Whether you love him or hate him, Tim Ferriss, the author of The 4-Hour Workweek has helped shift people's’ perspectives of what is possible in their lives. He has helped bring the new game of Lifestyle Design into the forefront and helped make it a popular belief and thought. When I first read the book I was not ready for the information. Tim annoyed me. He was too radical in his thoughts. Too brash with his ego but he did have some very good points.
I just was not ready to take responsibility to change my life. It took me reading the book twice to really understand what he was trying to do and what he was trying to say. I can say now that he has helped provide inspiration and significant out-of-the-box thinking for my current lifestyle. Tim does a great job of giving you an overview of what is possible in your life. I feel there are 5 key steps of action to launch you beyond The 4-Hour Workweek (*an affiliate link).
Starting the Process of Lifestyle Design
1) Embrace that you are the creator of your life – ideal or otherwise. You are responsible for what you create and manifest. Often we have been raised to think that the way everyone “does life” is the only way. The fact is, you can choose to do things differently. Take ownership. Your life is yours to design.
2) Discover your “blocks” and limiting beliefs. These are patterns, thoughts, and beliefs you have carried and held onto for much of your life. As a coach, one of my specialties is helping you identify what is holding you back. You can then learn to release them or shift your perspective so that they no longer have power over you. This helps my clients gain clarity and trust in themselves. By becoming aware of these blocks, shining a light on them can give you the ability to move forward rather than continue to be paralyzed by them.
3) Be in authentic alignment in everything you do. Don't be a carbon copy or try to be someone else. Learn to be yourself, get comfortable with who you are and live the life you want. Looking at the positive and negative experiences you have had in the past is important. Look back at all the jobs, careers and passions you have had in the past. They all have certain strengths, values, and characteristics of you in them. Negative aspects, such as the reasons you left a job, also give you important information – the job may have been out of alignment with your values. By looking backward you can successfully design and create your new desired lifestyle to be an ideal fit for your present and future circumstances.
4) Strategize a plan of action, or “blueprint,” for your ideal life. A personalized strategy is crucial. Most people fail because they are trying to use someone else’s strategy, technique or systems. My personal strategy won't necessarily work for you because it plays to my strengths and gifts and I have designed it to compensate for my weaknesses. Trying to make a cookie-cutter/one-solution-fits-all plan rarely, if ever, works. A client of mine has called this step creating the “business plan for your life.”
5) Take action. A goal means nothing without action. Accumulating knowledge for the sake of finding the missing answer does you no good without putting that knowledge to use. We have a tendency to seek and acquire more information thinking that it is the answer when it is not. This often causes overwhelm and frustration. You can start by taking action with the information you already know, getting started where you are at is often the missing link.
Just the Beginning
These 5 steps will help you find your way into Lifestyle Design. They will allow you to take what works and remove what doesn’t work if your life. You can make huge or small changes, making your life a better fit for you. It is time to start living the life you have always wanted but never thought was truly possible. The concepts in the book are easy to understand but I often see people struggle with implementing them. I can help you get started during an Exploratory Session.
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