Four Hour Work Week

Question 1

What we fear doing most–

Answer 1

is usually what we most need to do. As I have heard said, a person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have

Question 2

Resolve to do one thing every day that you fear

Answer 2

I got into this habit by attempting to contact celebrities and famous businesspeople for advice

Question 3

When afraid to make the plunge

Answer 3

Measure the cost of inaction, realize the unlikelihood and repairability of most missteps, and develop the most important habit of those who excel and enjoy doing so: action

Question 4

Why huge goals over incremental improvements

Answer 4

“There is just less competition for bigger goals

Question 5

How to contact strangers

Answer 5

“I participate in this contest every day,” said Ferriss. “I do what I always do: find a personal e-mail if possible, often through their little-known personal blogs, send a two- to three-paragraph e-mail which explains that I am familiar with their work, and ask one simple-to-answer but thought-provoking question in that e-mail related to their work or life philosophies. The goal is to start a dialogue so they take the time to answer future e-mails—not to ask for help. That can only come after at least three or four genuine e-mail exchanges.”

Question 6

Set Deadlines for yourself

Answer 6

3 month 6 month deadlines

Question 7

Effectiveness vs efficiency

Answer 7

1. Doing something unimportant well does not make it important.
2. Requiring a lot of time does not make a task important.”

Question 8

Parkinson’s Law

Answer 8

a task will swell in (perceived) importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion.”

Question 9

How to avoid project time swell

Answer 9

1. Limit tasks to the important to shorten work time (80/20).
2. Shorten work time to limit tasks to the important (Parkinson’s Law)

Am I Being Productive or Just Active?— ask three times a day

“Am I inventing things to do to avoid the important?”

Question 10

THE KEY TO having more time is doing less

Answer 10

there are two paths to getting there, both of which should be used together: (1) Define a to-do list and (2) define a not-to-do list. In general terms, there are but two questions:”

Question 11

Learn to be difficult when it counts

Answer 11

In school as in life, having a reputation for being assertive will help you receive preferential treatment without having to beg or fight for it every time

Question 12

Golden Rule 1

Answer 12

Each delegated task must be both time-consuming and well-defined. If you’re running around like a chicken with its head cut off and assign your VA to do that for you, it doesn’t improve the order of the universe.

Question 13

To get an accurate indicator of commercial viability,

Answer 13

don’t ask people if they would buy—ask them to buy. The response to the second is the only one that matters

Question 14

—NICCOLÒ MACHIAVELLI, The Prince”

Answer 14

All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.

Question 15

What is your ten year plan?

Answer 15

what if you had to accomplish it in 6 months? What steps would you take. What are the essential pieces.