My takeaways from The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, by Tim Ferriss

Published in 2007, The 4-Hour Workweek has now become a classic in the world of entrepreneurship and people seeking to escape the 9-5 grind.

Tim Ferriss was a digital nomad when that was still rare, and I think his book probably had a lot to do with helping so many people create that lifestyle for themselves in more recent years.

Reading it today, it definitely feels dated and a lot of the tips and resources are no longer relevant – for example, his tips about calling to get ads in magazines.

Still, the book’s spirit is still relevant and I absolutely did find it motivating. Sometimes I just need to get a glimpse into someone else’s worldview and their energy to help me reconsider what I think is possible and shift out of my own limitations. That’s what this book gave me.

That being said, here are my highlights and key takeaways from The 4-Hour Workweek.

Big ideas

The New Rich

There is a growing group of people Ferriss called “the New Rich” – they are playing by different rules from the traditional idea of working hard to get rich, succeed, and earn freedom after you’ve “put in the work.” No, the New Rich take another route and create their own life of success that prioritizes creating a wealth of time and mobility to design a life that they love.

DEAL

D is for Definition. E is for Elimination. A is for Automation. L is for Liberation. This book guides you through these steps to leave the 9-5 grind behind and join the New Rich where you have your own abundance of time and mobility so that you can do exactly what you want with your life!

D is for Definition

Define – Define what your fears are; what they’re holding you back from, and what it’s costing you; create a real outline of the worst that can happen, and what will more probably happen; define what you actually need to live a life of freedom

E is for Eliminate

Eliminate – 1) create systems to limit your availability (phone, email, meetings), 2) batch activities, 3) set autonomous rules and guidelines with occasional reviews

A is for Automation

Automate – 1) Get an assistant – even if you don’t need one, 2) Start small but think big, 3) Identify your top five time-consuming non-work tasks and five personal tasks you could assign for sheer fun, 4) Keep in sync: scheduling and calendars (pages 171 – 174)

L is for Liberation

Liberate – 1) increase investment, 2) prove increased output offsite, 3) prepare the quantifiable business benefit, 4) propose a revocable trial period, 5) expand remote time (pages 270 – 273)

Book notes

My Story and Why You Need This Book

The New Rich (NR) are those who abandon the deferred-life plan and create luxury lifestyles in the present using the currency of the New Rich: time and mobility. This is an art and a science we will refer to as Lifestyle Design (LD). (page 22)
The lectures I ultimately developed, titled “Drug Dealing for Fun and Profit,” began with a simple premise: Test the most basic assumptions of the work-life equation. How do your decisions change if retirement isn’t an option? What if you could use a mini-retirement to sample your deferred-life plan reward before working 40 years for it? Is it really necessary to work like a slave to live like a millionaire? (page 24)
The manifesto of the dealmaker is simple: Reality is negotiable. Outside of science and law, all rules can be bent or broken, and it doesn’t require being unethical. (page 24)

Step 1: D is for Definition

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” – Albert Einstein (page 33)
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.” – Richard P. Feynman (page 37)

Challenging the Status Quo vs. Being Stupid

Principles Ferriss wants you to keep in mind while reading this book (just the main points listed here, he elaborates more in the book – pages 47 – 53):

Retirement is worst-case scenario insurance
Interest and energy are cyclical
Less is not laziness
The timing is never right
Ask for forgiveness, not permission
Emphasize strengths, don’t fix weakenesses
Things in excess become their opposite
Money alone is not the solution
Relative income is more important than absolute income
Distress is bad, eustress is good

“Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Pro and con lists are just as bad. If it’s important to you and you want to do it “eventually,” just do it and course correct along the way. (page 49)

Q&A (I would just call these writing prompts)

How has being “realistic” or “responsible” kept you from the life you want?
How has doing what you “should” resulted in subpar experiences or regret for not having done something else?
Look at what you’re currently doing and ask yourself, “What would happen if I did the opposite of the people around me? What will I sacrifice if I continue on this track for 5, 10, or 20 years?” (page 54)

Dodging Bullets: Fear-Setting and Escaping Paralysis

Q&A (aka writing prompts – elaborated more in the book; pages 63 – 65)

Define your nightmare, the absolute worst that could happen if you did what you are considering.
What steps could you take to repair the damage or get things back on the upswing, even if temporarily?
What are the outcomes or benefits, both temporary and permanent, of more probable scenarios?
If you were fired from your job today, what would you do to get things under financial control?
What are you putting off out of fear?
What is it costing you – financially, emotionally, and physically – to postpone action?
What are you waiting for?

