Quit Your Day Job – Free Ebook, and Competition!

by Ali on August 17, 2009

As promised last week, I’ve been compiling some of my thoughts on work, jobs and freedom into a free ebook:

(If you left-click it’ll probably open in your browser; you can right-click to save the pdf to your computer.)

The ebook runs to 27 pages, and includes:

Realising that freedom really is possible
Figuring out how to begin
Three different routes to a job-free income – with links and resources for each
Creating your escape plan – and putting it into action
Quotes from people who quit “soul-sucking” day jobs to follow their dreams
An appendix of recommended resources

It was inspired by the response to two posts I wrote last week, Reframing Work #1: Ditching Drudgery and the Conventional View of Work and Reframing Work #2: Min Hours, Max Cash – or Do What You Love?

You’re more than welcome to pass Quit Your Day Job on to your friends, your blog readers, your Twitter followers or anyone you think would enjoy reading it. I’d love to see this message spread!

Competition – Win Books, and Quit Your Job!

Note: the competition is now over, thanks to all who entered!

I’m also going to be giving away four great books/ebooks to one lucky winner. These are four resources that I highly recommend for putting “Quit Your Day Job” into action.

Disclaimer: The fourth one is mine, but you can scoot over to the sales page to see what other folk have said about it!

4-Hour Workweek (book, $19.95) – by Timothy Ferriss. (Read my review of it here, or buy it here.)

Career Renegade (book, $14) – by Jonathan Fields (Read my review of it here, or buy it here.)

Cloud Living (ebook, $37) – by Glen Allsopp (Read my review of it here, or buy it here.)

Staff Blogging Course (ebook/ecourse, $19) – by Ali Hale (Read about and buy it here)

If you’d like to be in the running to win that nice little package of reading material, then this is what you need to do:

Leave a comment on this post, telling me what’s stopping you from getting more from life. Give me a question to answer, a topic you’d like me to write on, a problem you want me to offer a solution to. You need to give me a question or a suggestion – if you leave a comment just saying “me too”, it won’t count in the competition.
Make sure you fill in the email address box – I’ll need to contact you if you win! No-one sees your email address except me.
You can comment as many times as you like, but I’ll only count one entry per person. I’ll pick one entrant at random for the prize.
If you win, you’ll need to provide me with a shipping address so I can send the two books.

(If you want to comment but you don’t want to enter the competition, just pop a note to that effect in your comment.)

The competition closed midnight GMT on Sunday, 23^rd August, and I’ll be announcing the winner on Monday 24^th August.

(If you’ve got any questions or feedback about Quit Your Day Job, I’d love to hear from you: just send me a message or drop me an email.)

{ 13 trackbacks }

How to Get Started on Things You Keep Putting Off — Aliventures: August 20, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Quit Your Day Job winner! — Aliventures: August 24, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Why Does Motivation Go? And How Can You Get It Back? | Motivate Thyself: August 26, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Free Personal Development Ebooks: September 8, 2009 at 2:34 pm
How to Finish a Writing Project | Men With Pens: September 18, 2009 at 8:03 am
How to Deal With People Who Think You’re Crazy to Quit Your Job — Aliventures: October 19, 2009 at 3:38 pm
When Following Your Passion Will Leave You Broke — Aliventures: October 22, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Why You’ll Never Be Finished (And How to Figure Out When You’ve Done Enough) — Aliventures: November 5, 2009 at 1:21 pm
» Blog Archive » 100 Free eBooks for Your Personal & Professional Development: November 16, 2009 at 4:30 am
100 Free eBooks for Your Personal & Professional Development | pc-aras: December 2, 2009 at 6:51 am
How to Be More Consistent (When it Matters) — Aliventures: December 3, 2009 at 10:24 am
How to Freelance Without Ending Up Penniless — Aliventures: January 7, 2010 at 6:11 pm
elektroniczne książki: July 16, 2010 at 11:38 pm

{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }

Colin August 17, 2009 at 1:57 pm

I’ve got a question! When my business is ticking along reasonably nicely – just like right now, I’ve got enough clients to be comfortable – I find it very hard to convince myself to spend time on branching out into other areas. Any advice on how to motivate yourself when you’re not terrified you’re going to starve?

