After two years of leaving Timothy Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek book collecting dust, I finally spared some time to read the book while I was in Bali.

After finishing the book, I said to myself “Why not?”.

I was inspired to give it a try. Most of all, I wanted to take advantage of what my online business offered i.e. – the freedom to work from anywhere and at anytime.

In the book, Tim Ferriss talks about creating a “muse”..or in other words, some type of product you can sell.

Thankfully enough, running an online business allows you to create multiple products in any niche, with very little expenses.

Here are some snapshots of my trip:

Pictures of Europe

I was excited about the concepts taught in the book though I must say, I was very hesitant at first because I thought I would need to sacrifice a lot — especially traveling for months, but it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss; I wanted to see the world (at least part of it) before I grew older and settled down.

Here are the countries and cities I visited during the trip:

• Dubai
• London
• The Netherlands – Amsterdam and Den Haag
• France – Paris, Nice, Monaco
• Belgium
• Italy – Rome, La Spezia, Florence, Cinque Terre
• Croatia – Sailed  for 7 days
• Greece – Santorini, Mykonos
• Turkey  – Istanbul, Cappadocia
• Nepal – Kathmandu, Pokhara
• China
• Hong Kong and Macau
• Malaysia

Nepal, Hong Kong, China and Malaysia

I packed very light because what was more important to me was to enjoy the places, trying new dishes, learning, and meeting people. Plus, I also had to carry my 17″ MacBook Pro laptop!

I’ve learned about many cultures and people along the way. From the countries I visited, you can see how diverse it is. Everyone I met were genuinely nice people. Getting lost was very easy but thankfully, most people were helpful!

Cinque Terre, Italy

The views, sights and food were amazing… From Dubai where the tallest building (Burj Khalifa) stands at 2,700ft (830m) and bearing the 45° Celsius (113° F) heat to China, where I tried the best Peking duck in the world.

In the Greek Islands, you’ll find the best sunsets! In Hong Kong, you’ll find delicious food in every corner of the street. It was probably one of the best places I enjoyed the most.

In front of the hotel I stayed in - Atlantis at The Palms in Dubai

I even volunteered in Nepal at an orphanage to help kids who are less fortunate and lost their parents due to tragic incidents. I learned that they were really happy kids, despite their past. They were probably the most friendliest people I had ever met who don’t judge you by your possessions, where you’re from and how you look. They were the happiest kids who required very simple things in life – food, shelter and love.

At the orphanage with two bright kids teaching me their language

All-in-all, it was an experience of a lifetime, and it was only possible thanks to a decision I made in 2005 to quit the vicious 9-5 cycle I was in and lead my own life. It’s given me the time + freedom to do what I want without any restrictions.

In the 4-Hour Workweek book, Tim Ferris says something along the lines of “have mini retirements instead of waiting until you’re 60-70 to enjoy the lifestyle”. This was one of my “mini retirements” that I got to enjoy.

Checking some emails while enjoying the sun in Mykonos, Greece

Just as a little side note, in a previous post, I shared 16 tools that I use to work from anywhere. These tools were used everyday while I was traveling. I recommend you read this post => 16 Must-Have Tools To Run Your Internet Business From Anywhere.

Let me end this post by leaving you with this.  Having more time and sitting by the pool, sipping pina colada is the ideal lifestyle for a lot of us, but it takes passion, dedication, persistence, learning, and most importantly – a deep desire to keep moving forward. I sure haven’t reached my desired goals, so I’m striving to keep moving forward…but just remember, you should celebrate and give yourself a pat on the back for making even the smallest milestone. That’s how momentum is built.

I hope this post has inspired you, because I definitely needed the inspiration before I even made a decision to pack my bags and see the world.

I have listed these valuable nuggets below. Enjoy!

