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Haiti and Working Less

It’s hard to surf the web, pick up a paper, or peruse a magazine without seeing coverage of the awful devastation in Haiti. Most of us can’t even imagine ever being part of a disaster of that magnitude. Having survived 9/11 myself, in fact being in the towers when the first plane struck, I do have a sense of how life changing these disasters can be if you survive. It really forces you to reevaluate everything in your life… your job, your relationships, your hobbies, your health, etc.

Unfortunately most of us soon go back to our everyday routines as the thought of change in these categories is simply too big an investment of our time and energy. But do we really even need a traumatic event like a terrorist attack or earthquake to reevaluate our lives? Why not put in the work before tragedy strikes, before you’re forced to evaluate your life trajectory?

To me, that’s what paying your life first is all about. You don’t need to narrowly escape disaster to decide that those 168 hours per week are yours to control and plan. Give it a try… start with a blank sheet and fill in exactly how you would spend your 168 hours per week if you had total control. Then see what you could change about your life to make it so!

Is Your Resume Recession Proof?

I’m starting to hear it all the time now… we’re in recovery mode, the recession is soon to be a thing of the past. It’s amazing how short our memories can really be. When things are bad we can’t imagine the sun ever shining again. When we’re flying high we can’t picture another dark day.

If in fact we’re headed toward recovery, does that really mean you can work in any job in any industry and keep that job under any economic conditions? Or might the better strategy be to own your future and get yourself into a recession proof industry now? This way, when the next downturn hits… whether it’s in five years or twenty, you’ll likely hold onto your job while others sweat the unemployment line.

In my new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Recession Proof Careers, due in stores this February, I cover more than 100 jobs that are sure to be in growth mode for years to come. But we don’t stop there, because holding onto your job is about more than just the right industry. You’ve got to become a high performer, build transferable skills, and even identify the right roles that can showcase your skills.

Check the book out in February, or better yet, pre-order your copy now at Amazon and you’ll be on your way to owning your future.

That Little Voice

It’s amazing how often we take excruciating hours and days to make a decision simply because we’re ignoring that little voice telling us exactly what to do. It’s that analysis paralysis that can slow down progress in so many areas of your life.

Since I started subscribing to ready, fire, aim, my decision making process has improved dramatically. I go with my gut plus some basic information to make quick, forward-oriented decisions. I find that I can always make changes on the fly if something isn’t what I expected.

So the next time you’re stuck in a moment, consider the ready, fire, aim approach and you just might break through your own stuck moments.

The Happiness Project

Over the holidays I came across a book by Gretchen Rubin called the Happiness Project.  Apparently she spent a year trying ever self-help happiness theory, idea, and guru-inspired action plan under the sun.

I just ordered the book myself because who doesn’t need a little boost of happiness every now and then.  But it really got me thinking about whether happiness is truly in your control or not, and what else in life can you control rather than be controlled.

I’ve come to believe that Gretchen’s concepts apply beyond simply happiness.  It’s about your job, your family, your relationships, your hobbies, and everything else that working less, earning more is supposed to free you up to enjoy.  So I’m heading into 2010 with a plan to control my happiness in every area of my life.  Will you do the same?

There’s Only One of You

I’ve seen over the last few years one of the biggest life challenges is an inability to clone myself.  You  see, with a small business, two kids, older relatives needing care, and a pile of dishes/laundry, not to mention a desire to hit the gym, it can be next to impossible to do everything well.  The harder I’ve tried to be everything for everyone the more frustrated I’ve been with the results.

That’s where paying my life first has made a big difference.  I’ve come to realize that with just 168 hours of life per week, it’s easy to want 168 devoted to each important task in your life.  But without that cloning technology, it simply sets you up for failure.  So instead I prioritize my week and month before it begins and before time simply slips away.  Try the same for yourself and you just may find you can put that cloning technology on hold.

Appreciating Family

One of the best parts about working less and earning more is getting to spend more time with family. You’ll literally get back hours with your spouse, parents, in-laws, and even distant cousins.

While more time with family of course has an upside it’s always easy to fall into those negative family patterns, particularly those developed in early childhood. You’ve got to put those issues aside and truly appreciate why you’re working less in the first place. Otherwise you might as well be back at the office burning the midnight oil.

