The 4-hour work week
Could you do your job in under 4 hours a week? Do you think time management can help cut down on hours as it did for Timothy Ferriss? Post your thoughts on the FSB blog.
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DiggI don’t know why so many of you are hacking on Tim. If YOU are concerned about world events and doing charity work, then couldn’t you apply his techniques and use the extra time/money to do good deeds instead of lounging on a yacht or adventure travel as Tim does?!
I also don’t understand all this anger over him outsourcing and automating his work. He is paying others to do the work, it happens every single day all over the world, people! I’m stunned by some of the reactions to a guy who’s doing well and sharing his techniques. Are we so indoctrinated in the idea that we have to bust our butts 70 hours a week in order to be productive citizens and good people? PLease…
While I understand the concept of the book, I would like to ask one thing…Please stop recommending that people outsource to India. There are virtual assistants in America who can do the work as well if not better.
Tim’s book is a perfect reflection of lifestyle of a smart entrepreneur who values the principle of outsourcing more, then working harder on something which could had been done by someone else.
Even though the book clarifies all the doubts and proclamation made by the author, but this book will be more enjoyed by people who were already in this path ;)
Its a must read for all the GTD guys along with minor to major time management geeks.
Abhinav Gulyani
http://www.abhinavspeaks.com
I just finished reading Tim’s book. It is awesome and has given me even more ideas to take charge of my life. I have been telling everyone I know to read this book.
Brion
http://www.iownmylife.net/brlau
For all you naysayer…read the book before you judge. Mr. Ferriss lives a more cultured, charitable, and productive life and contributes to the global economy more than any 10 of us posting on this blog.
He’s not a “typical rich jerk” because in his book, he tells you EXACTLY how to do what he’s done.
He has an information “Diet” not information “Anorexia.” He learns what he needs to learn through more efficient sources than spending 15+ hours a week reading an newspaper and watching commercial television.
This article is but a scratch on the surface…read the book before you judge.
People hate this idea.
Why do they hate it? Because they are either too lazy, too scared, too weak, or too incompetent to apply it. People would rather continue to do what they are doing and complain than to try something different and obtain another result. People are creatures of habit. They would rather continue a bad habit and get the same result than to try something new. Most people figure that trying something new isn’t worth it. They say things like “if it’s such a good idea, how come everyone else isn’t doing it?”. People are trend followers and do not have any idea of how to achieve success by any other means than education, hard work, and sacrifice. There is an easier way. But people cannot see past today in order to get there. It is better to let people continue to do what they do and exploit their weaknesses.
Its interesting that the massess that are slaves to their jobs have to find fault with living a life of passion.
This book is about creating your life on your terms. Its not about rich vs poor, news vs no news, its controling your reality. Ferris is sharing what works for him..a radical onslaught on
how mainstream lives. Its your choice,
follow your dreams and passions or stay with the status quo,,negative,
boring and before you know it you’re
old and have lived a ho hum life.
Great job Tim, your book is awesome. You have opened my mind to new thought. While I don’t agree with all you write about, your book provides excellent food for thought. Kudos!
To J Topeka,
If you weren’t too busy listening to who is saying it and actually put in the effort to try some of the ideas he brings up in his book maybe you could be living the good life too.
Knowledge is power, when used.
To the rest of you… while you’re all grumbling and bitter about rich people and outsourcing; others will step up and take the opportunities that are passing you by. Wake up, or shut up.
Wow, I am afraid you are ALL missing the point here.. If you did not happen to notice.. Mr Ferriss has a website for this subject matter and a best selling book.. The method which empowers him to sail his yacht around the world while skinny dipping in the North Pole, Surfing in Pakistan and wrestling alligators in florida is PASSIVE INCOME. Can not reading the paper and checking your emails as often empower you to become filthy rich???! Well, maybe so.. But not nearly as well as selling millions of copies of a book 24 hours a day… Like he is.. Does he really do those things?? Maybe, maybe not.. but he has a novel idea that was maybe inspired by what he has done in the past.. But again.. it is passive income that allows him to live the life he wants.. Which is from his book.. it’s fresh, different and will sell an ungodly amount.. so he can cliff dive in South dakota and be financially independent.
Amazing how the masses will rise up to pull down someone who is not only better off than they are, but is willing to tell how he got there!
“Mr. Ferriss’ process might work for a person solely interested in money and material gain.” Solely interested in money and material gain? He said he’s “had time to set a world record in tango, pursue my passion for martial arts, and learn surfing on the beaches of Brazil.” Sounds like he’s pursuing a life devoted to experiencing, rather than acquiring . . . we’d probably all be better off with that mindset!
I LOVE this article and just bought 10 copies of his book to give to my friends who have let the rat race consume them.
I am surprised that there are so many posts painting this concept out to be unrealistic or too hard to pull off.