Karen August 17, 2009 at 2:57 pm

Hi Ali,

Thanks for the ebook! Looking forward to reading it.

So for suggestions – how about a list of strategies for overcoming fear? Or for overcoming procrastination that has its roots in fear? I find I am often paralyzed by my doubts and fears.

Thanks again

Karen

Jonathan Vaudreuil August 17, 2009 at 3:20 pm

Looking forward to reading the ebook – definitely enjoy some of your contributions to Dumb Little Man.

Kyle August 17, 2009 at 6:29 pm

Great ebook! The lists of resources are especially helpful.

I jumped from the corporate world about 2 years ago to go out on my own with two separate ventures. Two significant challenges for me have been 1) charging enough for my services and 2) financing my products-related business. I would be interested in your insights about either.

Thanks again for the book!

Nathalie Lussier August 17, 2009 at 6:47 pm

I think the things you might want to cover include:
-How to deal with friends/family who think you’re crazy to quit your job (you touched on this in the “live your way” post, though a little more specific hints & actions to take might help too)
-How to make money when your new venture is just getting started (i.e. other job, freelancing, etc.)
-Approaching potential clients, and how to explain your services/products without sounding douche-y.

Other than that, I’ve really been enjoying your your new Aliventures.

Quint August 17, 2009 at 7:20 pm

I think the biggest thing holding me back from jumping out on my own is the need to provide for my family. As a sole breadwinner, how do I make this kind of radical change with some sort of confidence that I can still provide? Things like health care and debts still must be taken care of and I would like to give my wife and kids a decent standard of living.

Allison August 17, 2009 at 7:42 pm

I’d like to hear your thoughts on budgeting as a freelancer. I recently waited almost 6 weeks to receive a paycheck, during which time I wasn’t working and had no future projects. We all have certain fixed costs each month (rent, bills, car/insurance payments), and sure, some weeks or months you’ll get a big check and be able to actually save a little money, but other times those checks will barely cover a week’s groceries.

Also, how do you stay motivated after sending out a dozen proposals or whatever and have none of them work out?

James NomadRip August 17, 2009 at 8:00 pm

I like your site. Catching up on the previous articles now. A lot of good information here. The prizes are all on my list except 4hww, which I already have. Going to go read this eBook now. Thanks!

Laurie Beebe August 17, 2009 at 11:08 pm

Ali,
First of all I love your e-book. I like that you did not tell people to just take a deep breath, quit your job, and have faith you’ll make money! I think that’s what a lot of people think they’re supposed to do. Taking the time to plan out your strategy, put in a few hours a day to start, and sock all the money away you can is the sensible way to prepare to go out on your own, and you made that very clear.

So, here is my question–say I have some great blogs (and I believe I do!) and a great service and some great products of my own (yes, I know I do) … I have even tried offering affiliate products, adsense, and being an amazon affiliate to make extra money. My problem is that people are not finding my sites. It’s not like I have zero hits a day, but with 4 blogs and my web site to sell my diet coaching products and services, I am getting under fifty hits a day after an entire year of being ‘out there’. I know I could make a ton of money if a thousand people were hitting my sites a day, as people must be doing who make $50 K a month, right? How do I get traffic to my site (after I have already been doing ezine articles, features on other blogs, linking and commenting on other sites, and being listed in blog catalogs) ?? I am stumped!

Marcus August 18, 2009 at 1:24 am

I think what stopping me is lack of knowlege and money , plus not gonna lie, procastination, I dunno if I have intelligence enough to do it =\..

I want if you could talk more about how to start from scratch with little or no money

Thanks !

Kaizan August 18, 2009 at 8:53 am

Wow Ali, that looks great! Well done.

I love this quote from your ebook:

“What’s going to make you happier, having more stuff, or having the freedom to get up in the morning and spend your whole day doing something you love? ”

So true!

Books August 18, 2009 at 1:05 pm

ya. it is nice quote. i likd it much.

Bob August 18, 2009 at 2:28 pm

Hello,
interesting website, thanks.

