The Change Catalyst

One of my own self-development targets for this year is to read a book a week. I have a big library of books which I haven’t completed (or started!) and I really want to tap into the wisdom inside them. I also just ordered 27 books from Amazon so I will have a full year of learning ahead. Can’t wait!  In “Book of the Week” I share with you the main points (as I see them) from one of these books.

I just sat down and went through Tim Ferriss’ great book on lifestyle design. Tim has an excellent blog here which I recommend you check out. Here is a summary of what I took-away from this reading:

Become a member of the NR (New Rich)

Don’t retire. Combine rest and work throughout life with mini-retirements. Relative income is more important than absolute income ($/hr). NR make USD5,000/hr. Focus on being productive instead of busy. Focus on your strengths not weaknesses. Use Definition – Elimination – Automation - Liberation. This is used to organise the content of the book.

Stressed?

Use eustress not distress to motivate you. Eustress is a term coined by Hans Selye, and defined in the model of Richard Lazarus (1974) as stress that is healthy or gives one a feeling of fulfillment or a feeling that you have done something great. (Source: wiki)

On setting goals
Doing the unrealistic is easier than doing the realistic. What would excite me? (rather than what are my goals?). Use Dreamlining (6 months and 12 months). Spreadsheets are included with the book and on Tim’s website.

On productivity
Time management out, elimination in. Increase personal productivity between 100 and 500%. Doing something unimportant well does not make it important. Use Parkinson’s Law: a task swells to fit the time given to it. Ask yourself three times a day “Am I being productive or just active?” The key to having more time is doing less. Define a short “to do list” and a “not to do” list. What would you do if you could only work 2 hours a day? 2 hours a week? Ask yourself:  “If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?” Batch common time consuming tasks together (emails, phone calls).

Low information diet
Stop watching TV, don’t read newspapers. (W: totally agree with this, haven’t had a TV since 2006). When reading ask “Will I definitely use this information for something immediate and important? Check email twice a day at 12pm and 4pm.

On automation
Build a system to replace yourself. Eliminate before you delegate. Use a VA (virtual assistant). Select on cost per completed task (not per hour). Use a VA firm rather than a solo operator. Never use a new-hire VA. Create new unique login and passwords for your VA. Hiring a VA (Ask for excellent English). Find a product or service “muse” to put your income on autopilot (W: Tim focuses mostly on products). Micro-test your products.

In conclusion, this book is a great refresher on lifestyle design. I especially like Tim’s idea of having goals that excite you. I took a look through my own list and to be honest - although many goals were worthy - they didn’t all excite. I went through the dreamlining process and came out with some more exciting goals.  Don’t let the book title put you off - it’s more of a challenge than an actual target. Start your journey to join the New Rich this year!