I remember watching the movie “Dead Poets Society” where Robin Williams lit a fire in the hearts and minds of his class.
On the first day of classes, they are surprised by the unorthodox teaching methods of their new English teacher, (Robin Williams), who encourages his students to “make your lives extraordinary”, a sentiment he summarizes with the Latin expression carpe diem (“seize the day”).
In subsequent lessons, he stands on his desk to teach the boys how they must look at life in a different way, tells them to rip out the introduction of their poetry books which explains a mathematical formula used for rating poetry, and has them make up their own style of walking in a courtyard to encourage them to be individuals. (source)
Movies like that stir up the soul which cries out for you to be more, do more, have more in life than what you are currently experiencing.
P.S. We live the Freedom Lifestyle. We can work from anywhere we choose to be. We can be across the country visiting friends and family, walking on the beach, climbing the red rocks in Sedona, or parked in a campground. And we can still work ON our business. This business does not require me to punch a clock, sit in commuter traffic wasting hours we could be spending together, waking up at some crazy hour just to make it to work. We get to work with people we choose to work with, whose company we enjoy. We are the CEOs of us – the Naked Hippies!
Subscribe to our Naked Hippies Newsletter. We’ll share stories of our travels, inspiration and motivation, tips and resources for creating your own freedom lifestyle AND you’ll get our free ebook that tells the story of how the Naked Hippies came to be. Click here to subscribe.
Excuses are the #1 dream hack…not time or money or anything else you think.
But, they sound so legitimate don’t they, especially when YOU say them.
“I don’t have enough money” to get started in this business opportunity that will help me change my circumstances and break free from this financial struggle.
“I don’t have enough time” to work on this business.
Here’s the plain and simple truth … it’s not the time and money that is missing here. It’s lack of desire.
Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything. -Napoleon Hill
As long as you keep making excuses, you fall into the trap of the #1 dream hack.
And really, no amount of trying to convince you will change your perception.
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. – Benjamin Franklin
If you have been in the habit of making excuses instead of finding solutions, here is a simple way to change your thought process.
Instead of making excuses, do this instead. Ask “how can I?”
How can I find the money to invest in this opportunity?
How can I find the time to work on this business?
How can I learn the skills that I don’t know yet?
How can I find people to talk to about this opportunity?
It’s a simple question that provides amazing answers, once you open your awareness to the people, tools and resources that will become available to you.
The solutions that you seek are already available.
The people that will help you are waiting.
Excuses are the #1 dream hack and it’s up to you to deleted them from your thinking.
As long as you keep making excuses, you will stay stuck right where you are in life.
Excuses are monuments of nothingness. They build bridges to nowhere. Those who use these tools of incompetence, seldom become anything but nothing at all. Author unknown
When Bruce and I first started building our online business, The Naked Hippies Roadtrip …
We could have talked ourselves right out of the dream we are now living. I mean, good grief – we were not young’uns anymore.
We could have allowed the excuses to become the #1 dream hack and continued on living the “normal” kind of life.
Instead, we asked “how can we?”
We knew enough about the internet to get around, but nothing about marketing, nothing about SEO, and auto responders and capture pages and video marketing.
I was still working at the 8-5 so I had to make time before and after work to “work” on our business.
We found ways to invest in opportunities that provided training and support. (sometimes, it mean giving up date nights, or eating
peanut butter and crackers for a while.)
We surrounded ourselves with others who were doing what we were doing so help and inspiration and motivation were available 24/7.
We began to earn as we learned.
We learned that as long as we kept seeking solutions and people to help us grow, we were moving closer to our dream.
Our dream became real on November 14, 2013 when we pulled up stakes and took off to live on the never-ending roadtrip in our pickup camper.
Who were we to dare to go after our dreams?
We were just like anybody else who finally says, enough is enough… let’s just DO IT!
P.S. We live the Freedom Lifestyle. We can work from anywhere we choose to be. We can be across the country visiting friends and family, walking on the beach, climbing the red rocks in Sedona, or parked in a campground. And we can still work ON our business. This business does not require me to punch a clock, sit in commuter traffic wasting hours we could be spending together, waking up at some crazy hour just to make it to work. We get to work with people we choose to work with, whose company we enjoy. We are the CEOs of us – the Naked Hippies!
Subscribe to our Naked Hippies Newsletter. We’ll share stories of our travels, inspiration and motivation, tips and resources for creating your own freedom lifestyle AND you’ll get our free ebook that tells the story of how the Naked Hippies came to be. Click here to subscribe.
We’ve definitely learned “The Map is Not the Territory” since we travel full time in our pickup camper.
