THE 4 HOUR WORK WEEK

BOOK CLUB: THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK BY TIMOTHY FERRISS

The 4-Hour Work Week is a self-help book by Timothy Ferris, an American writer, educational activist, and entrepreneur.

The book looks at Ferriss idea of the new rich “lifestyle design” and rejects the traditional idea of “postponing” life plan in which people work endless hours and take only a few vacations for years all in the name of saving money to relax after retirement.

The new rich aren’t always rich with money but could also be rich with time, ideas and opportunities.

Ferriss developed the ideas in the (4HWW) while working 14-hour days at his sports nutrition supplement company, BrainQUICKEN, frustrated by the overwork and lack of free time, Ferriss took a 3-week sabbatical to Europe, during that time, he continued his travels throughout Europe, Asia, and South America, Ferriss developed a streamlined system of checking email once per day and outsourcing small daily tasks to virtual assistants. His escape from a workaholic lifestyle was the genesis of the book.

Aside from Ferriss describing his own experiences in company automation and lifestyle development step by step, it also gives real-life step by step examples of how other people have worked smarter, built their businesses and automated it to gain more free time. For example the book gave real examples of travellers including himself travelling around different continents with less money than one could ever imagine sufficiently, it also shows the survival guide of a single mum going with 2 small kids around different countries in Asia and South America, we also read about how one can work smarter, negotiate a suitable work agreements in a 9-5 job that gives you the opportunity to spend more time with family, focus on your side hustle, travel more or do whatever else you desire as long as you prove it won’t affect your productivity.

One fantastic thing about this book is how it shows and states stuff one would never have thought was possible based on little to no information out there or just by just thinking it wasn’t possible. This piece is the real work-life balance book, with a twist of working less and smarter to live a life you want.

A must read.