JAN’S IDEAS

I was at Costco and a calender for my daughter caught my eye. I went ahead and put it in my basket (Christmas shopping begins). As I walked down the isle, a book caught my attention “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss. I worked almost 70 hours last week and since I have two jobs it was not all overtime after 40 hours! Well, I decided to splurge on myself and buy the book. Besides, it’s a business expense! Plus at Costco I saved $8 off the cover price.

There are a lot of principles and exercises in there that make sense. When I read books like this, I know what worked for the author may not work for me in the same way. That person’s life experiences, skills, and circumstances are different than mine. For me, often these types of books are stepping stones that take me on another path and trigger an overflow of ideas of things that will work for me.

I’m sure I’ve read and been told similar stuff to what is in the book, before. Right now though, my circumstances make me more open to absorbing what I’m reading. Reasons why I am open to the ideas of this book:

• I have two wage earning jobs and am working some over-time at my primary job
• I’ve taken some steps to look into making some big changes at my wage earning job to better support my family
• I just came back from vacation and want to be free to go back to Colorado more often and for longer periods of time
• I’ve begun internet projects that will contribute to self-employment and passive income
• I’m 47 years old and don’t want to wait around any longer for a life free of financial struggles
• My children are old enough (25, 23, 21, 13, and 10) that they aren’t as dependent on my for care
• I’ve taken big jumps towards financial stability
• I’m very ready to work smarter instead of harder

So, I just started reading the book and am inspired already. Do I believe by this time next year I’ll be working only 4 hours a week? Of course not, but I know I will be closer to that than I am today!

After I finish the book I will go back and use it more like a workbook. I have decided to work on three things while I’m reading the book first time through:

1. Organizing my home office
2. Identify top three income producing internet projects
3. Identify my most efficient income generators

Organizing my home office:

• Purchased sturdy literature organizers
• Organized bills and other personal paperwork
• Threw away lots of papers, old bills, useless receipts, and outdated coupons
• Non-paperwork items (craft supplies, memorabilia, etc.) put in a box to be sorted through later
• Organized some business papework, sorted a lot of it

This has been very helpful already. I have a lot of resource material for writing for one of my top three internet projects. No, when I commit to writing I will have all the material (what I’m looking for and what I forgot I had) in one spot! Today and tomorrow are my easiest days wage earning. I will go through as much as I can today and then stop. Tomorrow I will start writing!

Top three internet projects:

1. Jan’s Group Home Support
2. Jan’s Ideas
3. RUB (code name) Blog

Top three efficient income producers:

1. Photography services
2. Overtime wage earning
3. Artwork

I spend the most hours on wage earning at regular pay-the least efficient of my income. My internet projects are more like an investment…….I’ll reap the benefits later when it matures. They may not be efficient now, but I will continue to work on them when I reorganize my time. I enjoy #1 and #3 and it doesn’t seem much like work when I’m doing it. When I get to doing something with this information, the enjoyment factor will carry a lot of weight.

OK, back to sorting trough my many piles of paper!

Being a kid never gets old or the game of tag. Ant from the Beef Jerky Blog tagged me over a month ago and I’m finally getting around to “playing”. I haven’t tagged anyone yet, but will post that later. There is no reason to put off playing any longer. Check out his online directory at the top of his blog for some blogging and internet entrepreneur related sites that he has.

OK, so here’s the rules:

• Each player must post these rules first.
• Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
• People who are tagged need to write about their eight facts on their blog.
• At the end of your blog post, choose eight people to get tagged, list their names, and link to them.
• Don’t forget to contact them telling them they’re tagged. Also, point them to your blog post so they know what to do.

I’m  still working on the tags, but here’s my random facts. I was tagged before by Bob Schmuck, but I think those facts were lost one of the times I was hacked into. Sorry, if any of this is repetitive to anyone who may have read the previous random facts post.

1. I had a couple poems published when I was in high school
2. I was an IL state finalist in 1987 and 1988 in the Miss United Teenager Pageant (got “Miss Congeniality in 1988)
3. I was a bartender or cocktail waitress for almost 10 years
4. I waitressed topless bars for 2 1/2 years (with all my clothes on)
5. I usually drink MGD beer but my shot of choice is Jack (Daniels) on the rocks
6. I showed Arabian horses when I was a teen
7. I’ve given birth to all 5 kids at home
8. I’m the resident GILF at Wickedfire (like a MILF, but the “G” is for “grandma”)

I’ll be doing some tagging soon and will post who I tag. If you want to help me out and want to request a tag, you can contact me here. Let’s take some time out to play!