Last year, we celebrated one year on the Naked Hippies Roadtrip…
Oh, we had the atlas handy at all times. We had Siri to guide us to the destinations. But, as the saying goes, the MAP is not the territory.
When we started this roadtrip adventure, we had a choice of heading to the Southwest or Southeast for the winter. It didn’t really matter which way we headed, we just knew we wanted to be where it was warm and sunny. So, we flipped a coin – and
We headed to Arizona knowing full well the territory was not conducive to our desire to retire from snow and ice. We had to detour further and further south to avoid Winter Storm Boreas.
Arizona was the perfect spot for the winter … sunshine and warmth compared to the frigid temps and snow that the rest of the country experienced.
We were grateful the flip of the coin brought us here.
Soon, our wheels were headed to the beaches of California.
We had the map to guide us on the trip to Carlsbad, but the territory we encountered was not what we expected. The climb up the Cuyamaca Mountains proved to be too much for our Dodge Ram (we didn’t know it needed a new radiator) and we spent 8 hours on the side of the road in the middle of those mountains, waiting to be towed to the nearest town.
For the entire year, we had the map but it was the territory that gave us the best experiences and the most challenging ones.
We discovered red rock canyons in Oklahoma. Who knew Oklahoma had anything this beautiful?
We experienced the wondrous energy of Sedona, but didn’t expect that finding an overnight spot to camp would be almost impossible.
In Twin Falls, Idaho, we traveled across the Perrine Bridge where we had the delight of standing above the Snake Canyon to view its majestic glory AND then, had the surprising delight to watch base jumpers leap from the 486 foot bridge.
Our trip to Oregon took us to the Silver Falls State Park where we discovered a rain forest and 10 waterfalls.
As we traveled along the Pacific Coast Highway, we pulled over at one scenic overlook and spotted whales!
In California, at the last minute, we found a campground nestled in the sand dunes and explored the dunes, feeling as if we had been removed from the whole world. And then – we were able to take a horseback ride along the beach and over the sand dunes.
In Utah, we drove up and up and up the mountain road to an altitude of over 12,000 feet in the Uinta National Forest to attend the Rainbow Festival without realizing this would be more harrowing than any other route we had taken.
I could go on and on about our travels and experiences that most certainly prove the map is not the territory and really, anyone who has traveled extensively like we have would have their own stories to share as confirmation.
But, there’s more to this message than just the adventures of the Naked Hippies on the open road.
We also have a map that has been guiding us to this time and financial freedom – to live our dream as we are doing.
And in this regard, the map is absolutely 100% NOT the territory.
When we first started out on the adventure of online marketing, we grabbed the map first, of course. That’s what everyone does in the beginning.
You are enticed by the potential of creating something that will give you and your family the freedom that you long for…
A way out of the 8-5 job …
An income that will pay all the bills and then some …
So, you pick up the “map” … you join an opportunity that someone shared with you as a way to begin making money from home.
You can see where you are going – the destination is clear. But, you’ve got to navigate the territory, and that is where most people get stuck.
Here’s what usually happens in this industry. Someone decides to join a business opportunity because they are excited about their dream of being financially free and they see all the ads and testimonies of
“make 30k in 30 days” “push button business” “we do all the work for you”
So they come into the industry thinking it’s the easy way out, when it’s nothing close to being easy.
When they don’t see the results they were expecting, they quit, they blame the company, they accuse their upline for not helping them, they walk away from the one industry that will protect their family from the dwindling economy.
From the start, you should know this about becoming an internet marketer:
It’s a business. It takes work. It takes commitment.
There is no “easy” button to take you from zero to millions.
It isn’t a lottery ticket that delivers millions overnight.
But, you should also know this:
Internet marketing is the ONLY industry that is available to anyone, at any age, no matter where they start, no matter what their background is, or their skill level.
Here is what you need to be a successful internet marketer:
A strong desire
a dream
a willingness to learn
a commitment do what you are taught
a simple, uncomplicated system
a step by step training access
a community of support
Without all of those components, the territory will become a maze of confusion and frustration because …
You will encounter detours and roadblocks. You will come to dead ends and have to turn around You will sometimes feel like nothing is working You will feel lost, overwhelmed and stuck.
This is not meant to dissuade you from becoming an internet marketer.
It is meant to prepare you for the territory you will experience on the roadtrip to your freedom.
The map is not the territory… in internet marketing.
Hold on to the map, it will guide you to where you desire to be.
But prepare now for the territory you must travel to get to that destination.
P.S. Sometimes, you need to “recalculate” the
route to your destination. If you’ve been traveling
on the internet marketing journey for a while and
don’t feel any closer to your dream, we can help.
There is a reason you have read all the way through
this lengthy blog post. Let’s get you back on your
roadtrip to freedom. Message me on Facebook,
call me … give me a shout and let’s talk.
