When I think about things that would help me to build our business the first thing that comes to mind is not working less! However, that’s the premise behind the book, The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris. I must admit when I first heard about this book I was a bit skeptical. First of all, why would anyone want to work just four hours a week? And if they did, how on earth could it be done without making life even more stressful? Bill are bills. No matter how many hours are worked we still need to make the money to pay our bills!
As I began the read this book I quickly discovered that Tim’s main value proposition was not working less at all, rather it’s living more by being more productive at work! Ok, now I’m less skeptical. Tim goes on to share a number of case studies where ordinary people have taken his tools and advice and put them into practice. These examples show what worked out well and what did not. I found this to be a very raw, yet transparent view of reality. Hey if these ordinary people can make more money with less wasted efforts, and have more time on their hands to pay attention to the things we want to pay attention too (like my kids, wife, and fishing) then it must be possible for me to do the same! Several case studies and tools are available on Tim’b blog site, www.fourhourblog.com. I highly recommend visiting his blog site. You will find several great resources are freely available.
In addition to his blog site you might want to check out the book’s website, www.fourhourworkweek.com. On this site there is a media section with several video clips of interviews by the press. After watching these videos I was convinced the book was worth the $14.00 price tag. If you’re a person who is better at working than at living, then this is a must read book for you. Although, I do not personally agree with all of Tim’s lifestyle choices, I do agree that if we made better choices about how we work we would then have the luxury to make more of our own lifestyle choices.