The 4-Hour Workweek (by Tim Ferris)

I've been familiar with the title for a long time - probably since it was published. When the book came out, I was just fresh out of college and freshly married. We believed in hard work and the title itself sounded like a ton of BS. Though, I was always intrigued, the promise of working only 4 hours a week and the implication that you still could do well seemed outrageous. So, I spent nearly two decades killing myself in two careers that got me nowhere until the book literally fell into my lap.

What has changed?

- My environment: I eliminated the influence of certain people from my life. I cannot believe what doors this step has opened for me. It has been immensely liberating in so many ways and I started to make changes in my work-life since.

- I learned one key thing about Tim Ferris - he believes in total immersion, i.e. dedicate a month or two to learning or accomplish one big project. That really resonated with me. So, maybe his book would too?

- I'm tired of running on the hamster wheel for peanuts and morsels. I'm currently open to any new idea on how to restructure life, work etc.

Key takeaways from the 4-Hour Work Week

So many things that I innately knew as a child, are actually possible and even desirable!

Total Immersion - I didn't know the term as a child, but so often I felt short changed for time when I had to do school work during my supposed free-time at home and spend most of my days in school jumping from subject to subject without really getting into any of them. At the same time, I had interests outside of the school environment, that I never had time for. At some point I just gave up trying to follow my interests. They are still piling up for the illusive "someday".

For a few years, I've been "looking for" my WHY - my bigger purpose - somehow, I could never figure it out. Everywhere you hear things like we will only be happy if we serve a bigger purpose, to "think big", to not settle for small goals. When I looked into myself for my WHY, all I came up with was that I want to have adventures and enjoy the outdoors. It doesn't seem like much of a higher purpose or a big goal. Therefore, I would constantly deny myself. The 4-Hour Workweek finally gave me permission to strive for MY life.

Maybe I don't live the 4-hour Workweek - and maybe I never will, but being validated in these two things, these two desires from very early in my life, has been totally worth it.