Here’s the thing …
there are many work from home challenges,
especially in the new employee/boss relationship.
Hey, wait a minute … I decided to work from home for the freedom!
I’m ready to head to the beach.
Yeah, that’s the #1 reason you choose to quit your job and work from home.
FREEDOM!
No more alarm clock.
You decide when to clock in and work.
No one tells you what to do.
You can take a longer lunch break.
You can go on vacation whenever you choose.
No one is the boss of you ANY MORE!
Aaaaah, that’s more like it – right?
Yes, you are your own boss now and that is a huge reward to you. But, you are still an employee. You’re both boss and employee now.
Creating the right employee/boss relationship is more crucial now than it ever was when you worked the 8-5.
Now, you as the boss must decide the tasks to be done in order to grow your business. What are the income producing activities to be completed each day?
As the employee, you must do these tasks … or else.
Remember when you were at the 8-5 and some days, you gave a half-hearted effort. Remember those days when you slacked off and did just the minimal amount to stay under the radar and within the good graces of your boss?
You still got a paycheck, didn’t you?
Well, everything is different now that you work from home.
A day of slacking off because you just don’t feel like putting in the effort means this –
You won’t get paid.
This is the grim reality of working from home.
The freedom you desire still requires hard work.
It requires you showing up every day, ready to give it your all.
It means that you cannot slack off and pretend you are busy.
The bad news is that this is the obstacle you will face every day when you work from home. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be a complicated list of tasks to grow your business. You just need to follow a simple daily method of operation that includes income producing activities.
And then DO IT … consistently every day like a good employee. The following 3 tasks, if completed every day will increase your sales, your following and your presence on the internet.
It’s easy to get distracted, especially on Facebook. If you structure your day to complete these daily tasks first, you’ll have plenty of time to play and engage on Facebook and/or other social media platforms later.
SIMPLE DAILY METHOD OF OPERATION
First, before I share the three daily tasks, this one is the stand alone, don’t miss this, first-off thing to do before you start any other daily activities.
Take time to grow yourself. Personal development is the secret to your success. Without it, you will hit a wall, crumble and crawl back to the 8-5. With it, you will be unstoppable.
*Read at least 5 pages a day from a book that will help you grow yourself.
*Surround yourself with others who are immersed in personal development.
Find a group of people who will support and encourage you daily. We have that within the Freedom Uprising Mindset Victory group where we gather every morning, Monday through Friday, to read, study, discuss and share our thoughts and knowledge about this amazing journey of personal development.
Join us at 10 am Eastern Mon-Fri
Live 712-775-7085 Pin 150703#
Replay 712-775-7089 Pin 150703#
Now, here are the 3 Daily Income Producing Activities
1. Content Creation
PLAN: Create one piece of content daily. This could be a blog post, an article or a video.
MESSAGE: Your content should deliver value. Value as in training, inspiration, reviews of products, book reviews, interviews with leaders, helpful tips, etc. Your focus is on serving others by providing content that will help them.
CTA: Include a call to action in your content. This could be asking your readers to go to a capture page, to subscribe to your newsletter, to attend a training hangout, a conference call, to friend you on Facebook. People need and like to be told what to do. Give a clear call to action.
This training video will help you develop the habit of daily content creation:
2. Content Syndication
Once you have your content published, it’s time to share it. Share the link on:
Social Media … Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest,
Every day, make it a habit to connect with new people. Expand your horizons, get out of your easy chair and make new friends. It’s so easy to do this on Facebook:
Find people who have the same interests as you. For instance, your hobbies, your favorite sports team, favorite authors or leaders or bands or actors, internet marketers, stay at home moms, bloggers, graphic designers, copywriters … whatever you love to do – there are tons of others who also enjoy the same thing. Type the “interest” in the FB search bar.
Go to the profiles of the people who pop up in the search. Check them out. See if you resonate with their profile and activity on Facebook. If you do – send them a friend request.
Go to the pages you have liked and interact with the posts and comments by everyone. Also edify and respect those who have commented.
Join groups where you can comment and engage.
If you establish this habit of engaging and lifting up others, you will attract the right people, you will make new connections and start to build relationships.
As they begin to get to know you, they will see your posts and have the opportunity to take action on your CTA. All without you pitching and prodding them.
If you are not generating leads on Facebook, you are missing out on one of the most valuable reasons to even be there.
This simple course will help you learn how to magnify your presence on Facebook and generate leads with ease.
You have made the brilliant decision to work from home. It’s the better way to take control of your life, your finances and your future.
My hope is that this article will help you achieve all that you desire. That you will develop a daily method of operation to overcome the work from home challenges.
What other suggestions would you contribute to this article?