How to Work While You Sleep

The world is starting to wake up.

The 4-Hour Work Week Delusion is starting to wear off.

You can’t coast through life.

As Dave Kekich said, “Life is easy when you live it the hard way, but hard when you live it the easy way.”

And as Steven Pressfield said, “”We must do our work for its own sake, not for fortune or attention or applause.”

So in honor of work, I present you today’s QnA, where you’ll discover how to work while you sleep.

Q: For yourself, what is your rationale for justifying when downtime/rest is necessary and productive e.g. a sleep-in, having a night out, a day of no reading/learning etc., as opposed to judging it as just being slack? – Will Levy

Answer: Will – I avoid sleeping in at all costs. That’s the worst thing you can do for your schedule. But I have at least one night out each week, and I don’t see why I would force myself not to read and learn. I want to do that every day.

That’s what turns my work into pleasure.

Q: How often do you take ‘long’ breaks? I mean, longer than a weekend? Also, how long does it usually take for your brain to ‘start up’ in the morning? – Omar

Answer: Not very often. My life and career are heavily intermingled. The majority of my best friends are somehow connected with me in business. For example, next week will be a 4 day holiday with 10 of my closest friends in the fitness industry…there will be hiking, dinners, etc, but I’m sure work will be discussed and breakthroughs will be made.

Work is my version of golf. It’s fun and it has a scorecard, but it doesn’t make me as angry as golf does.

As for my brain, it’s already started before I get up. The subconscious works over night and delivers me answers as soon as I wake up.

To train your mind to work while you sleep, ask it a question before you go to bed. For example, if you are struggling to create a headline, ask your brain to find you one while you sleep.

It worked for Napolean Hill and it can work for you.

Follow-Up Q: I find my mind takes a bit to kick into gear in the morning. It’s getting better now with a more regular fitness routine, but my brain’s still got a slow boot time, haha. – Omar

Answer: That’s just an excuse. You can train your brain to have it do almost anything you want.

Follow-up: Good call. Brain plasticity. Thanks for the kick in the butt. What’s one single, actionable thing I should do to get my mind working quicker in the morning? – Omar

Answer: The one thing you should do is plan your morning the night before. You should know exactly what you are going to work on first thing in the morning.

Q: Is it better to outsource to cheaper freelancers who take a little longer to get the job done but quality is ‘ok’; maximises profit but gives you a few more managerial headaches… or outsource to quality, fast freelancers who cost an extra 30-50%? – Alex

Answer: Alex – I would choose quality every time.

Q: I´ve seen your video about your personal preparation. You told us that you have a structure you will follow everyday. This could be interesting for my clients. I.e. a template for goal attainment. – Adrian

Answer: I have a Kindle book called “How to Set Goals”. It’s on Amazon for 99 cents or a couple of bucks. I also have a book on Time Management too, on kindle too. Those will give you a ton of great info.

Q: Should you work your arse off, sacrifice sleep, health, social aspects as needed UNTIL you “make it”? Or, would you suggest the long run would be more enjoyable if you can find the balance as early as possible?

Answer: It’s not an “either/or” choice. You can work hard and a good many hours and still have a life. Most people don’t have a balance problem, they have a time wasting problem.

Find your magic time. Get more done in less time. Set an end to your day. Do a brain dump. Shut it down. Go spend time with your family. Don’t answer email at all hours of the day. Set limits. But know what you should be doing at all times, and do it.

*****

Alright, good session. I’m off to Carolina for a few days for both work and play.

Until then, read this, one of our most highly-rated  articles ever at EarlytoRise.com.

How to Become What You Want to Be

Life is good when you live it the hard way,

Craig Ballantyne

“I’m of the opinion that hardship shapes us. Coming from nothing served my family well. It also gave me the hunger to want it all, and the wisdom to know that none of it matters.” – Gary Vaynerchuk, Crush It