How to Get an Internet Lifestyle Degree for $213.45

The holiday season is almost over!  New Year’s Day is quickly approaching.  It’s nearing that time where you have to make the annual Resolution.

What’s it going to be?  Stop smoking.  Lose weight.  Spend more time with the family.

All of these are admirable commitments you can make.

However, I think it’s equally important to invest in your mind.

In this post I’m going to reveal how you can get a higher education degree in the Internet Lifestyle.  I’ve gone to Amazon.com and carefully selected 19 books that have had a huge impact on my life.  Combined, they will help you cultivate the work hard/play hard mindset that’s key to a successful Internet business.

I’ve titled this post, “How to Get an Internet Lifestyle Degree for $213.45,” because that’s what’ll happen.  For the low cost $213.45, you can read 19 books that will change your life.  Read all these and you’ll be ready to attack the world, help people, and make money at the same time!

Are you ready?

If so, let’s take a look at the first batch of books…

Lifestyle Design Books

The first group of books covers the concept of Lifestyle Design.  I believe in a simple Yoda-like philosophy.  In order to get what want you must “Unlearn what you have learned.”

Before beginning a new life, it’s important to learn how to “think out of the box” and change the thought patterns that are holding you back.  It’s my belief that many people want more, but don’t know how to get started.  The following books are a great way to open your eyes to all that you can do in life:

1)      The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss:  We’ll start with the obvious choice.  In the 4-Hour Work Week (4HWW) ,Tim Ferriss discusses the concept of Lifestyle Design.  While I don’t agree with that you can permanently work only 4 hours, I do think it’s possible to live life on your terms.  With that said, Ferriss’s section on Internet marketing is way oversimplified.   So you’d be better off if you ignored this area.  But overall this a great read if you’re interested in learning how to be location independent.  Cost: $11.48

2)      Vagabonding by Rolf Potts: This is book is great way to learn the philosophy of traveling.  Unlike other guides that teach you to travel at breakneck speeds, this one emphasizes the importance of taking the time to really enjoy each experience.  During my seven month trip through Europe, I often thought of (and used) the lessons I learned here.  (Too bad I can’t seem to find my copy anywhere.)  Cost: $10.20

3)      The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau:  I love Gullebeau’s simple philosophy – “You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to.”  In my opinion, there is no truer expression.  Use this book to create a new way of looking at life and everything you do.  Cost: $10.17

4)      Escape from Cubicle Nation Cost by Pamela Slim:  I’ll admit I’m not an expert on the corporate world.  That’s because I’ve only worked in an office for a year.  I recommend this book because she talks about what it’s like to work in a corporate world and find a way to escape it.  This is a must-read for anyone who wants to leave the soul-sucking existence of a cubicle dweller!   Cost: $10.20

Success Mindset Books

The Internet Lifestyle isn’t just about traveling the world, doing fun things.  In fact, there will be times where you have to work really hard.  The key here is to also work smart.  The following are the best books I’ve read about developing a success mindset.

5)      Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk: If you’ve watched any of his videos, you’d see that Gary Vaynerchuk is passionate about wine.  In this book, he describes how to take your passion and turn it into a profitable business.  What I like most about Crush It is Vaynerchuk isn’t afraid to tell it like it is – If you want success, be prepared to work ridiculously hard for it!  That’s the best lesson you can learn when it comes to an Internet business.  Cost: $14.95

6)      The Success Principles by Jack Canfield: Jack Canfield is the man!  In this book, he literally gives you a step-by-step plan for getting what you want.  You could easily take this blueprint, apply it to any market/niche and achieve success.  There are 64 total principles listed here.  So be prepared to spend some time going through this book.  Cost: $12.23

7)      New Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz:  Maltz’s book might seem a bit new-agey for some folks.  But I’ve found that it provides a wealth of information on reprogramming your mind and developing empowering mental habits.  I recommend this book for anyone who has a lack of confidence (or belief) in their ability to create a profitable business.   Cost: $11.53

8)      The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz:  This is another book that talks about how to think like a successful person.  Many people fail because of a lack of self-esteem.  Read this book to learn how to think big.  Then get ready to go after your dreams!  Cost: $10.17

Online Business Books

You probably notice this section is pretty limited.  That’s because there aren’t many books that do a decent job of teaching Internet marketing.  Sad to say, but the best information is usually found in digital format – Not in print.

