The Four Hour Work Week…
Most of you know by now that I am an avid reader. I devour books like they are going out of style (and sadly, in today’s world, they are going out of style).
In the past 10 years, I would estimate that I have read 600-700 books, maybe more. I am not saying that to brag, but I just want you to know that I am well versed on business books.
I have read good business books, terrible business books and game-changing business books. The book I am talking about in today’s post is a game-changer.
I have learned something from every book I have read, even if it’s what not to do. For me, The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss has been the most life-changing book I have ever read.
I was browsing a Borders Book Store in Frederick, Maryland when I stumbled upon this book. This was back in 2010 when I was first making my entry into the “make money online” journey.
I was scanning the business book section and the title of the book immediately “captivated” my attention. After all, who wouldn’t want to work only four hours in a week? It sounded like a great idea, so I had to see if it was possible.
Needless to say, I bought the book and started reading it in the bookstore. I couldn’t put it down. I was one of those people…
You know, like the people who text and drive: distracted. My wife drove while I read the book all the way home. Not a word was said between us. I finished it within 48-hours. Then I immediately re-read it. My life has not been the same since.
Best Tim Ferriss Quotes from The Four Hour Work Week
While there are a ton of quotes within Tim’s book that resonated with me, I have picked out my favorite quotes below. Most of these quotes are from Tim, but there are a few in which Tim quoted another well-known personality. I will share the quote and give my 2 cents about it. Each quote is in bold and italics. Enjoy.
# 99: Remove the human element.
The more that we can automate our business, the easier it becomes. We remove the possibility of human errors.
# 98: Process-driven instead of founder-driven.
All businesses should be SYSTEM driven, not people driven.
# 97: Biggest time saver of all – Customer filtering.
Some customers just are not worth the headaches they cause. In some circumstances, the small profit we made is wasted in the issues and time they take. There are times when it makes sense to fire one of your customers.
# 96: Those who spend the least and ask for the most before ordering will do the same after the sale.
This goes right along with the quote listed above. You will be able to judge a customer immediately by their actions.
# 95: By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day. ~ Robert Frost
Tim shared this quote by Robert Frost that makes me shutter. But, it is true.
# 94: That’s precisely the question everyone should be asking – why the hell not?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. There is no guarantee of success in anything you do. Sure, there is the chance of failure, but there is also a chance of success. But there is neither if we don’t try.
# 93: More value means more leverage for negotiations.
This is really quite clear. The more value we have, the more we are needed and we have much more negotiation room.
# 92: Being able to quit things that don’t work is integral to being a winner.
There are times that we need to walk away from certain things. While some would say that quitters are losers, I would have to disagree. There are times when quitting is wise.
# 91: There are principals that keep people on sinking ships. They include:
- Quitting is permanent
- I won’t be able to pay the bills
There are always options. It may be emotionally difficult, but you won’t starve. Don’t let your comfort zone keep you from the living the life that you could have.
# 90: Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. Thomas Watson – Founder of IBM
It is true… A series of failures lead to success. So, more failures mean more successes. You can’t succeed your way to success… you must fail your way to success.
# 89: There are two types of mistakes: mistakes of ambition and mistakes of sloth.
Like I’ve said before, we will all make mistakes. But it is the mistakes of ambition that helps us grow. Mistakes of sloth do nothing for us.
# 88: The person who has more options, has more power. Don’t wait until you need options to search for them.
Having options is a good thing. Create a Plan B before you need one. It’s easier to get a loan from a bank when you have the money and don’t need it, than when you are desperate for the money.
# 87: The Mexican looked up and smiled, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Julia, and stroll into the village each evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, Senor.”
Having more “things” is overrated. What you should really strive to achieve is more time: time to spend with people you love and time to do what you want to do when you want to do it.
# 86: Learn to go slow.
The world moves much too fast. One of the main reasons I moved to Florida was to escape the busyness of where I previously lived. It’s great to be busy and productive, but don’t forget to stop and smell the roses from time to time.