1. Keep it simple. Less is more.
2. End the habit of being a perfectionist. The most important part is to get it going, and then making the changes, tweaks and improvements
3. An idea is nothing until breath some life into it
4. Build relationships first before you ever try to sell anything. People will naturally follow those whom they know, like and trust
5. The latest tools aren’t going to make you an expert if you don’t know how to use it
6. Share your knowledge. I once heard a variation of the “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. The variation is “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you can sell him fishing equipment.
7. If everything seems slow, you’re distracted. Distraction stops you from getting more done. If possible, eliminate as many distractions as you can – your phone, instant messaging, unnecessary websites and windows opened. Make sure people know you’re busy.
8. Keep learning. In life you either grow or you die, just like a plant. Knowledge cannot be bought, it needs to be learned
9. Make your customers happy and they’ll keep buying from you
10. Saving money isn’t about the amount you save, but the habit. Start saving any amount, whether it’s $5 a week or $1000 a week, it doesn’t matter. It’s the habit that matters. The law of compounding will take effect.
11. Doing more hours doesn’t necessarily mean more work done. Don’t overwhelm yourself with work just for the sake of it
12. Building your list should be your number one priority. Your list is an asset for life.
13. Don’t spend too much at the start. Do what you can yourself first and then consider outsourcing.
14. The “fail fast” mantra should fail. It should be reworded to a more positive saying, like “launch and learn”
15. Don’t worry about trying to compete against your competition and trying to be bigger and better. Stick with your unique selling proposition (USP).
16. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. You can’t satisfy everyone but you can satisfy a good number of loyal customers. Seth Godin’s post says it all.
17. Don’t make project management complicated, that’s when trouble starts to happen
18. Buying established websites is a great ROI. Go to Flippa.com and you’ll find a vast variety of established websites.
19. The best way to get through your to do list is to break it down in to smaller, manageable bite sized tasks
20. Setting a goal that’s too much ahead of time puts blinders in your path
21. Videos are the way the go. We live in a very interactive world. Take advantage of what the Internet has to offer
22. Switching to a Mac has helped me get more done
23. The advantage of having an internet business is that you’re not restricted to just working from home. I can be anywhere in the world while still making money, as long as I have my laptop and an Internet connection. I’ve setup my laptop to have everything I need to run my business.
24. The possibilities are endless when you think of the opportunities around you
25. Don’t take on more than you can handle
26. Going back to the basics of exchanging value always works
27. Always think “What’s in it for me?”
28. Speaking slower and with emphasis makes your speech more clearer and powerful
29. The law of reciprocity is a golden rule to living an abundant life
30. SEO isn’t complicated. People make it more complicated than it is
31. If you can’t handle your current state, then you won’t be able move ahead
32. When nothing else seems to work, there’s always faith. Always have faith in what you do. Trust your instincts.
33. Sometimes it’s best to just let go
34. Being able to handle your low and negative moments is your true measure of overcoming obstacles
35. Spending less time on Facebook, checking everyone’s status and photos has helped me get more done. I only check once, at the end of the day. Period.
36. I turn off and close everything and only have what I need, opened. If I’m writing a new report, I only have my text editor opened.
37. Your mastermind group will help you move forward. You’ll leverage on other people’s strengths, and that’s what will accelerate your success by miles. You’ll surround yourself with like-minded people who’ll inspire and keep you accountable
38. There’ll never be another Facebook
39. Basecamp rocks
40. A market can never be saturated. Anyone can get a piece of the pie.
41. There’s plenty of information if you just search on Google.
42. You shouldn’t have to prove yourself to anyone.
43. Worry about the bigger things rather than the smaller things
44. Dropbox makes life easier
45. You can create any type of site using WordPress and its constant, ever-growing range of plug-ins
46. People used to be skeptical about starting a business online, now people are interested in learning
47. Have a central location/website where you have your documentations, videos and how to’s to train people you outsource. It’ll save hours of your time.
48. Batch your work. Do emails all at once. Make all phone calls at the same time. Update your WordPress blogs all at once. You get the point.
49. Unless you’re bored, most people aren’t willing to spend the time to fiddle around. If you can provide a “ready-to-go” product/service, you’ll sell lots of it.
50. Find something that works. Do it. If it gives you results, systemize it and outsource & delegate as much of it as possible.
51. People are willing to do anything for a low cost if you look around. Check Fiverr.com.
52. Encourage visitors to share your content. You can use share buttons on your site, or simply tell your visitors to feel free to share.
53. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the pyramids were built stone by stone, layer upon layer. Start somewhere. Take the first step. Get something out there for people to see. There’ll never be “the right time”.
54. Do something each day to move your business and life forward, even if it’s just a small bit. You’ll end up with massive improvement in a short time and build momentum.
55. In times when I’m stressed and under pressure, I get away for a moment, take deep breaths and reflect back on what’s important in life. It helps clear the mind so you get back with better focus.
56. Always be grateful for what you have and where you are at this present moment. If you’re not grateful for your current state, then you’re putting barriers which will stop you from attracting more into your life.
57. A sure-fire way to accelerate your success is to study those who are already doing what you want to achieve. Success leaves clues!
58. One thing I like to do is to learn mistakes from others so that I don’t make the same down the track.
59. Stop wasting time. Being organized is a key characteristic of achieving high.
60. A key way to grow is to stretch your comfort zones. Being “comfortable” won’t let you stretch to your fullest potential.
61. You can apply the Parkinson’s Law and Pareto’s 80/20 principle to everything you do. Parkinson’s Law dictates that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
62. Nothing is a coincidence. There’s always a reason why.
63. What ever you find works should be done over and over and over and over and over again until it doesn’t work anymore.
64. If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, sooner or later you’ll get bored.
65. Every morning when you wake up, ask yourself “What am I grateful for?” This will surely start your day with purpose and lots of energy.
66. Focus on what you can control
67. Create a blog and start posting. I found that people do look and read but often don’t comment. The main idea is to get into the flow of sharing.
68. Find and connect with people in your industry. Joint-venture partners will help you grow your business dramatically as it has for me. I have a small group of JV partners but we always help each other grow, and it’s great to just have people who understand what you’re going through.
69. Life isn’t always about work. Balance your work and life areas. You want to make sure you stay sane. Make time for family, your social life, your partner, health & fitness and of course, yourself.
70. The best way to show someone you genuinely care is to share valuable knowledge, content, ideas or simply being there for them.

