afraid, it is he who conquers fear.”

3. Accept that the timing will never be perfect

‘If only I had more money’ is the easiest way to postpone the intense self-examination and decision-making necessary to create a life of enjoyment – now and not later.

“Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. If it’s important to you and you want to do it “eventually,” just do it and correct course along the way.

4. Doing the unrealistic is easier than doing the realistic.

Ferriss points out that you will have more success aiming higher for two reasons.

a) 99% of people are “convinced they are incapable of achieving great things” so never try. That means there are very few people trying for gold. Everyone feels insecure so don’t be the one selling yourself short.

b) When you do have an ambitious target, it gets your adrenaline going and you think of more creative solutions.

“It’s as easy as believing it can be done.”

5. Focus on some goals that are 6 and12 months away

Dig deep to relocate your passions and revive hobbies you have let slip away. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Create four short-term dream goals that have you waking up excited in the morning. Take action right away.

6. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations

“A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have. Resolve to do one thing every day that you fear.”

7. Consider very new paradigms:

a) Get a virtual assistant in India. Your work is done while you sleep and ready when you wake up. And it will cost you less than hiring someone on your own continent.

b) Find a market and define your customer BEFORE you develop a product. Pick a demographic you already understand. For example, after six years of coaching sales people that keeping in touch with clients was a system they needed and noticing that 98% of my clients did nothing, I developed the Loyalty Ezine. Another tool that helps a lot is Send Out Cards.

c) Boredom is the enemy.

d) It’s not about having a pile of stuff and necessarily making a lot of money; it’s about doing all the things you want to in life and being all the things you want to be.

e) Don’t run a business. OWN it and automate systems and delegate out.

f) Take mini-retirements every few months

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What would excite me?