Get Off Your Ass

Right now, I’m sitting on a plane and typing this out on my iPad.

I’m actually pondering on a few things that I saw this morning and I thought they would actually apply to you as an online seller.

Yes. I’m a strange person.

I’m on vacation and I’m writing a blog post.

That is exactly what this post is about.

I can’t count the number of times that I have been asked the following:

Chris – do you even sleep? How do you find time to do everything you do?

I will be the first to admit that I have my hands in a ton of cookie jars. I have an addiction (and it’s not to cookies). I have an addiction to being productive. I am constantly thinking, analyzing, and planning. It’s sort of like my mind is always on overdrive.

Do you remember that scene from Transformers where there is all the writing on the wall?

This is what it looks like in my head all the time.

Being productive is my outlet. I am able to take this energy and do something positive with it. Otherwise I would probably drive my wife insane.

Here is what is going on in my head right this second (warning – this might scary):

When I wake up tomorrow, I should record my box level detail video and release it.

I need to add a few more videos to the free group on Gumroad.

How should I lay out the video for the Make Green group?

I should really hire a freelancer to develop a few apps that I have in mind.

Oh wait. Maybe they could build a software program for me.

Never mind. I should just take a Udemy course and learn how to code.

Speaking of Udemy, I should work on my OAXRay course that I want to release.

Oh that’s a good idea – maybe I should do another course.

Better yet, lets layout a bunch of courses.

I wonder if my BoxFox offers will be accepted.

Actually – I wonder if I should try to buy wifi and post some deals for the Pay What You Want Group.

I wonder if John published any more Gumroad lists this morning.

I wonder if Mike and John have proofed the e-book I wrote a few weeks back.

That reminds me. I need to finish my Kickstarter book.

Oh! Maybe I should host a FBA meet-up in New Castle.

I should text my worker and see if he wants to pack up the items left in my garage.

Maybe I should grab one of those Gumroad lists and source each morning of my trip.

I should start a Zen Arbitrage group. That would be fun.

What should my next blog post be over?

I wonder if now would be a good time to start prepping my conference presentations.

Oh crap. I forgot to sign up for my MBA class. I need to do that.

Maybe I should look into getting my Ph.d.

I wonder what beer Books and Brews is brewing this week.

I really need to take my Christmas lights down.

I should set up an autoresponder series for those who are starting to use Gumroad lists.

I need to set up a few more Merch by Amazon shirts.

And a few Creative Space books.

Oh. I should finish that book I started – Married to Reselling 

I wonder if a book about prepping to leave your job would be a good idea.

Will the Packers play better than a high school team this week?

What should I work on as my next giveaway?

I need to go set my repricer for that last shipment.

And I should write new feedback requests.

I wonder if I need to start prepping for my taxes.

Will our Powerball ticket hit tonight?

Is there a way I could make traveling easy?

I should build another niche website. That would be fun.

If I took the time, I could write a review about Ryan Grant’s outsourcing book.

I wonder how many people will click on one of my affiliate links above.

Crap. I need to record a few more podcasts.

Wait. I just had an idea for a private label product. I should talk to Andy.

Oh and a few ideas for bundles. I’m kicking ass and taking names.

Airplane passengers are a captive audience. I wonder how you could capitalize out that.

I wonder how many people have read this far in the post.

If they did, they should be rewarded.

I should start a new YouTube channel.

And that has just been in the last 20 minutes. And this is all happening while I’m jamming out to Here Come the Mummies (Pants and Libido Knievel).

Here is the interesting part. Anyone on this plane could be doing the same thing. As I look around, I see the majority of the people playing solitaire, reading a book or magazine, or sleeping. I can’t blame them for doing any of those things, but I find it relaxing to invest into my passive income during my down time.

No one out they can say that flying is a relaxing experience. It’s something that we do to get from A to B.

The mindset of using your downtime in a productive manner is what allows me to be more productive than the average person.

I use time that would otherwise be wasted to complete tasks and brainstorm new ideas. I’m not adding hours to my day, I’m simply adding value to my hours.

This whole discussion can be related back to one of my favorite topics: Opportunity costs.

What brings me the most value?

I’m an idea guy. I can’t stop coming up with them. I’m constantly thinking of ways to improve my current situation or what might be my next big money maker. I realize that working an extra hour while on a plane might allow me to take my wife to a wonderful dinner tonight.

I always go back to Pat Flynn and his podcast. In the intro, he has one of the best quotes:

Work hard now to reap the benefits later (ok it might be paraphrased a bit, but I am doing it from memory on a plane).

This is a motto that I live by everyday.

This blog post will exist on the Internet forever. I have made an investment of time and I will reap the rewards as long as the site is live. Anyone who visits this post has a chance of clicking on one of our affiliate links and might possibly give us a commission. It’s not something we are actively looking for, but it could happen.

That’s the awesome part about the world we live in today. The opportunities are limitless. All you have to do is open your eyes and take advantage of those opportunities.

I have found in my short life (I’m 24 at the time of writing this) that most successful people have two things in common.

They take action and they analyze both the current and future at the same time.

I know that I put myself out there each day when I write a blog post, do a Periscope, or record a video. I know that I’m not some marketing genius and that I don’t have production level equipment. That stuff would be awesome, but an idea is just an idea until you take action. You can have the best plan in the world, but it does no good on paper. It only works if you put it into action.

So what’s the point of this post?

Let me boil it down to one main point for you.

Get off your ass and do something. 

Stop it with your excuses.

This blog post was typed using only my thumbs on a plane at 7:30 a.m. In the morning on a Saturday while I was heading on vacation.

Sure. I could have been like the other 99% of people on this plane, but where is the fun in that? If your goal is to be average, feel free to do it. There is nothing wrong with it at all.

I, on the other hand, choose to be different.

I choose to stand out and take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.

Will I fail?

Hell yeah I’ll fail. I’ll fail way more than I succeed. I want to fail.

Yeah. I said it. I WANT TO FAIL.

The best lessons in life are learned from failure. The more I fail, the more I learn and the more likely I will succeed.

I saw this photo on Facebook yesterday. I couldn’t say it better myself.

So here is the deal.

I want you to get off your ass and take advantage of an opportunity. If you can’t find one, email me at chris@fbamaster.com and I’ll send you a few.

Once you do that, I want you to write a blog post about your successes and/or failures. I will post them here on the site as motivation for those people who are all talk and no action. Send the post to chris@fbamaster.com and I will get it on the site ASAP.

So.

Get off your ass.

Cheers.

CW