Einstein is quoted as saying “Nothing happens until something moves”. You WILL NOT be able to start taking your life back from the 50-80 hour work weeks until YOU do something about it. Before you bash the concept (and the author) please try implementing a concept or two from this article. You will not get fired for being more efficient. You will not lose your job by not compulsively checking your email. We should be working to live, not living to work.
I think all Tim is saying is that it is ok to take your life back from the corporate beast … even if it is only taking back 30 min per week.
The writer has gone from being an active participant in his company to being a stockholder. He may set some direction but he has delegated all the rest to other people. The company will live or die based on what the real workers will do.
Good article. I don’t know why everyone is so mad about it. If you put in the time, money and risk to start a business, he deserves to be able to reap the rewards. If that means hiring people to do the work while he peruses other interests, then so be it. If that means only servicing the clients that make him the most money, that’s his decision. If you don’t like it, start your own business and service the small clients he gave up ;-)
Almost 95% of you are missing the big picture. You immediately become defensive and went back to your job.
Will most people be able to only work 4 hours a week? No.
The whole idea is to take an idea or two and apply it to your life.
If you could cut off one hour a day on your work load it make the whole article worth it.
I have decided to stop checking my email soo much, that alone should save at least 30 minutes a day. (although I shouldn’t be posting to this blog either).
This is all fine and well if you own your own multi-worker business. However, ask this guy if he’d let his workers put in 4 hours a week. I doubt it.
Mr. Ferriss’ process might work for a person solely interested in money and material gain. His “information diet” is a big red flag, however. The Democratic process requires citizens to be informed about something beyond their own material interests. Never read a newspaper? How does Mr. Ferriss learn about the world around him? Does he care about global climate change? Or Americans who are dying in Iraq? Healthcare? Education? So Mr. Ferriss has plenty of time to lounge on his yacht (or whatever he spends his money on). I’m not impressed.
Nothing is truly attained or lasting in this world without hard work. I wonder if you treat your social relationship the same way and follow the adage, “what have you done for me lately.”
I absolutely agree, I too came to this conclusion, I manage a team of 18 field installers, through empowering and educating them on proper procedures I reduce my daily activity to aproximately 5-6 hours daily…..if only my boss approved.
Obviously, these techniques only work if you own your own company (your boss would fire you within 2-3 days if you only worked 4 hours / week). How did he start his company (4hrs/week? I think not). Did he start from scratch? Most business owners HAVE to work 80 hours/week just to keep their heads above water, but they do it because of the other ‘benefits’ (no boss, control, etc.).
Yeah. I tried that back in the early eighties when the time management seminars were all the rage. I delegated myself right out of a job! Bureaucrats want to see your A$$ in a chair 8 hours a day whether you’re doing anything or not.
The proof of the effectiveness of his ideas is in the results he is getting. He is challenging the status quo and people seem concerned and defensive about that. Good work Mr. Ferris and I’m glad CNNMoney posted this article.
Ferriss is a prime example of what is wrong with Corporate America. His article is disgusting to the core.
Cut off service to the small customers… get other people to do your work for you while retaining ownership and profits… outsource every task you possibly can…
He’s right. That is how you make more money FOR YOU for less hassle and overhead FOR YOU. But guess what, you didn’t reduce the work being done, you just reduced YOUR portion of it. It’s a very tidy system. As long as your name is Timothy Ferriss.
Now if only he could find someone he trusts with the 4 hours of work that he DOES do, he could cage fight full-time. If only.
Typical rich jerk telling everyone that his genius allows him his leisure. Sure he’s able to “empower” others to make decisions so they are working the 50,60,70 hours a week dealing with customers while Richy Rich here is surfing in Brazil. So glad you’re happy and you keep looking down on the rest of us from on high.
If he never reads the news I hope he doesn’t vote either. Why brag about ignorance?
Yes I would like to add a comment. Why do you feel the need to ‘outsource your personal assistant’? Dont’ u feel that we have enough of that already? Look at what we are now getting from China after all of the ‘outsourcing’.
Strategies like Ferriss’s only work in an exclusive market with very little competition. Just wait until someone else offers a similar product, for a competitive price, and actually has customer service reps that answer the phone when the big accounts call in with problems.
Customers, especially those with big accounts, don’t take kindly to being told to leave voicemails so the company owner can practice his cage fighting.
Gee, that’s great. You probably treat people like dirt, all in the name of being efficient so you can make an extra buck.
Wow! We really need more people like you.
Good time management can help anyone. I wise more people would consider the profound implications of it. Yet, Timothy has taken to a new level in a company that he owns. As a consultant working with often “I need it right now” clients, I don’t know that my clients or myself would have the same time management options. I fear they would object if I only checked my email once a day. ;-)
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I think this book will be added to my reading list. With so many of you socialist types bashing him, Mr. Ferris must be on to something here that really threatens weak people. If you want to continue spending 40-80 hours a week being unproductive, skip his book and get a Federal Government job. You will fit right in. The only reason you create a business is for YOU, not to provide jobs, social empowerment or for chasing any of that liberal bullshit “common good” . Your business is about you.