The 4 Hour Workweek
Last night my wife Shelly and I went on a date, which is something all by itself I can consider a miracle. When you have a 3 year old, and you’ve only had your in-laws watch him, the thought of leaving him with someone who isn’t kin can sometimes be a very scary thing.
Until you start to burn out with work, and feel the need to date the women you married five years ago. Having children definitely affects your relationship - in so many different way - both rewarding, as well as extremely tiring.
Anyway, on our date last night, we went to the local Barnes & Noble bookstore to have some coffee and to browse through some books. I can tell that Shelly’s inability to escape “mom” mode even our date took hold of her, as she went straight to the children’s books. I, on the other hand, had the same issue - my inability to escape “web design/internet” mode - which took me directly to the web design section.
The book is called “The 4 Hour Workweek”, written by Timothy Ferris - not quite sure why it was in the web design section of the bookstore, but nonetheless I found that the first thing I read resonated IMMENSELY with some stuff I have been feeling these days with my freelance work.
I won’t go into detail what exactly it was that I started reading, but what I can say is that I bought the book, and have every intention on figuring out how I can work from home for 4 hours a week, and make the same in a month that I make now at my day job in a year. If I ever become successful with that, you will all be the first to know.
If you’re looking for a decent read, check out this post where Timothy interviewed Matt Mullenweg of WordPress. Even more interesting is the first comment, which links to a particular theme we all know.
Comments
10 Responses to “The 4 Hour Workweek”
Brian - congrats on taking your wife out on a date! Kid-free time is so good for even the most dedicated parents.
I bought the 4HWW book this summer with intentions of reading it on vacation. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite get to it. Thanks for reminding me that I need to pull it back out of my travel bag.
Oh boy can I relate. We have a 15mo old and an 8yr old - I don’t remember the last time John and I were out sans kids!
I read a blog review of this book recently (can’t remember where or I’d link it), but I haven’t flipped through it for myself yet. I’m usually wary of books like this, and the review was so negative that didn’t help - but I can’t help being curious.
Congrats Brian on your Daily Blog Tips new wordpress theme. You are really mine most favorite wordpress designer. Keep up the great work!
I bought the book when it first hit the shelves. I read it through twice, read his blog, watched him on the Today show one morning and can say it was mostly the title for me that sounded good. I learned that he pushes mostly the idea of outsourcing. Which I have done in the past with my design company also. I tried a few more things he suggested that I really already knew just was reminded again when I read it.
One thing I discovered, and it wasn’t really from Tim’s book, and that was to force myself to work on one thing at a time. The outsourcing turned into me still having to handhold or still keeping hands on, I still had to be involved so what was this doing for me?
My idea was to cut the work week, still make the money or more, and have peace doing it. Didn’t work. What did work was this:
Firing some of my customers that were problems for me, cutting back on the things that I will do within my company, and working because I really enjoy it, not because someone is waiting. It will still be there tomorrow most of the time.
So to sum it up, I guess I am saying I changed my approach and attitude towards work and life….
We have a 4-month-old, and while we’re nowhere close to going out without her, your description of gravitating toward the Mom/Web section of the bookstore hits us pretty much dead on. Hard to turn those roles off.
It sounds like you are living my life, hahaha. I also have a three year old, and I desperately need a date with my wife. We never go anywhere by ourselves anymore. A trip to a restaurant without having to keep up with the little one would be…..relaxing!
I bought the 4-Hour Work Week a few weeks ago, and have read most of it. It’s amazing how Tim got his life set up the way it is. I can tell you this though, I deal with people regularly that try to “slip” out of situations(as he suggests) and leave you to deal with everything, and it’s quite frustrating. I’m not sure I want to be that person.
any idea why your photopress theme won’t allow me to delete a page? I delete the page and then it comes back again. if you have the time…thanks
I saw Tim speak at SXSW last year. I haven’t personally implemented anything from The 4-Hour Work Week, but I’ve worked on two web projects now with people who are trying to do so. And I want to kill them.
The “low-information diet” Ferris advocates may work well for some industries, but designers and developers working as part of a virtual team, for paying clients, do not get the luxury of keeping their phone turned off and checking their email once a week — unless they want to have very little repeat business.
I am all for improving work-life balance — I’m just saying you need to pick and choose carefully from among the ideas in the book. Another good idea is Mike Davidson’s “Five Sentences” email policy, though I’ve yet to succeed with it: http://tinyurl.com/3×9se4
And I don’t really believe Ferris works 4 hours a week, unless it took him six years to write the book (or he outsourced it). It all depends on how you define “work.”
I’m with you, Brian - I went on a date with my wife last weekend - first one in well over 6 months. It was quite enjoyable. We have a 7-year old and a 3-year old. I am like many others in the comments as well, with the 4HWW sitting on my nightstand but not having had time to read it - funny.
Brian. Right on about the book. I’m working on the Outsource your life piece! Also, my wife and I have found Nirvana now that our local “Kidspot” has a Friday night date night. We get to drop our 4-year old daughter off at 5:00 and pick her up at 9:00. So now we have a standing Friday night date. It’s huge. So I hear you!