# 85: Four days in a decent hotel or a week or two at a nice hostel costs the same as a month in a nice posh apartment.
Why just travel to a lovely place and stay a few days or a week? Rent an apartment and stay for awhile. Think outside the box and stretch your dollars as much as you can.
# 84: Most excuses not to travel are exactly that – Excuses.
Traveling can be educational, and can set your path on the journey to success. Take the time to travel. When you travel you build memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life.
# 83: Learning deserves special mention. It is, bar none, the best thing you can do to hone clear thinking.
If we do not learn something new each day, it was a wasted day.
# 82: Separate your environments – designate a single space for work and solely work – or you will never be able to escape it.
This is especially true for home-based workers. By having a separate work zone, we can escape to sanctuary from time to time.
# 81: If you cannot find meaning in your life, it is your responsibility as a human being to create it, whether it is fulfilling dreams or finding work that gives you purpose and self-worth – ideally a combination of both.
Nobody else can give us “meaning.” It is something we have to discover ourselves. We must create our meaning in everything from work to play. Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.
# 80: Life is neither a problem to be solved nor a game to be won.
Problems will come and go. Games are just competitive activities. Life is so much more than all of that. We must always realize that and take advantage of the opportunities in front of us.
# 79: I believe that life exists to be enjoyed and that the most important thing is to feel good about yourself.
We can go all through life with stress and anxiety, but is it worth it? We must do everything we can to enjoy our time of existence.
# 78: Traveling around the world and having the time of your life can save you serious money.
For some people, this quote may seem like an oxymoron. Living anywhere in the United States is more expensive that most other countries in the world. Even if you make a small income, you can substantially improve your standard of living by moving to another country.
# 77: Getting fired…..is often a godsend.
Normally, people get fired for one of two reasons. They aren’t a good fit for the company or they aren’t a good fit for the job. In either case, getting fired is normally a blessing in disguise because you can now look for a new source of income that provides you fulfillment (and often more money).
# 76: Offer one or two purchase options and no more.
When we give potential customers too many decisions to choose from, they will often not make any decision at all.
# 75: Information products are low cost, fast to manufacture, and time-consuming for competitors to duplicate.
Information products are a wise sales product to add to your portfolio. Timothy explains the reasons why quite clearly here. I’ve created more than 30 of my own information products and they are very profitable.
# 74: Higher pricing creates higher profits.
We must not get trapped with thinking our products need to be low priced so people can afford them. Many people are actually frightened away if products are too low in price because they think they are cheaply made. I suggest starting out with a high price and adjust accordingly. The more I raise my own prices the more sales I get and more money I make.
# 73: Higher pricing attracts lower-maintenance customers.
When a customer is willing to pay a high price for an item, that means they have a good idea what they are receiving and will not cause you grief.
# 72: What would you do if you didn’t have to think about money?
Get your finances under control. Get out of debt. Spend less than you make. Come up with a financial plan so you can enjoy life, rather than spending all your time worrying about money.
# 71: It is absolutely necessary that you realize you can always do something more cheaply yourself. This doesn’t mean you want to spend your time doing it. If you spend your time, worth $20-25 per hour, doing something that someone else will do for $10 per hour, it’s simply a poor use of resources.
Don’t spend your $100 per hour time on $10 per hour tasks. Focus a majority of your time on money producing activities and outsource everything else.
# 70: It’s amazing how someone’s IQ seems to double as soon as you give them responsibility and indicate that you trust them.
People will rise to the level of expectation you place on them. I learned that in the Army.
# 69: If you absolutely cannot stop a meeting or call from happening, define the end time.
Meetings can often be a huge waste of time, so we need to keep them to a minimum. Never have a meeting just to have a meeting. Always identify a clear purpose for each meeting. Be sure to start and end on time.
# 68: Limit email consumption and production. This is the greatest single interruption in the modern world.
Check email no more than once or twice a day and have a set time for doing it.
# 67: Don’t ever arrive at the office or in front of your computer without a clear list of priorities.
As is often said, failing to plan is planning to fail. It is wise to set your priorities for the following day the night before. Focus on the most important things first.
