Adam Kayce

Blogging is arguably one of the best, most fundamental actions you can take to further your business, your self-expression, and deepen your understanding of your place in the world. Don’t just take my word for it; ask Seth Godin & Tom Peters…

But there’s a big difference between writing for the heck of it, and actually expecting to get some positive return out of it. There’s also a big difference between writing a five-post boom-and-crash, and blogging for a lifetime.

Hoping to get some help both of those points, I recently watched an excellent video by Mr. 4HWW, Tim Ferriss, and I thought it was fantastic. He calls it “How to Blog without Killing Yourself”, and says, “one of my favorite presentations I’ve given in 2009.” After watching it, and taking notes of the highlights for myself, I’d have to agree.

Now, for anyone reading this who’s anti-Tim, just let me say this: On one hand, that’s cool. Like who you want, and don’t who you don’t. I’ve got no beef with you. But, if you’re thinking to leave me a trollish comment because you’ve got an issue with him, then answer this: Who are you? What have you done with your life so far? How many people have you impacted? Smile on your brother, y’know?

What I’ve written below is my own personal commentary on the notes I took from the above talk. He covers a lot more than what I took notes on, which is why I recommend you watch it – my takeaways are going to be different from your takeaways, by necessity and design. My hope in adding my notes is that it’ll help add some context to quotes taken entirely out of context, and lend some insight from my own personal perspective, for what it’s worth (and hey, if you’ve read this far, then maybe it’s worth enough to you to keep reading…).
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Running your own business gives you freedom: freedom to say what you want your business to say, work in the way you want to work, and call the shots as you want to call them.

Or does it?

Think about your non-work life: chances are, you give yourself the freedom to schedule your non-work life how you best see fit: time for exercise, eating, cleaning the house, reading books… whatever is important to you.

But do you do the same thing in your business? Or are you letting the conventions and norms of society dictate how you work?

Ask yourself this:

• Regardless of how it turned out at the end of the week, did you have the intention going into last week to work around 40 hours? Monday through Friday? Nine to five, or thereabouts?
• Do you check your email when you want to, or when you think you should?
• How about your phone? Do you let it go to voicemail, or stop what you’re doing (even eating) to answer it?
• If you have clients, when do you schedule them? Whenever they can work with you?

Whatever your “sacred cows”, it’s time to barbecue them.

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You want to talk productivity? Tim Ferriss is talking.

I know, I know, you’ve either absorbed Tim’s book already, or you’re resisting it out of complete stubbornness. But here’s the thing:

• if you’ve read his book, you’re already converted.
• if you haven’t (or if you’ve been living under a rock for the last year and haven’t heard of him yet), then go get his manifesto (it’s free) on ChangeThis on information overload.

If you don’t see yourself in the picture he paints in that 16-page pdf, I’ll eat my socks.

Video

And here’s a talk that Tim Ferriss did at DivX, which is a great summary of the essential principles in his book… if you haven’t read it, this may whet your appetite enough to get off your hump and get it. And if you have read it, the video is a great refresher.

Enjoy…

Image © Tim Ferriss.