Sunday, 30 January 2011

The 4 Hour Body is here! - time to set some fitness goals and self-experiment

The package has arrived and it's big!!


 This week I finally received my (official UK) copy of The 4-Hour Body: An uncommon guide to rapid fat-loss, incredible sex and becoming superhuman: The Secrets and Science of Rapid Body Transformation. Quite a title!!! In case you don't know this is the second book by Tim Ferriss and the follow up to his best seller The 4-Hour Work Week. I have to thank the first book for giving me the push I needed to transform my work life, start this blog and create the freedom to do the things I'd dreamed about but never got round to doing. So I was more than curious to see what this new book would be like and if it would assist me in improving my health, fitness and body.

For those that have been following me you probably know that I didn't want to buy a 'real' book again. I simply couldn't wait for the Kindle version of this, I'm only human!

So what's the verdict? Well it's a huge book and I've only spent 2 days with it so far, but I've followed Tim's instructions, picked an initial goal, and read the pertinent chapters.

Thursday, 27 January 2011

Don't censor yourself


Blogging is great. If you don't already do it you should give it a try. Everyone seems to have a unique story to tell or an interesting point of view on the world, and blogging about it attracts people who have similar interests or views as you do.

Many people tell me they would love to blog but don't feel like they have anything to say or they just don't want to put anything out because whatever they write isn't quite perfect.

The simple answer to this is 'don't censor yourself'! 

We all do it each and everyday, some more than others. We think about what might happen if we say something wrong. Sometimes we are so hesitant that we miss the moment completely. I did this yesterday at lunch when I overheard two chaps on the next table talking about setting up an online social enterprise in an area that I know very well. I kept my mouth closed and probably missed out on making two new contacts and who knows what other adventures.

Yes we sometimes have to censor ourselves for self preservation! But is that little Mary Whitehouse in our heads a little bit too in control of what we are doing? Is she holding us back?

Friday, 14 January 2011

Minimal living - cutting the chains of property and junk

First of all apologies for not posting for a couple of weeks. I've been a little busy working on my current big project. I'm about a week away from completing the sale of my London flat. This process started over 5 months ago, so it's taken quite a while and has been a bit of a rollercoaster.



A few years ago I read a fascinating book, Authentic: How to Make a Living by Being Yourself which talked about the French origins of the word "mortgage". Mort = Death, Gage = Pledge. Mortgate = Death-pledge. This phrase lodged itself deep inside my head. For many people, myself included, a mortgage is a big trade. We're effectively exchanging a huge portion of scarcest commodity (our time) to make money to service a pledge which makes the banks rich and often goes on till we die (or are close to dying). Think about that for a minute. It's a bit scary!

But property is a great investment right? And highly leveraged debt (mortgage) is the only way to get your hands on it!? Well, yes and no. I had a very practical financial education from reading books such as Rich Dad, Poor Dad. If you struggle with money I'd strongly recommend reading these books (they were a huge help for me). They contain sound strategies on how to add property into a portfolio and make money. But they also point out that your own main property is rarely an investment, it's actually a financial liability i.e. it costs you money each month (unless you totally exit the market when you're up, which most never do).

Tuesday, 4 January 2011

2011 begins: How's your first day back at work?

For many of you today will be the first day back at work in 2011...

I congratulate you if you're excited by this, if you feel joy in your work and if you truly believe that what you're doing with your time is a good use of the small and finite amount of time that you have left. That's an awesome achievement, you should be incredibly proud and grateful!

If on the other hand you loath being back, you had the commute from hell, you've sat in your first pointless meeting, you don't understand why you're doing this (again), then stop and think before you carry on with the madness.

Question why you are back at work.
Question why you need to earn even more money this year.
Question what you are spending this money on.
Question if it actually makes you happy.
Question what you do.
Question why you do what you do.
Question why your company is doing what it is doing.
Question if they are good or bad.
Question who you are really making rich.
Question if they are even really happy.
Question if you are excited by what you do.
Question if you are using your skills to achieve anything beyond money or making other people money.

Think about what you would rather be doing right now.
Think about what amazing things you could be doing if you had an extra 50 hours per week.
Then question why you aren't doing it now.
Then stop making excuses and stop procrastinating and go do it now.

You get one shot at life (as far as anyone knows).
2011 could be an amazing year for you, but only if you make it amazing, do it.