What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do. As I have heard said, a person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have. Resolve to do one thing every day that you fear. (page 64)

System Reset: Being Unreasonable and Unambiguous

If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think. (page 68)
Excitement is the more practical synonym for happiness, and it is precisely what you should strive to chase. It is the cure-all. When people suggest you follow your “passion” or your “bliss,” I propose that they are, in fact, referring to the same singular concept: excitement. This brings us full circle. The question you should be asking isn’t, “What do I want?” or “What are my goals?” but “What would excite me?” (page 70)

I liked Ferriss’ concept of dreamlining, explained here (prompts for dreamlining are a little further down under the subheading, “What’s the worst the could happen? Dreamlining writing prompts”).

Dreamlining is so named because it applies timelines to what most would consider dreams. It is much like goal-setting but differs in several fundamental respects:
1. The goals shift from ambiguous wants to defined steps.
2. The goals have to be unrealistic to be effective.
3. It focuses on activities that will fill the vacuum created when work is removed. Living like a millionaire requires doing interesting things and not just owning enviable things. (page 72)

‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ You won’t believe what you can accomplish by attempting the impossible. (page 75)
“The existential vacuum manifests itself mainly in a state of boredom.” —Viktor Frankl (page 76)
“Life is too short to be small.” – Benjamin Disraeli (page 76)

What’s the worst that could happen? Dreamlining writing prompts

Ferriss gives some real talk and helpful prompts to help you confront your fears about actually going for it – leaving your hamster wheel 9-5, the comforts of a steady paycheck, the security of having a boss, etc. (Found on pages 76 – 82.) Here we go:

What would you do if there were no way you could fail? If you were 10 times smarter than the rest of the world?
Drawing a blank?
- What would you do, day to day, if you had $100 million in the bank?
- What would make you most excited to wake up in the morning to another day?
- If still blocked, fill in the “doing” spots with the following:
  - one place to visit; one thing to do before you die (a memory of a lifetime); one thing to do daily; one thing to do weekly; one thing you’ve always wanted to learn
What does “being” entail doing?
- Convert each “being” into a “doing” to make it actionable. Identify an action that would characterize this state of being or a task that would mean you had achieved it. … Here are a few examples:
  - Great cook –> make Christmas dinner without help
  - Fluent in Chinese –> have a five-minute conversation with a Chinese co-worker
What are the four dreams that would change it all?
- Using the 6-month timeline, star or otherwise highlight the four most exciting and/or important dreams from all columns. Repeat the process with the 12-month timeline if desired.
Determine the cost of these dreams and calculate your Target Monthly Income (TMI) for both timelines.
- If financeable, what is the cost per month for each of the four dreams (rent, mortgage, payment plan installments, etc.)? Start thinking of income and expense in terms of monthly cash flow – dollars in and dollars out – instead of grand totals. Things often cost much, much less than expected. … For some of these costs, the Tools and Tricks at the end of Chapter 14 will help. Last, calculate your Target Monthly Income (TMI) for realizing these dreamlines. This is how to do it: First, total each of the columns A, B, and C, counting only the four selected dreams. Some of these column totals could be zero, which is fine. Next, add your total monthly expenses x 1.3 (the 1.3 represents your expenses plus a 30% buffer for safety or savings). This grand total is your TMI and the target to keep in mind for the rest of the book. I like to further divide this TMI by 30 to get my TDI – Target Daily Income. … Chances are that the figure is lower than expected, and it often decreases over time as you trade more and more “having” for once-in-a-lifetime “doing.” Mobility encourages this trend. Even if the total is intimidating, don’t fret in the least.
Determine three steps for each of the four dreams in just the 6-month timeline and take the first step now.
- The objective of this exercise isn’t, therefore, to outline every step from start to finish, but to define the end goal, the required vehicle to achieve them (TMI, TDI), and build momentum with critical first steps. From that point, it’s a matter of freeing time and generating the TMI, which the following chapters cover.
- First, let’s focus on those critical first steps. Define three steps for each dream that will get you closer to its actualization. Set actions – simple, well-defined actions – for now, tomorrow (complete before 11am) and the day after (again completed before 11am).
- Once you have three steps for each of the four goals, complete the three actions in the “now” column. Do it now. Each should be simple enough to do in five minutes or less. If not, ratchet it down.
- Tomorrow becomes never. No matter how small the task, take the first step now!