So as we hit upon another holiday season, remember what’s good about those you love and you’ll love the time you spend together.

Ready Fire Aim in 2010

I’m a big believer in putting pen to paper to make goals become reality. Every year around this time I brainstorm nine goals with my wife. Why nine? Well… ten would be expected but our anniversary is on the ninth so why not be sentimental?

We don’t just write aspirational goals… instead we write headlines as if we expect these to come true by year-end 2010. Then for each of the nine goals we come up with 3-5 practical, actionable steps we could take to make these goals a reality.

Next, we go one step further and actually create a vision board in our bedroom with visual representations of these nine goals. This way, every day starts and ends with a look at what matters most in our lives. Some of the goals are for our business, others are for our relationship, and still others are for the kids, health, and just plain fun.

So what about you? Is 2010 going to float by without any goals or will you too put pen to paper and figure out what matters most in your life next year?

Working Less and Seeing More

Thanks to my working less, earning more lifestyle, working long nights at the office are a thing of the past. But so is missing out on those life moments that come along so rarely. On December 7th, my wife gave birth to our second child, a little girl.

I couldn’t be happier to expand our family but also to have built a life where I wasn’t away on business for the birth or stuck in meeting with a demanding boss. I was right by my wife’s side watching the miracle of life and holding her hand through the experience.

So if you’re wondering about the whole reason for working less and earning more, take just one look into the face of a one-day old and you’ll have your answer.

Bill Parcells Knows Best

So what does a former NFL head coach know about working less, earning more? Well, he used to coach my beloved NY Giants and had a saying… “You are what your record says you are!” He came up with this quote in response to all those players who used to say “we’re better than our record indicates” or “this team is more talented than the wins we have this year.”

The idea is that sooner or later you have to look in the mirror and realize facts don’t lie. So just because you believe your team should be 16-0, you’re simply not on that kind of talented team if your record is 8-8.

Working less and earning more is similar. There are two facts in the equation… how much you earn and how many hours it takes to earn that dough. So it’s not enough to say I deserve to be earning more for less hours… you have to get out there and make it so. That’s what my book and teaching philosophy is all about.

Special Work Less, Earn More Tele-Seminar

As you all know by now, I’m the author of a book called The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Working Less, Earning More. It’s a book all about turning your talents into cash so you can build alternative income streams and live a better life. In fact, I’ve been teaching a successful class at the Ridgewood school on this very topic. It’s perfect for burnt out employees, laid off workers, and even entrepreneurs looking to hit the ground running.

Many of my students in the work less, earn more class have told me that one seminar simply isn’t enough to turn their career dreams and goals into reality. In fact, I’m consistently asked in feedback forms to offer more information, more services, and simply more help to make your plans come to life.

That’s why I’m pleased to announce a very special tele-seminar all about working less and earning more. That’s right, I’m going to roll up my sleeves and teach you everything I know about building a work less, earn more lifestyle… and you get to do it from the comfort of your own home. I’ve managed to cut my working hours in half while more than doubling my old corporate salary… I know you can do the same.

Why am I offering this teleseminar now? Well, with the new year rapidly approaching, what better time to build your plan for 2010 and beyond? This three-part tele-seminar is going to offer you over seven hours of live training with me. Don’t worry, if you can’t make the live sessions you can always hear the recordings at your leisure. Here’s just a snapshot of some of the things you’ll learn on the calls:

1) How to turn your talents into cash so you no longer rely on the steady paycheck to make ends meet
2) How to land consulting and freelance work so people pay you top dollar for your expertise
3) How to score transition work while building your working less, earning more life so you can pay your bills
4) Where to get reasonable medical and dental benefits if you leave your corporate job
5) How to succeed in eight specific paths that lead to working less and earning more
6) Ultimately, how to more than double your current salary while cutting your working hours in half

As a special bonus I’m also going to offer you unlimited email coaching for one year after you participate in the tele-seminar. Plus, I’m going to give you a free copy of my new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Recession Proof Careers, when it’s released in February 2010. Want to learn more about this special tele-seminar? Simply email me at jeff@boldroad.com and I’ll provide all the details. Space is limited so email me back right away to reserve your spot and get on the Bold Road of life.

Looking forward to helping you achieve a working less, earning more life!