My question is – what advice do you have on exit strategies / safety catches for someone who thinks they have a good idea but ultimately also needs to be able to pay a mortgage and buy food? Especially now, when it’s not like there are lots of jobs around to just step back into.

Jay Brock August 18, 2009 at 9:18 pm

Hey Ali,

How do you pursue life dreams (world travel, working for yourself, etc.) when you’re working around the clock just to cover all the bills…even while living low key? What can I do to unlock time and cash to actually start living out those dreams?

Gracias Senorita,
Jay

Mahommed August 18, 2009 at 9:57 pm

Looking forward to the read. Thank You.

Wilma Ham August 19, 2009 at 2:36 am

Hi Ali

Thank you for the e-book.
My question is, how do you know if you have done enough?
When I was employed it was easy, at least I had the weekend off. Now I am working for myself I do find it hard to stop because who is telling me when enough is enough?
It is a bit like when you start renovating the house, the more you do the more you see what else needs doing.

Hunter Nuttall August 19, 2009 at 3:49 am

I’ve had a very hard time finding practical and specific information about how to become a freelance programmer. Google it and you’ll go through page after page of useless search results. There are good freelancing blogs out there, but I haven’t seen them focus specifically on this topic.

This falls way outside your specialty, so it’s not at all fair to expect you to know this. But maybe you’ll have some advice anyway on how to find the answers.

Here are some of the basic questions an aspiring freelance programmer would have:

1. Is it best to pick a specialty, and how specialized should you get? Ex. “web development” or “object-oriented PHP 5?”

2. What are the hottest specialties, including demand and hourly rates?

3. What are the required development tools, expenses, and learning curves of the different specialties? For example, iPhone development has the upfront costs of buying a Mac and an iPhone, plus other expenses, and they say there’s a lot to learn to get started. People should be aware of all the costs up front.

4. How do you promote yourself? Is it enough to set up a simple static website, or do you need to create a blog and post a few times a week, comment on other blogs, and use social media? That could be a full time job right there!

5. How do you find gigs? Job bidding sites look really awful, because the jobs require every skill under the sun and everyone bids ridiculously low. Maybe word of mouth can work over time, but how do you get started?

I know, you’re not a programmer. But why is this information so hard to find?

Willie Hewes August 19, 2009 at 1:49 pm

Yaaay, e-book! Awesome stuff, thanks!

What’s holding me back right now is exhaustion. I have to be careful about what I spend my energy on, because I crash like a brick with paper wings if I overdo it. But pacing myself when I’ve got commitments and deadlines bunching up (and don’t they always?) is very hard.

So, any advice on how to pace yourself when doing a hundred things, or otherwise, how to get from *crying softly into my tea* to “hurrah, hurray, let’s do some stuff” a little bit faster would be good.

I’m very glad to see you doing the thing and getting stuff together, so thanks for being an example.

yrieithydd August 19, 2009 at 7:02 pm

Paying the rent is my problem. I don’t won’t to move back in permanently with my parents. I have the beginnings of ideas relating to church and fresh expressions, but whether they’ll come to anything is an interesting question.

At least being in the UK, the NHS is there which takes away Quint’s healthcare worries.

yrieithydd August 19, 2009 at 7:06 pm

for `won’t’ read `want’. My brain is obviously unconnected today

HollyB August 19, 2009 at 8:07 pm

One thing that is stopping me from getting more from life:

1. DEBT: I feel like I’ve raked in so much debt that now all I can do is work constantly to stay on top of minimum payments. How do I live the life I want without having to constantly stress about money?

Vago Damitio August 20, 2009 at 12:25 am

The thing that is keeping me back from getting more out of life is that I drink too much water. I’m always drinking water. It makes me pee, it makes me have to leave conversations, it makes me hydrated. Wait a minute, that’s actually not a bad thing sometimes. I take my answer back. In actuality, the only thing that has ever held me back was self doubt and fear. Being afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do something. Being afraid I wouldn’t be good enough.

I suppose the question is, should I simply go for it and trust to the will of God to lead me in the right direction?

Jason R. Ayers August 20, 2009 at 7:08 pm

With no sales, a business is just a bunch of untested ideas. So, my biggest challenge is making sure I spend 80% of my time focused on selling my products and services. It’s awfully easy to get sidetracked into operations, technical issues, paperwork, and other non-essential issues.