# 66: There is no incentive to use time well unless you are paid on commission.
People take as much time as is given to them to complete a task. For example, many high school students wait until the night before a project is due to start. If everyone was put on some type of commission based pay structure, most people would be fired.
… or they would learn how to manage their time wisely.
# 65: Which 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness?
We talk of the 20/80 rule quite often. Timothy hits on it in this quote telling us to look at the sources that are causing most of the problems. We need to either erase those sources or fix them.
# 64: You shouldn’t be trying to do more in each day.
Your goal should be to keep the main thing the main thing, eliminate clutter, and outsource everything else for someone else to do.
# 63: I’m not a big believer in long-term planning and far-off goals. In fact, I generally set 3-month and 6-month dreamlines.
Personally, I’ve always focused on monthly, yearly and five year goals. But, I do like the idea of setting 3-month and 6-month goals. A lot can happen in 3 to 6-months.
# 62: Living like a millionaire requires doing interesting things and not just owning enviable things.
Life is meant to be fun. Focus on creating memories, doing fun things and spending time with people you love. Focus less on acquiring material possessions and more on building memories and you will live like a millionaire.
# 61: Excitement is the more practical synonym for happiness, and it is precisely what you should strive to chase. It is the cure-all.
This is true, but we must remember that excitement comes in various forms for different people. One person’s excitement could involve skydiving while another person’s excitement could be a game of Bridge. Just do things that excite YOU!
# 60: It’s lonely at the top. Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre.
It saddens me when people say, “Oh, I couldn’t do that or achieve that.” But they have never tried. Even though we could fail, we won’t know unless we try. Stop selling yourself short. You are capable of great things.
# 59: I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. ∼ Mark Twain
Timothy used this great quote by the author of Tom Sawyer. We do often make problems up in our own heads, but they never materialize. I’d bet 90% of the things we worry about never come true.
# 58: Don’t save it all for the end. There is every reason not to.
Live life every day to its fullest and don’t wait until you are old and retired to do the things you want to do. You might not get that chance.
# 57: Are you better off than you were one year ago, one month ago, or one week ago? If not, then things will not improve by themselves.
We are the masters of our own destinies. We can sit and hope something magic will fall from the sky (which it probably won’t), or we can reach out and grab what we desire. We do so by learning something new each day. Also, if what you are doing right now isn’t working, CHANGE.
# 56: Pure hell forces action, but anything less can be endured with enough clever rationalization.
It amazes me that it takes something tragic to get a person to change their ways, but a large percentage of humans are like that. I vow not to rationalize away bad actions and make changes to better myself and my business.
# 55: Most people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.
We see this daily; people going to jobs they detest and living in areas they hate. But they do so because they are afraid of taking a chance. If you don’t try you will never know what you are capable of. Also, there is no such thing as security, even if you think there is.
# 54: Risks weren’t that scary once you took them.
Action cures fear. Do the things you fear and the fear will eventually go away.
# 53: What would happen if I did the opposite of the people around me?
Study the masses and do the opposite. Most people are broke and unhappy, so why do what they do? If you’re going to copy anyone, copy people who have what you want.
# 52: People who avoid all criticism fail.
Whenever you step out of your comfort zone to do something great, you will have critics. If you don’t have critics you aren’t doing much with your life.
# 51: Not all stress is bad.
Some doctors may debate this quote, but I have to agree with Timothy. The fact is, we will always have stress; it is how we handle that stress that makes it bad or good. Having stress lets you know you are alive.
# 50: Most people are fast to stop you before you get started but hesitate to get in the way if you’re moving.
People are quick to crush your dreams while you are thinking about your dreams, but once you pursue them, they will get the hell out of your way.
# 49: Ask for forgiveness, not permission.
People are quite apt to say no to anything. It is much better to just do it and if it upsets them, ask for their forgiveness after the fact.
# 48: Focus on being productive instead of being busy.
There are many people who are busy getting nowhere fast. We must keep our focus on the money making activities, and outsource the “busy” work.
# 47: Doing less meaningful work, so that you can focus on things of greater personal importance, is NOT laziness.
Keep the main thing the main thing and work smart. Avoid busy work at all costs. Outsource and delegate whenever possible.
