Tim Ferriss’ new book The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
- We work from 9-5 because we are supposed to work 40 hours a week from 9-5.
- We are very unproductive at work. How many hours did you spend this week in meetings, answering emails or surfing the web?
- We are busy working hard and saving for retirement when we should be figuring out how to do what we want to do now.
- We have way too much information to digest from blogs to news to email.
What he suggests, among many other things, is:
- Be more productive. Figure out what you do when you are not working (like blogging emailing or reading blogs and news) and cut it out.
- Get lots done in a little time so you have lots more time for things you enjoy. He suggest working just an hour a day.
- Outsource anything and everything possible including all your errands.
- Figure out what excites you so you know what you want to be doing. (He stresses excitement over enjoyment. Like I’ve said, too much hanging out on the beach can get boring.)
- Work towards a positive monthly cash flow instead of a large sum of money you’ll use during retirement.
- Take lots of mini-retirements or mini-vacations – so save up for those and then do them.
- He advocates lots of travel and lots of learning – especially other languages.
In order to accomplish all this, he suggests starting a business selling a product. Then outsource everything from creating the product to marketing to order fulfillment to others.
I bet if you read the book, you’d get at least one really good idea out of it. I bet most people that read the book don’t end up quitting their job and starting an outsourced product company, but you never know!
It’s always good to take a fresh look at the way we do things so I found your review interesting. For me giving up blogging and emailing as suggested would be a mistake. First, it’s important to have relationships and stay connected, especially so if you work from home. Second, my passion has always been publishing and writing. Blogging and emailing fit into that category. It’s paid off for me, too. I formed a publishing services company and now, in my retirement, I work part-time as Blogmaster for a well-known person. It’s not what I made in the megalopalis I formerly lived in but it’s good.
I understand that selling a product generates potentially more income, but I’ve tried it and what I learned is I am not wired to be a salesperson. I say stick with what you love. I’d rather be a happy blessed Blogmaster than a sad rich retailer.
Oh, and I live where I want to live – on a small lake in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.
Thanks for sharing your journey with us. May you find what you’re looking for!
Tim Ferriss definitely stresses that you should do what excites you, so if being Blogmaster is fun and exciting to you, I think his approach completely supports yours!
And the Texas Hill Country is definitely beautiful!