Image Source: Uluwatu Temple, Bali
Are you an entrepreneur or dream catcher? Do you ever dream to build a vacation house on the top of the cliff facing the ocean? Do you want to drink your hot coffee in the morning while enjoying the beautiful view? Do you feel that you have to work harder and save your money for retirement?
I felt the same as you do almost two years ago until I quit my job and working on my own. Now I realize that I am still working 14 hours everyday. Nothing has changed, except working at different location and boss. That doesn’t make my life easier as my own boss. My dream is still far away from reality. I post “2007 Yearly Review – Is my success predictable?” few days ago. I set my goals to work harder and smarter. I guess I was wrong.
Work smarter, but not harder! I want to work only 4 hours a week and spend the rest of week enjoy life like a billionaire. I don’t have to be rich, but I want to live like a richer.
Working on my own does not mean that I will live in better life and get closer to my dream. So I have to make changes. What’s the point to work 14 hours as an Internet Entrepreneur, while I dream to travel around the world with my wife. I just recently discover the book that I have seen many times on other review sites or blogs. I should buy this book two years ago. I went to book store and bought it last night and started reading. The author was doing exactly what I am thinking to do, but I never have the guts to do.
Now I think that you need to also buy this book, if you have dream life to live on.
You can find this book at Amazon.com The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
It’s never too late to get start. However, you will never get there, if you don’t start.
Technorati Tags: rich people, billionaire, millionaire, better life, dream house, retirement
If anyone can do it, Terence, I believe it can be you. And…I like your new header very very much!
@Stacey:
Are you sleepless like I am? Thank you! There is a lot to learn as an self-motivated entrepreneur. I am sure I will catch my dream one day.
Thank you for being my believer. I will not forget your!
I think every entrepreneur should be a bit of a dreamer. I think it is the dreamers that make a real difference to the world.
@Recliners:
You got it right. Without a dream, there won’t be entrepreneurs any more. I asked the question to see if anyone response with the same answer I have in mind. You are right there.
Personally, I want to be both. Without a dream, I don’t really know what I will be going after. I will not have any motivation to move on. Thank you!
That was a good post Terence. I have had a think about what I want to achieve this year and I am setting myself goals that are realistic, measurable and achievable. I have gone through The 4 – hour Workweek and it is a book that will get anyone on the right track. But, it is not enough to just read, you have to take ACTION!!
@Gerri:
Thanks! That’s very true. I am glad that I finally bought the book. It’s too bad that it is translated in Chinese. I think I need to reduce the amount of time on blogging and checking e-mail.
Work smarter, not harder.. I love that quote. Sounds like this book is awesome. Need to grab a copy.
@MarketingDeviant:
I wished that I bought that book when I quit my full time job almost two years ago. I have wasted a lot of time doing some useless stuff. So I am still working 14 hours a day on my own. That is not the life I want to have as an self-motivated Entrepreneur. By reading just the first few chapters, I have to re-think what I have done in the past. I have to do less work while be more productive.
I lost count how many time the book has been mentioned on the high profile blogs. I was not paying attention on this book. Although many bloggers talk about the book, but I don’t think many of them are actually doing what the book says. They are still working over 14 hours a day. What’s the point? I wonder why!
I don’t want to be famous as those bloggers, who still need to work 14 hours a day to keep on top. I want to enjoy my life like a billionaire with 4 hours work a week. So work smarter is what I going for.
Good luck Terence – it’s a great book isn’t it. But in there somewhere I think he does mention that you have to do the hard work first, before you can cut your hours. So you’re probably on the right track anyway.
@Catherinet:
Thank you! There is no doubt that we will work hard at beginning. Everything start small and difficult. However, if you start working efficiently from today, you will end up getting more work done. Just to make sure that you are not wasting time on something that’ is not helpful to your work.
A dreamer or an entrepreneur? What is the idea of being your own boss? These are all existentialist questions which can be answered by one simple statement. If you love what you are doing, it makes no difference whatsoever about any other questions about your work, including how many hours you put into it. Think about all the farmers, do they have these existential questions? They live longer and healthier and in my opinion happier lives. They put in brutal hours of work and the outcome is left so much to chance that it is a wonder that they live the way they do. It has got nothing to do with money, or leisure or what you can buy etc. All these are byproducts of the fruit of what you love to do.
@Dining Tables:
That’s a very serious talk.
You made a very good key point about our life. As long as you are happy with what you are doing. It doesn’t matter at all. I think in the real life. Many of us are NOT so happy with what we are doing, because we think we can do better. I am one of them. I am happy with what I have done, but I am not happy that I did not do better. I want to make my future life better than my life now.
I bet farmers will not be happy if they have choice to make their life easier by working less hours and they don’t have choice to do so. For example, the farmers in China are still using animals to do the farm work. They are not happy because they know they can do better with machine. I bet they will be much happier, if they have the choice or are capable to use machine to reduce the hours of their hard works.
A dreamer and an entrepreneur to me is a person who always improve their life by working more efficient. They make other people’s life easier as well.
I have always had a dream similar to your’s and I would not be wrong to say that all of us here have a dream like the one you have. Everybody wants a quality life and good money, which we all lack in todays times.
@Dandruff Cure:
That’s right. We all need to have some quality life. I do make some money, but I also do give away my money to charity. So people can have a better life. That makes me feel great.
Yes, it is serious talk. I hope that sometime we will be able to talk face to face. You can write a whole book on just that one word – happiness!
@Dining Tables:
It will be interesting to talk face to face. You are right. Happiness can be a great topic for a book.
Thank you for your inspiring post! just what I needed to read right now
@Mirjam:
You are welcome. I am glad that you like it. I bet that you are making some progress on you blog too.
Hi Terence,
it all depends on how you define progress
At the moment I am mostly focussing on trying to learn as much as I can, surfing and contacting other bloggers. So if it is personal progress you are referring to, I guess you are right!
Have a great weekend!
@Mirjam:
I meant to say that you are making progress making money off your blog. I saw your post. You seem to be doing great! Have you receive your check?
Yeah. I am also learning how to be a good blogger and make some money off blog. Although blog for money don’t make me fortune at this point, I did make some.
This is a great book, i listed to the audio version and it had some great ideas. The auto reply idea is brilliant and has been working perfectly for me