# 46: Personally, I now aim for one month of overseas relocation or high-intensity learning (tango, fighting, whatever) for every two months of work projects.
What an excellent system! Now we do not have to follow that exact same method, but we should set boundaries on our work so we can also play and learn. When was the last time you just had fun for 1 week, 2 weeks, a month or even 1 day?
# 45: The NR (New Rich) aims to distribute “mini-retirements” throughout life instead of hoarding the recovery and enjoyment for the fool’s gold of retirement.
Don’t wait until your Golden years to have fun and do the things you want to do. Take several long vacations each year. Work three weeks and take a week off and go somewhere fun. If your job does not allow you to do this, create a business that does.
# 44: Alternating periods of activity and rest is necessary to survive, let alone thrive.
Ideally, you want to maintain a work-life balance. Work hard for a week or two and then take some time off. Rinse and repeat. This is a lot wiser than working 50 weeks per year to get a two week vacation.
# 43: Retirement is worst case scenario insurance. Retirement planning is like life insurance.
You don’t know how long you are going to live. Make today count. Don’t put off everything for the future. Instead, create a lifestyle where you can live your dreams now, instead of waiting another 20 or 30 years.
# 42: Don’t follow a model that doesn’t work.
The traditional work forty hours for forty years is no longer a recipe for success. It just doesn’t work anymore. You need a DIFFERENT way to earn a living than the traditional 9 to 5 if you really want to own your life.
# 41: Some people remain convinced that just a bit more money will make things right.
More money doesn’t solve your problems. It’s how you spend your money and how you earn your money that matters most. Most people who make more money end up raising their standard of living and creating additional expenses. Your goal should be to get out of debt and live below your means and have an automated income.
# 40: Once you say you are going to settle for second, that’s what happens to you in life. ˜ John F. Kennedy
Never settle for anything. You get one shot at life. Make it count.
# 39: Options are limitless, but each path begins with the same first step: replacing assumptions.
If you want to change your life, you need to change the way you think. You need to keep an open mind and look at things differently than you have in the past.
# 38: Using this as criterion, the 80-hour-per-week, $500,000-per-year investment banker is less “powerful” than the employed NR (New Rich) who works ¼ the hours for $40,000, but has complete freedom of when, where, and how to live.
It’s not how much money you make that matters. It’s how you earn that money. Sometimes, less is more.
# 37: If you can free your time and location, your money is automatically worth 3-10 times as much.
When you have an automated or online business you can live anywhere in the world. If you are from the USA, you can live in MANY other countries for 10 to 20 percent what it costs you here in America.
# 36: The New Rich have freedom from doing that which they dislike, but also the freedom and resolve to pursue their dreams without reverting to work for others.
Create an automated business so you can own your life and live life on your terms.
# 35: The New Rich think big but ensure payday comes every day: cash flow first, big payday second.
You don’t need millions in the bank to live well. What you need is residual income, a solid cash flow that comes in month after month, whether you work or not.
# 34: Have more quality and less clutter…Does your life have a purpose? Are you contributing anything useful or just shuffling papers, banging on a keyboard, and coming home to a drunken existence on weekends?
Are you living life on your terms? Are you using your God given talents and making a difference? Don’t settle.
# 33: The New Rich want to be neither the boss nor the employee, but the owner. To own the trains and have someone else ensure they run on time.
You want a business and income stream that does not need you to manage it.
# 32: Do all the things you want to do, and be all the things you want to be.
You get one shot at life. Make it count!
# 31: A New Rich directive: To prevent work for work’s sake, and to do the minimum necessary for maximum effect (minimum effective load).
Don’t just work to work. Find ways to be more productive and more efficient, so you can work less, and still have the same output and results.
# 30: Another New Rich directive: To have others work for you.
Ideally, you want to leverage yourself via others, but not need employees.
# 29: Finding a market before designing a product is smarter that the reverse.
Decide who you want to sell something to before you come up with a product or service to sell.
# 28: Most people are really confused about life.
I have to completely agree with Timothy on this statement. Most people have no idea where they are going or how they will get there; they go to their jobs, come home and watch the idiot screen and do it again the next day.
