Gaining Momentum

[Chrysalisx]

I am a software developer by training (graduated a year ago), focusing mostly on game engine development, but after leaving a somewhat dull job at Sony for a trip to Japan to do some language immersion, I find myself out of work in a terrible economy and starting to loose direction somewhat. I'm living in Silicon Vally, I'm great with technology and still no job? I feel like I'm clearly doing something wrong. I read the 4HWW the first time about a year ago, was greatly inspired, but fell back into old habits fairly quickly. I'm sure that's not an uncommon story, but I'm now hoping on trying again and attempting to keep with it. Hi Guys!

I was hoping to start with a question or two for you all.

First, what was the most influential advice in the 4HWW for you? What advantages did you gain by following it? If it was a lifestyle change, what were the biggest thing that kept you motivated?

Second, what would you say was the biggest challenge in starting your first muse and how did you overcome it? What were the financial risks involved?

Hopefully this will start an educational discussion for me, and new users like me.

[liam75005]

The biggest challenge was to kill my job.

And actually I ended up not having to do anything to do so : all the things fell into place. I think this is related to the subconscious mind : if you change your mind enough to get through, then you will create unconsciously the conditions of your success.

[Ceejee]

"I'm a drug dealer."

This was by far the most powerful line in the book. I came to realize that people define themselves by their job, finding excitement in their lives in tiny bursts, waiting until their 'golden' years to enjoy their meager savings.

I then realized that this is not want out of life. I'm 21, a senior in college, with a ton of time consuming and enjoyable hobbies that I am unwilling to to give up for the sake of a 9-5.

I refuse to define myself in any single way, or be allowed to feel guilty that I don't conform to the 'safe' life advocated by society.

[AlexMoen]

I was already fairly far into doing my own thing and doing things differently, and had previously launched a couple side entrepreneurial things when I came across the 4 Hour Work Week. I'd say that the 4HWW was one of the key pieces in setting and achieving things in my life.

For me, by far the best thing about 4HWW is liberation. I essentially live the liberation phase (I'm currently 4 months deep in an 8 month stint of traveling and learning about China, and immediately previously I had done the same in Korea for 16; and after this I'm back to the US for Ironman Triathlon training and studying to get into Mensa). Money is easy for me to come by, and I don't need much of it, so I don't focus my life around that. Even before the 4HWW I had no problem taking a job and cutting it. In fact, most jobs and businesses I've done were to fuel one goal, and once achieved I would let it go. I'm transitioning to more long term businesses now, but that's not the point. The point for me is to base my life around the fun and exciting things or goals I want to achieve, and money just kind of comes and goes in the background. I take this wholeheartedly over the widespread mindset of work being who you are, and if you're lucky you do something cool every year or two.

As for muses, I have still yet to do a muse that's by the book. I have done my own physical businesses, I've made sites, I've done freelancing and independent contracting, but not a muse as is defined by the book. It's good for some, but I like what I do, and in the long term I want bigger businesses to finance my more ridiculous goals (go to space, and climb Everest, anyone?).

My only advice is to just get out there and do it. Action. Good luck.

[nobodyreal]

Two options bro,
a) either start a biz that doesn't take any money to run at start(or very little money) like a lawn care biz/PC repair biz
b) work another job to get money to put into the marketing of your muse.

If you're going to focus on a biz that is internet based(as 99% of muses do), then you have a bit of a harder time with it since it costs $ to have a good site that converts well and money for link buys / on-going SEO campaigns. But there are other busineses you can start to make money to 'scrape by'.

Just wanted to say that, about how I got started, I wanted to form a personal training biz but then later realized there were sure-methods for getting sites to the top of Google that took SO long and required so much work that companies weren't using them--but that Malaysians and East Indians would do this extremely slow work for a low pay with no complaints. So I started an SEO biz, only one that has guarantee driven marketing and only one that I know consisently dominates the mid-level biz market(i.e. working in conjunction with full time web-masters and sometimes existing web-related staff).

There weren't any hurdles because before starting a biz my life was so crappy that my family got behind me starting this biz 100%. All my friends got behind me. Before I started the biz, I was sitting at home reading books and playing guitar and video games all day wasting my best years. So when I started a business, my life got balanced out. I started naturally eating less so I lost weight, I started wanting to exercise to be healthier, I began appreciating my hobbies much more now that I had something to pull me away from them(esp. reading), I felt like I got myself out of a 5 year rut just by reading the 4HWW and completely dedicating myself to build the only guarantee driven SEO biz.

No bragging, because I know another guy who has a biz that has blown my out of the water, but getting down to working like the above poster said, is really the key. Your brain will tell you hundreds of things to get you to stop working, almost all of them based around the notion that you're 'wasting your life' or 'wasting time' by building a business. BS. We know from Tim Ferriss and basic logic that once you HAVE an effecient business created, you can move it to an automated stage--but this is not in start-up phase, this is once you have capital to throw around.

Anyhow good luck bro, if you need advice on improving your rankings and traffic, send me a PM.

[Harold_Dobson]

Definitely have a "hands on" job to pay the bills. Budget wisely. Decide on an online business model and then "focus" on it like a laser. Build deeper, not wider. Most people make the mistake of branching out and trying too many things instead of finding 1 or 2 things and really investing to make them quality.

[jetpacklife]

You're a software developer and you're not doing iphone/android app development? There is so much money to be made in that field and small developers can easily break in. If you can't find your own ideas, jump on a freelancer site and get hired to do someone elses. Soon the ideas will start flowing.

There is also still lots of potential with regular website apps. I know people making $1k /day with their free website apps. Find something that people are paying for now and offer it for free (with ads).

[johnl]

Nobody,

Let me know how I can talk to you about your SEO company. I need some assistance with my muses in progress.

Johnl