Step II: E is for Elimination

The End of Time Management: Illusions and Italians

Pareto’s Law can be summarized as follows: 80% of the outputs result from 20% of the inputs. (page 89)
1. Which 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness? 2. Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcomes and happiness? (page 89)
Parkinson’s Law dictates that a task will swell in (perceived) importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion. (page 96) << reworded this for myself: An activity will fill the amount of time available.
Limit tasks to the important to shorten work time (80/20). 2. Shorten work time to limit tasks to the important (Parkinson’s Law). (page 96)
Most inputs are useless and time is wasted in proportion to the amount that is available. (page 97)
At least three times per day at scheduled times, he had to ask himself the following question: Am I being productive or just active? Charney captured the essence of this with less-abstract wording: Am I inventing things to do to avoid the important? (page 98)
The key to having more time is doing less, and there are two paths to getting there, both of which should be used together: (1) Define a to-do list and (2) define a not-to-do list. In general terms, there are but two questions: What 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness? What 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcome and happiness? Hypothetical cases help to get us started: (page 99-104)
- 1. If you had a heart attack and had to work two hours per day, what would you do?
- 2. If you had a second heart attack and had to work two hours per week, what would you do?
- 3. If you had a gun to your head and had to stop doing 4/5 of different time-consuming activities, what would you remove?
- 4. What are the top-three activities that I use to fill time to feel as though I’ve been productive?
- 5. Who are the 20% of people who produce 80% of your enjoyment and propel you forward, and which 20% cause 80% of your depression, anger, and second-guessing?
  - Identify:
    - Positive friends versus time-consuming friends: Who is helping versus hurting you, and how do you increase your time with the former while decreasing or eliminating your time with the latter?
    - Who is causing me stress disproportionate to the time I spend with them? What will happen if I simply stop interacting with these people? Fear-setting helps here.
    - When do I feel starved for time? What commitments, thoughts, and people can I eliminate to fix this problem?
- 6. Learn to ask, “If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?”
- 7. Put a Post-it on your computer screen or set an Outlook reminder to alert you at least three times a day with the question: Are you inventing things to do to avoid the important?
- 8. Do not multitask.
- 9. Use Parkinson’s Law on a Macro and Micro Level.

The Low-Information Diet: Cultivating Selective Ignorance

“What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it.” — Herbert Simon (page 106)
“Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.” – Albert Einstein (page 106)
Most information is time-consuming, negative, irrelevant to your goals, and outside of your influence. (page 107)
“Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.” – Robert J. Sawyer, Calculating God (page 111)

Interrupting Interruption and the Art of Refusal

The first day our new Sales VP arrived at TrueSAN in 2001, he came into the all-company meeting and made an announcement in just about this many words: “I am not here to make friends. I have been hired to build a sales team and sell product, and that’s what I intend to do. Thanks.” So much for small talk. He proceeded to deliver on his promise. The office socializers disliked him for his no-nonsense approach to communication, but everyone respected his time. He wasn’t rude without reason, but he was direct and kept the people around him focused. Some didn’t consider him charismatic, but no one considered him anything less than spectacularly effective. I remember sitting down in his office for our first one-on-one meeting. Fresh off four years of rigorous academic training, I immediately jumped into explaining the prospect profiles, elaborate planning I’d developed, responses to date, and so forth and so on. I had spent at least two hours preparing to make this first impression a good one. He listened with a smile on his face for no more than two minutes and then held up a hand. I stopped. He laughed in a kind-hearted manner and said, “Tim, I don’t want the story. Just tell me what we need to do.” Over the following weeks, he trained me to recognize when I was unfocused or focused on the wrong things, which meant anything that didn’t move the top two or three clients one step closer to signing a purchase order. Our meetings were now no more than five minutes long. From this moment forward, resolve to keep those around you focused and avoid all meetings, whether in person or remote, that do not have clear objectives. It is possible to do this tactfully, but expect that some time wasters will be offended the first few times their advances are rejected. Once it is clear that remaining on task is your policy and not subject to change, they will accept it and move on with life. Hard feelings pass. Don’t suffer fools or you’ll become one. It is your job to train those around you to be effective and efficient. No one else will do it for you. (page 123)
“A schedule defends from chaos and whim.” — Annie Dillard (page 129)

Here we have Ferriss giving a broad overview of how he recommends handling the “Eliminate” step (pages 136 – 137):

Create systems to limit your availability via e-mail and phone and deflect inappropriate contact.
- Get the autoresponse and voicemail script in place now, and master the various methods of evasion. Replace the habit of “How are you?” with “How can I help you?” Get specific and remember—no stories. Focus on immediate actions. Set and practice interruption-killing policies.
- Avoid meetings whenever possible:
  - Use e-mail instead of face-to-face meetings to solve problems.
  - Beg-off going (this can be accomplished through the Puppy Dog Close).
- If meetings are unavoidable, keep the following in mind:
  - Go in with a clear set of objectives.
  - Set an end time or leave early.
Batch activities to limit setup cost and provide more time for dreamline milestones.
- What can I routinize by batching? That is, what tasks (whether laundry, groceries, mail, payments, or sales reporting, for example) can I allot to a specific time each day, week, month, quarter, or year so that I don’t squander time repeating them more often than is absolutely necessary?
Set or request autonomous rules and guidelines with occasional review of results.
- Eliminate the decision bottleneck for all things that are nonfatal if misperformed. If an employee, believe in yourself enough to ask for more independence on a trial basis. Have practical “rules” prepared and ask the boss for the sale after surprising him or her with an impromptu presentation. Remember the Puppy Dog Close—make it a one-time trial and reversible.
- For the entrepreneur or manager, give others the chance to prove themselves. The likelihood of irreversible or expensive problems is minimal and the time savings are guaranteed. Remember, profit is only profitable to the extent that you can use it. For that you need time.