# 27: An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field. ˜ Niels Bohr (Danish Physicist and Nobel Prize Winner)
Success only comes from a series of trial and error. Usually, there are multiple errors until the success comes. So naturally, the one who makes all these errors is an expert.
# 26: Liberation is not about cheap travel; it is about forever breaking the bonds that confine you to a single location.
We are free when we can go where we want to go when we want to go there.
# 25: Goal: to free time and automate income.
Create an income stream that is automated and does not require much of your time.
# 24: The perfect job is the one that takes the least time.
Do something for a living where you can make the most amount of money in the least time possible. Working 10 hours a week and earning $1,000 per week is better than working 60-hours a week to earn $5,000.
# 23: The goal is fun and profit.
There is no reason in the world those two words cannot go together. It is actually easier to make profit if you are having fun, because consumers will see the fun and excitement within you.
# 22: Is it really necessary to work like a slave to live like a millionaire?
You don’t have to work hard to live well. What you need is passive income and you need to live somewhere affordable.
# 21: How do your decisions change if retirement isn’t an option?
Create passive income so you don’t need to retire. Create systems and businesses that provide ongoing income and don’t take much time to maintain, and you can live life on your terms now.
# 20: What is the pot of gold that justifies spending the best years of your life hoping for happiness in the last?
There are no guarantees in life. Don’t put off your dreams, waiting to do them in retirement. Do them now.
# 19: People don’t want to be millionaires – they want to experience what they believe only millions can buy.
You don’t need tons of money to live well. What you need is to be debt free, have passive income and live somewhere affordable, ideally overseas.
# 18: There is a way to get the rewards for a life of hard work without waiting until the end.
Don’t wait until your Golden years to do the things you truly want to do.
# 17: Life doesn’t have to be so damn hard. It really doesn’t.
Life can be as simple as we make it or as hard as we create it. It is all just a frame of mind.
# 16: Usually what we most fear doing is what we most need to do.
Do the things you fear and fear will eventually go away.
# 15: Inaction is the greatest risk of all.
The worst thing you can do is do nothing. Collect the facts at hand, make your best decision with the information you have and press on.
# 14: The opposite of love is indifference. And the opposite of happiness is – here’s the clincher – boredom.
Find things that you love to do to fill up your free time. Pursue hobbies, travel, make new friends and do new things.
# 13: Remember – boredom is the enemy, not some abstract “failure.”
Failures lead to learning and success, so it can actually be our friend. Boredom means we are not trying anything, so it is the true enemy.
# 12: The most important actions are never comfortable.
Do the things you know you should be doing, even when you don’t feel like it. Success begins outside of your comfort zone.
# 11: The goal is to decrease the amount of work you perform while increasing revenue.
Evaluate all of the tasks you do and focus exclusively on the 10 to 20 percent of your tasks that are responsible for most of your success or income, and then delegate or outsource everything else.
# 10: The goal is to find your inefficiencies in order to eliminate them and to find your strengths so you can multiply them.
Focus on the things you are naturally good at and outsource of delegate all other tasks to someone else.
# 9: Am I being productive or just active?
Do not confuse busy work with being productive. Everyone is busy, but very few people are truly productive. Always ask yourself this question: “Is what I am doing right now the single best use of my time?”
# 8: Compile your to-do list for tomorrow no later than this evening.
Each night, before you go to sleep, write down everything you need to get done tomorrow and then prioritize your list. Do this every night before you go to sleep.
# 7: You should have at most, two primary goals or tasks per day.
Keep the main thing the main thing and do not let busy work keep you from being productive.
# 6: Keep the customer happy.
The customer should be your # 1 priority. Customers are the ones who sign your check, not your CEO. The customer is not always right, but we must make them feel like they are. Treat your customers well, if you want them to keep doing business with you.
# 5: Find a market – define your customers – then find or develop a product for them.
Never fall in love with a product or service. Start with your customers first and then figure out what you are going to sell to them, rather than do it the normal way and create something and wonder who will buy it.
