"Sure it takes some upfront time and effort] to design and implement your own income-generating systems. But you don’t have to reinvent the wheel — feel free to use existing systems like ad networks and affiliate programs. Once you get going, you won’t have to work so many hours to support yourself. Wouldn’t it be nice to be out having dinner with your spouse, knowing that while you’re eating, you’re earning money? If you want to keep working long hours because you enjoy it, go right ahead. If you want to sit around doing nothing, feel free. As long as your system continues delivering value to others, you’ll keep getting paid whether you’re working or not.Winston wrote:
Steve Pavlina didn't say you didn't have to work hard. Neither do other online money making gurus. They claim that in the beginning you have to put in some hard work, and that eventually it will all pay off when the passive income starts rolling in. But they do exaggerate though, when they say that your first 10 dollars a month can be double and then doubled ad infinitum, as if there's no limit or ceiling cap. Just because a guy can reach 10 dollars a month or 100 dollars a month, does not mean he can reach 1,000 dollars or 5,000 a month too. Maybe in theory, but in theory you can add up any numbers you like, whereas reality is another matter.
You said you read the book "The Joy of Not Working". What does it say? Can you summarize it or its main advice points?
Your local bookstore is filled with books containing workable systems others have already designed, tested, and debugged. Nobody is born knowing how to start a business or generate investment income, but you can easily learn it. How long it takes you to figure it out is irrelevant because the time is going to pass anyway. You might as well emerge at some future point as the owner of income-generating systems as opposed to a lifelong wage slave. This isn’t all or nothing. If your system only generates a few hundred dollars a month, that’s a significant step in the right direction."
Doesn't sound like very hard work to me at all. They exaggerate. Doesn't mean it can't work, and some people fall into something good without much effort, I know someone who fell into a business that way. However it comes across as a fake promise. Basic idea correct, sold with exaggeration.
Much like Benny the Irish Polyglot who claims fluency in 3 months... as long as you use a definition of fluency that almost nobody accepts and ignore any work/study he did before the 3 months. I've seen him show up on two forums about 2 different languages and get torn a new one. The basic idea is fine, go overseas, develop a very small base and spend all your time bothering the locals. You will make decent progress, no doubt, if you are very extroverted that is. Fluent? Ehhh.
Basic idea, correct, sold with lies.
Ditto with the 4 hour guy. In some situations you can especially if you own your own business go to a 4 hour week. Hell you could go to a 1 hour week and just hire a manager just deal with overall guidance and strategy, many people in his situation do that. There are non productive things an oompa lumpa can avoid doing... if they are allowed to. However it is a bit much to suggest that it is a path that is practical for most people. Like wise from his fitness book, you can do a lot in 4 hours a week, but his claims are a bit over the top.
Joy of not working.
Working sucks.
You can cut expenses pretty dramatically and still have a good life.
He actually does work, but only about 20 hours a week, 8 months of the year [as a writer], he admits to this but did quit his previous job.
You need shit to do, preferable active shit like reading, creating, physical etc. Not things like TV.
Often the difficult path makes for an easy life and the easy path makes for the difficult life.
Be weird/do your own thing.
It's a pretty short book, he is an entertaining writer and interlibrary loan for the win, at least if you are in an English place.