I hope you take what I’ve learned and apply it to your work and life. As valuable as they are to me, I’m sure they will be for you too.

Apply these now and for the years to come, and you’ll surely improve your life and business.

I encourage you to feel free to comment, share your own “lessons” and/or share/like this post using the buttons below. As always, I’d love to hear from you.

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I’m proud to say that it’s been almost two weeks since I started my new position as C.O.O. (Chief of Operations) of Add2it.com Marketing Pty Ltd. I wouldn’t say it’s a J.O.B. for me, and I’ll explain why in this post.

The director is none other than Frank Bauer.

He’s a very close friend and business associate of mine who I met back in early 2006. Frank and I have helped each other since the beginning, though he’s been in this business since 1996 while I’ve been doing it since 2005. We regularly attend business and Internet Marketing seminars, and travel around the world and inter-state, together. Our next trip is to Las Vegas for the Big Seminar. We’re excited about this one since we’ll be meeting up with some American folks (and touring the area ).

Frank co-owns ViralURL.com together with his partner, Colin Klinkert. It was a big step for Frank and me, but it’s something we should’ve done a long time ago.

Frank and Colin’s site, ViralURL.com, has grown exponentially, and they’ve just launched their ViralHost.com website where you can get free hosting.

We both have our own strengths and weaknesses and together we work in harmony. Frank’s the “techy” guy and I’m the creative guy. We’ve found that working together is so much easier than working solely. One example of our completed projects is our outsourcing site – TimeToOutsource.com . It took us just under a week to complete this entire site.

At this stage, my responsibilities and day-today duties as C.O.O are to:

• Discuss and implement strategic plans;
• Seek out potential joint-venture partners;
• Recruit and train affiliates to increase revenue;
• Assist customer support staff and assistants, and make sure everything’s running smoothly.

But here’s the exciting part. Not only do I help grow Frank’s business, but we’re also partnering up on a series of products together, each aiming to help you in these areas:

• Traffic generation
• List building
• Product creation
• Niche marketing
• Productivity
• Social media marketing
• Affiliate marketing
• Copywriting

It’s no big surprise to you, since there are lots of existing products on these topics, but we’re excited about the development of these products because we’re going to give it all to you for free! Yes, you’ll get free access to all of these upcoming products and sites.

So that’s the big news for you I thought I should let you in on. I hope you’re as excited as Frank and I are.

I’ll be sure to keep you updated on any new developments with our projects.

So that’s my video tour of the apartment.

The point of this video was not to brag or boast, but to show you the potential of what an Internet marketing business can do for you. I want to show everyone that it is possible for anyone to get what they desire from an Internet business.

Buying this luxury apartment wasn’t easy – I had a real burning desire to succeed in this business. I overcame many obstacles and blockages throughout my venture, and still am, but faith, determination and a strong will had attracted what I desired.

I’m living proof of it, and I want to help you reach yours goals as much as I can from the products, tutorials and valuable information I’ll be sharing with you in the coming months and years.

Thanks for reading and watching this blog post.

Feel free to leave your comment/feedback in the comments field.

A big thanks to these people who have contributed to my success (a formal blog post will be posted soon):

Frank Bauer, Edmund Loh, Mike Filsaime, Doug Champigny, James Shramko, and the Warrior Forum