# 4: People can dislike you – and you often sell more by offending some – but they should never misunderstand you.
The fact is, we will always have some people that dislike us. But if we are straight with them and they understand our stance, they cannot claim we are a hypocrite or fake. A perfect example is Donald Trump; many people detest him, but they do not misunderstand him. He calls a spade a spade and a diamond a diamond.
# 3: Don’t ask people if they would buy – ask them to buy.
Always ask for the sale. Whenever you give a presentation, go for the close. There’s no need to use pressure or hype, but you must ASK for the sale.
# 2: Those who spend the most complain the least.
The bottom line is that your best customers will require the least amount of support and customer service, whereas your worst customers will take up lots of your time and resources and do much more bad than good to your company.
# 1: Just be glad you’re figuring this out now and not at the end of your life!
I had to make this the top quote of Timothy’s book. Many people go through life and never really “get it.” I believe his book has helped me see more clearly, and it will help you too. Now you know you have options. It’s up to you to create the life you want and deserve.
Top Takeaways from The Four Hour Work Week
There are some of the key takeaways I learned from reading The Four Hour Work Week. I am sure that I will gain even more insights when I re-read it in the years to come.
Here are the big takeaways for me:
- Work smart and leverage yourself
- Focus on activities that give you the biggest return on your time investment and outsource everything else
- Create businesses and income streams that give you leverage without having to rely on YOU, or other people
- How you earn your money is more important than how much money you make
- Not all businesses are created equal
- Automate your work and business as much as possible
- Take the time to travel and have fun
- You can live like a millionaire by living abroad
These tips can be absolutely life changing if you apply it in your own life.
Four Hour Work Week Business Examples
I have decided to list a few examples of businesses in which The Four Hour Work Week would be feasible.
You should know upfront that most of these businesses will take much more than four hours per week to LAUNCH and get working properly. But, if you build it right, there is a possibility to create a four hour work week within one to five years of hard work.
# 1: Network Marketing
When you are first starting out in network marketing, this won’t be possible. However, after several years of hard work, IF you’ve built your business right, it is possible. To make this happen, you need to build strong leadership and systems on your team, so you can replace yourself as quickly as possible.
# 2: Amazon FBA
FBA stands for fulfilled by Amazon. The business requires that you get a line of products that you send to Amazon and they will handle the shipping, sales, inventory management, and customer service. Your duty is source inventory that will sell.
# 3: eBay
eBay is a lot of work. But, if you had a game plan you could whittle it down to a four hour work week. Your number one objective would be to find a good source for your inventory. My best tip would be to find 20 to 100 different items that you could sell in multiple quantities, and at a good margin.
#4: Online Courses and Information Products
Just create the course and put it online. Whatever you are an expert in, other people want to learn and will pay to do so. One good course, eBook, training course or boot camp could pay you for many years to come.
# 5: Blogging
Blogging could be a four hour work week, but only if you outsource. If you do everything yourself it would be a full-time job. Instead, hire writers, editors, assistants and other people to do the details for you, while you act as the Project Manager.
# 6: Apartment Complex Owner
This makes perfect sense because you can hire an apartment manager and people to handle all the maintenance for you. You just collect your profits and have a meeting with your managers when needed.
# 7: Vending Machines
There are many people who buy vending machines, put them in prime locations and stock them at certain times. The profits can be substantial. And, you can actually hire a person to upkeep your machines for you.
These are just a few Four Hour Work Week business examples. As a quick disclaimer, many of these businesses could also be a full-time venture, if you wanted them to be. Your real key to success is to outsource and work smart.
What Others Are Saying About The Four Hour Work Week
I wanted to take a few moments and share what several others had to say about Tim Ferriss and The Four Hour Work Week.
The book that changed my life a few years ago. My aim was to be location independent, after a number of businesses and investments that tied me to one place. 5 years later, I am location independent and a full-time author-entrepreneur. This book helped me see it was possible.
