As a few of you know, as a missionary to Peru, I’ve been supplementing my support–if not supporting myself almost completely through tentmaking and freelancing online with my laptop. I have nicknamed what I do ‘missionpreneuring‘ since I’m doing entrepreneurial things in order to finance myself on mission in Peru.
But I’m sure someone else already coined the term.
One of the main sources of my income at the time of this writing has been to work closely for a Christian business man who’s founded a few online companies over the years and recently served as a consultant and pioneer in a mobile affiliate marketing start up.
For all intents and purposes, this man has been discipling me in entrepreneurial skills and my freelancing, so as to help make me fully self-sustaining. You may think discipling is only something that applies to the Gospel, and I’d generally agree with you.
So if it would make you feel any better let’s call it “coaching” instead of discipling.
He’s coaching me with regard to how to get some endeavours started so that I can be making enough passive income online that I can fully focus on my mission here in Peru, to make disciples for Jesus and launch missional communities that reproduce themselves in the next 5 to 7 years.
Last week he gave me the homework of reading a book called The 4 Hour Work Week, by Timothy Ferriss. At the time of this writing, I’ve only read the first 3 chapters so far and cannot put it down unless I have to. I can see why my coach gave it to me as homework, and I’ll blog more on it as I get further into the book, but most importantly if and when I apply what I’m learning from it.
Books are only as good as what you do with the knowledge you get from them. Share on XLet me share a few snippets about an interesting story the author shares:
In 1999, sometime after quitting my second unfulfilling job and eating peanut-butter sandwiches for comfort, I won the gold medal at the Chinese Kickboxing (Sanshou) National Championships.
It wasn’t because I was good at punching and kicking. God forbid. That seemed a bit dangerous, considering I did it on a dare and had four weeks of preparation. Besides, I have a watermelon head—it’s a big target.
I won by reading the rules and looking for unexploited opportunities, of which there were two:
1. Weigh-ins were the day prior to competition: Using dehydration techniques commonly practiced by elite powerlifters and Olympic wrestlers, I lost 28 pounds in 18 hours, weighed in at 165 pounds, and then hyperhydrated back to 193 pounds. It’s hard to fight someone from three weight classes above you. Poor little guys.
2. There was a technicality in the fine print: If one combatant fell off the elevated platform three times in a single round, his opponent won by default. I decided to use this technicality as my principal technique and push people off. As you might imagine, this did not make the judges the happiest Chinese I’ve ever seen.
The result? I won all of my matches by technical knock-out (TKO) and went home national champion, something 99% of those with 5–10 years of experience had been unable to do.
But, isn’t pushing people out of the ring pushing the boundaries of ethics? Not at all—it’s no more than doing the uncommon within the rules. The important distinction is that between official rules and self-imposed rules. (Page 28)
The weight-cutting techniques and off-platform throwing I used are now standard features of Sanshou competition. I didn’t cause it, I just foresaw it as inevitable, as did others who tested this superior approach. Now it’s par for the course. Sports evolve when sacred cows are killed, when basic assumptions are tested. The same is true in life and in lifestyles. (page 30)
Tim Ferris, The 4-Hour Work Week
For me, this quick little story has been so inspiring even if I have a few personal misgivings with it. Great visionaries and leaders throughout history are not the ones who stuck to the rules, but those who looked for unexploited opportunities. They pioneered or became early adopters of things they viewed as inevitable.
Think of Apple’s slogan “think different.” Such a motto and worldview is necessary if you want to BE different.
Do you want to grow and become great? Ask yourself what are some self-imposed rules or limiting beliefs you hold to that you need to break?
Then, get started!