My questions is this: What are your best strategies to insure you spend the majority of your time selling your products or services so you can maintain adequate cash flow in your business?

yojir August 21, 2009 at 9:56 am

Hi Ali!

I’ve read your e-book all in one sitting. I was just scanning Google for any topics on life changing events and I changed upon your website. One thing that marked my mind is the part when you said that you need to tattoo Freedom in your mind. Or, if freedom is not yet strong enough motivational word to get you going to quit your draining job, tattoo “Liberation”. In my communicator, that is my note “Freedom / Liberation” and it is working for me. I really thank you so much.

I am really determined to get out of the rat race. Do you have any organizations / clubs where I can join or can at least help me [or us ] to get started in freelancing? Finding the websites to apply for freelance jobs is already hard so i am thinking if there are any clubs who can be a source to refer us to any trusted jobs like this?

Thanks! And keep on inspiring us

halcyone August 23, 2009 at 5:22 am

Hi Ali,

Thanks for the ebook. It’s a very nice little resource for planning one’s freedom. I’d like to see you write about consistency and the importance of showing up. You’re clearly doing well on that front with very regular posts. What tools and tips can you share with us on how you keep yourself consistent? Thanks again!

Halcyone

SATISH August 23, 2009 at 2:34 pm

Hi Ali,

My biggest hindrance in business is, lack of time. Most of my time is spent in college and few hours online(for my blog readers). I have some book reviews to be done on my blog, but I have a lot of books to read inorder to pass in my exams! I feel bad about this, because most of my time in college is waste of time. I can’t tell you how stupid I feel some times.

Please write a serious of posts for students..please.
Everyone thinks only of professionals(who are earning money), and no one talks about time management for students!

I love to take up blogging as my profession after I finish with my academics. Please advice.

Kevin August 23, 2009 at 6:42 pm

Dear Ali,

My question is how would you quit your day job, if it is the job that your parents, your family, and all those around you, had wanted you to have? Is there an alternative that would not break their hearts yet at the same time give you the satisfaction of having your own career? And what would you do, if after embarking on the new career, you discover that it isn’t quite what you expected it to be?

Thanks!

Daniel Richard August 28, 2009 at 5:54 pm

Heya Ali! Found this post via Eric’s blog.

I’m at page 3 of 27 in your ebook now. Lemme go read the rest of it. It’s looking great!

Rajasekaran December 6, 2009 at 10:22 pm

Downloaded your ebook and looking ahead to read.Thanks for the good work.
.-= Rajasekaran´s last blog ..Tribute to our Heroes =-.

Ali December 7, 2009 at 1:21 pm

Thanks Rajasekaran, glad you enjoyed it!

Monica August 5, 2010 at 3:01 am

Thanks for the book…you have no idea how much I’m looking forward to reading it. I really hope it helps me move out of the rut I’m in!! My question….how do I overcome the fact that I don’t FEEL LIKE doing anything except things that I enjoy doing…I mean I don’t feel like working…I’m just sick of it!! I love to do things with my hands (knit, paint, jewelry, macrame, etc) and I’m pretty darn good at all of it…but I can’t seem to sell anything…but I still keep knitting and making more “stuff” which I just shove in a bag…I participate in a monthly market but I don’t sell anything…well maybe one scarf or a hat…but never enough to make a living…meanwhile my bills aren’t getting paid on time…and I have to keep working at something I’m not happy with anymore, at a place where i don’t feel good anymore, to make 1/4 of what I used to make two years ago…and my bills still aren’t getting paid.

Ali August 5, 2010 at 4:28 pm: Thanks Monica – I really hope it helps!

I’d imagine there’s a great market for craft out there — have you tried selling on etsy.com? It’s a great site for high-quality craft products, and I hear a lot of folks recommend it (both from the buying and the selling perspective).

If you’re after some great very-small-biz marketing advice, http://www.ittybiz.com is awesome. (Naomi swears a fair bit, just to warn you; I personally love her writing style but a few people get put off!)

Very best of luck!

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Tony Milano May 22, 2011 at 6:47 am