I’ve been a huge fan of Tim Ferriss since I first read the 4-hour workweek. Since then I’ve used the principles, ideas and thought processes that book taught me to systematize, prioritize and produce more than I ever thought I could. In true Tim Ferriss fashion, this course takes that learning to the next level. Not only do you learn the mindset, you’ll get specific formulas and processes that will teach you how to cut directly to the point of anything. Whether it’s proven system for tackling a problem or the right questions to ask when you’re learning from someone who has been down the path you are embarking upon, Tim will give you tools that keep you from wasting time. I’d recommend this course for anyone looking to master a new skill, any busy executive who wants to look at ways to make processes more efficient, entrepreneurs that want to concentrate on the more fruitful parts of their ventures, or just individuals that want to declutter their thought processes and become more productive. If you’ve ever said “I wish I could be ____ ” or “I wish I could be better at ____” or “I want to be the best I can be at ____”, this is time well spent. Tim will show you how to get what you want, faster than you thought possible.
~ Daniel
With this kind of time management and focus on the important things in life, people should be able to get 15 times as much done in a normal workweek.
~ Tim Draper, founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Call me a cliché. A surprised cliché—because I really didn’t expect to join the cadre of readers whose lives were challenged and even changed by this book. I’m an efficiency nut, so I figured there might be a few good tips in here for streamlining my workflow (and there were). But what I wasn’t expecting was a call to reevaluate my life, my work, and my direction. I read it at just the right time, when I was shifting focus on projects anyway and ready for an overhaul. I filled up pages of notes reading the opening chapters and ended up with actionable daily, weekly, and yearly goals. Call me clichéd again: I highly recommend this book.
The 4-Hour Workweek is a new way of solving a very old problem: just how can we work to live and prevent our lives from being all about work? A world of infinite options awaits those who would read this book and be inspired by it!”
~ Michael E. Gerber, founder and chairman of E-Myth Worldwide
The Controversy
Like any successful person, Tim Ferriss has his share of haters and critics. If you do a search online for “Tim Ferriss scam” you will see many people writing articles saying that he is misleading people about what it takes to create residual income and be your own boss.
I disagree. He shows it is possible. Of course, not everyone who tries to create a lifestyle like this will be successful. Even if most people fail, it doesn’t mean that he is wrong.
The bottom line is that this book changed my life. I’ve been a student of Tim Ferriss for many years and I respect and believe what he has to say.
About Tim Ferriss
Timothy came into the world in 1977 (the same year as I did). He is an author, entrepreneur, angel investor and public speaker. Timothy’s first major success was Brain Quicken, which was a nutritional supplement. He sold that business to a London firm. Timothy has authored 3 books:
- The 4 Hour Workweek
- The 4 Hour Body
- The 4 Hour Chef
You should hook up with Tim Ferriss at:
About The Book
The Four Hour Work Week is 416-pages of great information on how to change your entrepreneurial instincts into overdrive. The book was published by Harmony in December of 2009. The ISBN is 978-0307465351. It has been translated into a wide variety of languages, and you can get this book in:
- Hardback
- Amazon Kindle
- Audible
- and MP3 CD
Final Thoughts
If a person is willing to open their mind while reading The 4 Hour Work Week, I truly believe their lives can change for the better. This book has changed my life. It’s been nearly six years since I first read The Four Hour Work Week. I’ve re-read it at least 10 times since then.
Yes, I still work more than four hours per week.
But…
Neither my wife nor I have jobs. We both work from home in our pajamas. We are in charge of our own life, living life on our own terms. And we live in our own little piece of paradise in sunny Florida.
I wouldn’t trade our life for anything. I am eternally grateful for the lessons I learned in The Four Hour Work Week.
What are your thoughts? Did you like my review? If you have read the book, please tell us what you gained from it. If you haven’t read the book, I highly suggest you scroll back up and order a copy; you will be glad you did. You can leave your comments and questions below. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Chuck Holmes
Network Marketing Professional (21+ years)
Top Recruiter & Top Rep
mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
Great review, Chuck. Very revealing and insightful. I must also say you inspire me so much. I also like the idea o f copying those who are good at what they are doing. You have a great fan and follower in me.
Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoy my blog. I wish you much success.
Great review Chuck!
Tim is loved and hated, but he sure is not misunderstood.
He gives some excellent tips and pointers.