Step III: A is for Automation

Outsourcing Life: Off-loading the Rest and a Taste of Geoarbitrage

“The future is here. It’s just not widely distributed yet.” — William Gibson (page 151)

Step IV: L is for Liberation

This section got me thinking of the quote: “By working faithfully 8 hours a day, you may eventually get to be the boss and work twelve hours a day.” – attributed to Robert Frost, but apparently not spoken by him? Anyway yeah lol it’s a stupid game – is this really what you want?

Removing Yourself from the Equation: When and How

“The system is the solution.” – AT&T (243)
How to do it – Ferriss outlines his suggested steps on pages 277 – 279)
- 1. If you had a heart attack, and assuming your boss were sympathetic, how could you work remotely for four weeks?
- 2. Put yourself in your boss’ shoes. Based on your work history, would you trust yourself to work outside of the office?
- 3. Practice environment-free productivity.
- 4. Quantify current productivity.
- 5. Create an opportunity to demonstrate remote work productivity before asking for it as a policy.
- 6. Practice the art of getting past “no” before proposing.
- 7. Put your employer on remote training wheels – propose Monday or Friday at home.
- 8. Extend each successful trial period until you reach full-time or your desired level of mobility.

Beyond Repair: Killing Your Job

Being able to quit things that don’t work is integral to being a winner. (page 286)
Going into a project or job without defining when worthwhile becomes wasteful is like going into a casino without a cap on what you will gamble: dangerous and foolish. “But, you don’t understand my situation. It’s complicated!” But is it really? Don’t confuse the complex with the difficult. Most situations are simple—many are just emotionally difficult to act upon. The problem and the solution are usually obvious and simple. It’s not that you don’t know what to do. Of course you do. You are just terrified that you might end up worse off than you are now. (page 286)

Mini Retirements: Embracing the Mobile Lifestyle

“Before the development of tourism, travel was conceived to be like study, and its fruits were considered to be the adornment of the mind and the formation of the judgment.” — Paul Fussell (page 296)
“Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything.” — Charles Kuralt (page 300)

Filling the Void: Adding Life After Subtracting Work

These sections toward the end of the book look at what to do with your liberation and addressing the fear and uncertainty when you find yourself free of obligations. Real shit. What’s it all about when you remove the things that you had placed the most importance on? To Ferriss (and many others), the point of it all comes down to two things: continuous learning and service toward others.
“What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.” — Viktor Frankl (344)
“Morality is simply the attitude we adopt toward people we personally dislike.” —Oscar Wilde (346)
Questions to help you identify where to focus (page 350)
- What makes you most angry about the state of the world?
- What are you most afraid of for the next generation, whether you have children or not?
- What makes you happiest in your life? How can you help others have the same?

Last but Not Least

The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen

Time without attention is worthless, so value attention over time. (page 362)

Things I’ve Loved and Learned in 2008

Adversity doesn’t build character; it reveals it. Related: Money doesn’t change you; it reveals who you are when you no longer have to be nice. (page 365)
Rehearse poverty regularly—restrict even moderate expenses for 1–2 weeks and give away 20%+ of minimally used clothing—so you can think big and take “risks” without fear (Seneca). A mindset of scarcity (which breeds jealousy and unethical behavior) is due to a disdain for those things easily obtained (Seneca). (page 366)

The Choice-Minimal Lifestyle: 6 Formulas for More Output and Less Overwhelm

Regret is past-tense decision making. Eliminate complaining to minimize regret. Condition yourself to notice complaints and stop making them with a simple program like the “21-day no-complaint experiment” made famous by Will Bowen, where you wear a single bracelet and move it from one wrist to the other each time you complain. The goal is 21 days without complaining and you reset to 0 each time you slip up. This increased awareness helps prevent useless past-tense deliberation and negative emotions that improve nothing but deplete your attention. (page 374)

The book ends with a round of stories (testimonies) from people who have taken Ferriss’ guidance to build their own independent New Rich lives. It’s a nice note to end the book on, inviting you to act now and start writing your own success story.

To wrap things up – this is a fun, fast, engaging read that gives you a lot of motivation, actionable tips, and inspiration from real people’s lives to get out there and change your life! I’d say it’s worth reading this classic.

Key Points from 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss