I understand that generalizing “living the four hour work week” into
“7 EASY STEPS!!!…” isn’t likely to work for everyone…

but…

I’ve been living the 4 hour work week (actually, the 17 hour work week: 4 hours/week made me bored) for about 5 years now. I’ve helped numerous other people do it.

So, while these steps aren’t necessarily easy, they’re basically required (in my experience).

It WON’T happen overnight

It took me a couple of years
(without realizing what I was trying to do).

It’s DEFINITELY possible. I do it.

I had lunch with someone today who is also doing it.

7 Steps To Living The 4 Hour Work Week

Learn about online businesses

The only way this is possible (as far as I know) is if you have a business that can make sales by itself, 24/7.
Learn how it’s done! Learn what autoresponders are, what different shopping carts do, what a squeeze page is, how to write sales copy, what an affiliate program is, how adwords works, basic SEO, …
There’s SOOOOO much to learn.
Don’t spent too much time learning about it. It’s super easy to get caught up learning and learning and never implement. However, you’ll find it much easier if you have a basis for action before you start implementing.
Jim’s book “The Silent Sales Machine” is a great place to start. It will give you a great education and give you ton’s of ideas.

Create a plan for an online business

Make sure you understand it. Make sure you can see the end from the beginning and that you can understand how to get there.
Don’t try to re-invent Facebook. Don’t create the worlds greatest and newest and most magical website.
Follow what other successful people have done in the past.
I see too many people go into a business not understanding all the pieces. You don’t need to know how to do everything, but you need to understand what needs to get done and why.

Start an online business.

Read my post about how to start a business online. Maybe you can live the 4-hour work week without an online business…but I don’t know anyone who has.

Plan to outsource everything from the beginning.

Even in internet businesses, there’s always work to be done. Fortunately, most of it can (and should) be outsourced. This is the most important piece of the 4 hour work week plan. With every business decision you should ask “Can that be outsourced?” If not, maybe it shouldn’t be part of your business. Maybe it should, but recognize that each piece you take on is one step farther from the 4-hour workweek. Here’s where you can learn to outsource.

Stay away from bright shiny objects.

Focus.
Stay on track.
Follow your plan.
You DON’T need to implement everything you hear about.
You DON’T need to have everything done before you start. Your business will evolve over time and you’ll have a chance to try all the different things you hear about.
If you don’t focus you’ll find yourself pulled in all different directions and you’ll never succeed at any one of them.
Start with something small and make it profitable. Then automate that small thing.

Make decisions based around your lifestyle.

If something is going to require a bunch of work from you, maybe it’s not worth it.
If it involves you being the only one who can do the work, and it’s something that happens all the time, it’s probably not going to fit the 4hww.
Right from the beginning, think about the lifestyle you’re trying to build.
Part of every decision is the question: Am I going to have to do this more than once? and Will this create ongoing work for me? If the answer to either is Yes, then maybe it’s not a good decision.

Find something to fill your time

Before you can fill your time, your business has to succeed. This one assumes you’ve succeeded at the previous 5. If not, go out and work your butt off (I did).
When you do start to succeed, as long as there’s time in the day, you’re going to fill it.
You can choose to fill it with work, or fill it with life.
For some people, work is life.
For me, I spend time with my family, playing golf, and trying to do service.
As you find free time, fill that time with things that AREN’T work.
One thing I remind myself constantly is that “Work will be there tomorrow, my family might not be!”

Tim Ferriss’ book changed my life.
It opened my eyes to what I could do with my time because of the business I had built.
Once you build the business, make choices to spend time doing exactly what you want.