With that said, here are a few books that provide a great overall picture for creating a profitable online business.  You’ll definitely want to read these, but also make a commitment to learn everything you can about Internet marketing:

9)      How to Make Millions with Your Ideas by Dan Kennedy:  This book provides a great overview of how to take your creative thoughts and turn them into a profit-pulling business model.  While it’s not specific to Internet marketing, I think it’s a useful place to learn how to take your ideas and turn them into income. Cost: $10.88

Sidebar:  This is the first of 4 Dan Kennedy’s books that I recommend.  I have mixed feelings about his products.  Some are extremely helpful.  But others are thinly disguised marketing ploys to get people to buy more of his crap.  He’s definitely brilliant, but he’s also a guy who’ll try to upsell you on all his products.  My recommendation is to buy his books, but stay clear from his continuity/membership programs unless you’re willing to spend a significant amount of money.

10)   The Official Guide to Information Marketing by Dan Kennedy:  This book builds on what you learn in the previous recommendation.  It takes you through the process of setting up an information-based online business.  I make 100% of my income from information, so I can attest that this stuff really works!  Cost: $16.47

11)   How I Made My First Million on the Internet by Ewen Chia:  My first love will always be affiliate marketing.  And the person that helped me get started was Ewen Chia.  Way back in 2006, I paid $1200 for a coaching club he ran.  I learned a lot in this course which helped me build a six-figure income.  The course is no longer available, but Chia wrote this book which teaches a lot about the fundamentals of Internet marketing.  Read this is if you’re unsure of where to get started with an online business.  Cost: $12.89

Marketing and Advertising Books

Internet marketing is all about selling.  You have to explain why a product solves the problems of customers.  Then you have to convince them to pull out their credit card and make a purchase.  The following go into different concepts about marketing.  Understand these principles and you’ll be better educated than 99.9% of the people who start a business online:

12)   Influence by Robert Cialdini:  There are series of basic psychological principles which guide the actions of human beings.  In this book, Cialdini teaches what they are and how they can be applied.  This is another book that’s not Internet specific, but I’ve used its fundamental concepts almost every day in my online business.  Cost: $10.40

13)   Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples:  This is one of my favorite “old-school” books on direct marketing.  The truth is you don’t have to reinvent the wheel when selling information.  In fact, you can learn a lot by studying the techniques that have worked for decades, even CENTURIES of marketing.   Cost: $9.87

14)   The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy:  To sell information you need a sales letter.  To make real money you better have a sales letter that converts readers into buyers.  Kennedy’s book is one of the better I’ve found that teaches how to write a sales letter that makes money.   Cost: $9.15

15)   Web Copy that Sells by Maria Veloso:  This resource teaches the invaluable skill of writing for the Internet.  The truth is writing online is a lot different than what you’ve learned in school.  I like Veloso’s book because she gives a step-by-step solution for people who want to increase their online writing skills.    Cost: $13.71

Personal Productivity Books

I’m not going to lie.  It takes a lot of discipline to run an online business.  Its way too easy to get sidetracked by all the “bright, shiny objects” you find on the Internet.   I recommend the following books because they talk about how to run a streamlined business without wasting time on busy work that don’t produce results:

16)   Getting Things Done by David Allen:  While I think this book is more for the overworked white-collar worker, there’s also a lot you can learn here about productivity.  I especially like the way Allen teaches how you can properly manage every last bit of “stuff” in your life that sucks away mental energy.   Cost: $7.99

17)   No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy:  If you suck at budgeting your time, this book is for you.  Here you’ll learn how to be ruthless with your time and make sure you focus on the activities that produce actual results.  Cost: $10.10

18)   The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch:  The 80/20 Principle is a topic people love to discuss but rarely put into action.  I recommend this book because it teaches you how to tightly focus on the specific projects that will skyrocket an online business.  Stop working hard to produce little results.  Instead focus on those small tasks that make the most amount of money!  Cost: $9.98

19)   The Power of Less by Leo Babauta:  Babauta is famous for his Zen Habits blog.  This book takes a lot of his posts and puts them into a streamlined fashion you can use to simplify personal productivity.  It’s a great read, but it should used in conjunction with the other books I mentioned in this section.  Cost: $11.08

Internet Lifestyle Success in 2011

So there you have it!  This is how to get an Internet Lifestyle degree for $213.45.  I’ve read over two hundred books on business, productivity, and life success.  These are my favorites because they paint a realistic picture of what it’s like to create an online business.  After reading them you’ll discover that it really is possible to have the freedom to do what you want in life.

Like I said, the New Year is arriving in a few days.  Sure it’s important to do things like lose weight, stop smoking or spend time with the family.  But I think it’s also vital that you make a commitment to expand what you do online.

If you’re still struggling to achieve success with an Internet business, then my recommendation is to start with these books.  For me, they’ve provided a crucial key to my own personal success.

Perhaps they’ll help YOU achieve the same result.

Enjoy!

Take Action. Get Results.