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The 4-Hour Work Week
By Timothy Ferriss
I read this book over a two week period and could not stop thinking and dreaming about a brighter life. It has some great ideas, some are a bit quirky, but all are reasonable to get you on your way to a shorter working week.
- How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want
- How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist
- How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent “mini-retirements”
- What automated cash-flow “muses” are and how to create one in 2 to 4 weeks
- How to cultivate selective ignorance—and create time—with a low-information diet
- How to get free housing worldwide and airfare at 50–80% off
- How to fill the void and create a meaningful life after removing work and the office
5 of My Favorite Sections
1. Parkinson’s Law – page 75
…a task will swell in (perceived) importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion. …If I give you 24 hours to complete a project, the time pressure forces you to focus on execution, and you have no choice but to do only the bare essentials. If I give you a week to complete the same task, it’s six days of making a mountain out of a molehill…The end product of the shorter deadline is almost inevitably of equal or higher quality due to greater focus.
The best solution is to use both together: Identify the few critical tasks that contribute most to income and schedule them with very short and clear deadlines.
If you haven’t identified the mission-critical tasks and set aggressive start and end times for their completion, the unimportant becomes the important.
2. Pareto’s Law – page 68
80% of the outputs result from 20% of the inputs.
80% of the consequences flow from 20% of the causes.
80% of the results come from 20% of the effort and time.
3. Speed Reading – page 85
4 simple tips that will lessen the damage and increase your speed at least 200% in 10 minutes with no comprehension loss.
4. The Expert Builder: How to Become a Top Expert in 4 Weeks – page 159
5 steps to create a credibility snowball effect…
- Start with joining two or three related trade organizations with official sounding names…
- Read the three top-selling books on your topic…
- Give free seminars you can quote later…
- Offer to write articles for trade magazines/sites…
5. A Story in Mexico – page 231
A story about a businessman who took a vacation to a small coastal Mexican village. He went fishing with a local fisherman. While speaking, the businessman asked the fisherman what he does when he was not fishing.
“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife…and stroll into the village each evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos.”
The businessman could not help but comment when he found out the man only fished for a short while each day, to feed his family and a few friends. He made suggestions to the fisherman and advised how he could grow his meager activities into an amazingly successful business and after 15 to 20 years he could be a millionaire!
The fisherman asks the businessman, “Then what?”
To which the businessman replies…
“Then you would retire and move to a small coastal fishing village, where you would sleep late, fish a little…”
Resources, Links and Further Recommended Reading
This book is packed with great stories, lessons, tricks, tips, practical ideas, lists, website links and product reviews to help you save time, money and worry. Better yet, the time you save can be translated into having fun, enjoying life and making the choice to live anywhere by escaping the 9-5 grind.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll have a look at this. My cousin is always talking about the work life balance and I think even the smartest enhtrepreneurs get it wrong, leaning more towards the business side. Starting your business is probably the hardest point.
Thank you for the impressive post about the 4 hour work week. I think this is a book that can really help me. I am looking forward to reading more of your website in the future.