Where would you go if you had a free ticket anywhere? The island of Bohol in the Philippines? (source: WisDoc)
Not long ago, I received the following comment — edited for length — from Ryan N.:
I hate you Tim. I had a secure future ahead of me, and I left my job, my reasonably well paying professional career all because of your book. Best thing I’ve ever done!!
I was wondering if you might be able to put up a blog post where people could post their ideas or muses as case studies. I’m sure there are a lot of people like me who would like to share their stories and listen to others living the 4HWW.
Here’s to 2010 being the year everything changes.
Indeed. Here’s to 2010 being the year everything changes.
I decided to take Ryan’s advice. Below is a post of just a few select video case studies. This is also where you can win a round-trip ticket anywhere in the world.
That would be a nice way to start 2010 with a bang, right?…
I’m sure you’ve dreamed of taking that big trip, but it’s been put off due to the million things that interrupt and overload all of our lives. The fact is this: there is never a convenient time to do the most impactful things, whether having a baby, quitting your job, or taking a dream trip overseas. It’s something you pull the trigger for despite imperfect circumstances, not because of perfect circumstances.
Let’s end the wait.
Here’s how it works – simplicity itself:
1) Upload a video to YouTube of 5 minutes or less where you describe how you’ve most successfully applied techniques or tools from The 4-Hour Workweek to your life or business. Be sure to tag your video with “4hww success” in quotation marks. Click here to see what it should look like when you are uploading your video.
2) Leave a comment on this post with a link to your video and a brief description of what worked for you (no need for more than 1-2 short paragraphs). Do all of this no later than 5pm PT this Saturday, December 26th. Early responses get bonus points.
3) I and a few secret judges will select our top favorites, and then you all will vote for the winner.
4) I will then provide a roundtrip ticket anywhere in the world that the 25+ airlines in the Star Alliance fly.
In the meantime, find below some fun examples to get your juices flowing. Included are:
– Electra, a mother who uses batching to run her business while making time for the kids
– Michael, a father of two who’s lived in Argentina and explored both international and home schooling while earning full-time income.
– Harris, a father who can take his kids to the zoo on a Wednesday or take the entire family to Barcelona for a month.
– Jed and Chelsea, who quit their previous jobs, moved to another city, and are reinventing themselves one step at a time.
Last but not least, we have Aaron Carotta, who was diagnosed with cancer but still achieved the four-hour workweek in 60 days and documented it all on video. Here is the cliff notes version, in his words:
-Diagnosed with cancer
-Lost wages
-Accumulated medical bills
-Received the book as a gift
-Documented his interpretation of the book
-Achieved goals to free up his lifestyle
-Successfully opened and sold a business in another country
-Generated automated money
-Now successfully runs a company that allows his to travel for a living, The Seven Wonders Tour [with sponsors, Vibrams!].
-Continues to live healthy, travel the world, and be happy
I’ve included a 3-part video diary compilation of Aaron’s experience at the end of this post after the other case studies. Total viewing time is just around 20 minutes.
Enjoy these wonderful examples and don’t forget — your own video submission and comment on this post must be up no later than 5pm PT this Saturday!
Question of the day: where would you travel if you had a free round-trip anywhere in the world?
###
If you’ve ever fantasized about taking time off to globe-trot, I would highly recommend Rolf Pott’s Vagabonding. It is one of only two books I took with me when I traveled the world for 18 months. Outside Magazine founding editor Tim Cahill calls Vagabonding “the most sensible book of travel related advice ever written.”
I recently partnered with Rolf to release the exclusive audiobook for Vagabonding. For more on this incredible book, click here.
Get the brand-new Expanded and Updated 4-Hour Workweek, published 12/15, which includes more than 50 new case studies (including families) of luxury lifestyle design, muse creation, and world travel. Make 2010 the year when you make the leap.
Recommended and Related:
Tim Ferriss on Twitter – what adventures and mischief am I up to this instant?
Tim Ferriss on Huffington Post – marketing case studies, travel how-to, and more
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That’s how we’re gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Hi,
I just realized that I had connected the incorrect link to the wrong place on my earlier post.
Here is the link to my video.
Nancy
Hello,
Here is a link to my video. I did not include it in the right place when I submitted my comment.
Nancy Metzler
Sorry,
I do not seem able to add a comment.
Here is the correct link to my video, submitted for the contest–whose
end time was 5pm.
Nancy
Metzler
Hi Tim,
Just wondering if you have any examples of people in their early twenties who applied the 4hww principles to their lives? Just looking for inspiration from people of my same age …. So far, I have successfully taken step one. I got over my “post-college-graduation boo hoos,” quit a job I hated, ended an unhealthy relationship, dumped a failed business idea, and moved to Buenos Aires (which was a long-time dream). Now it’s time to get down to business, literally. Thanks!
Megan
** Pardon duplicate comment if it goes through … my connection has too much lag and I don’t know if it went through the first time..
Tim,
Here is my video submission about working on a PhD while managing a social networking business using the 4HWW techniques.
A PhD and a Latin Party
Thanks to your book I have been able to double my profits, travel the world, pursue personal projects, and spend time with people I love.
Ciao!
Giovanni
(http://latinosamorir.com — my muse)
I guess I’ll try to post this again since this time I got a message about my comment awaiting moderation – something I didnt receive the first 2 times I tried.
Tim – thanks for the opportunity to share my success story. I want to be an example of possibility to others.
The first part of my video focuses on your techniques I used to start and grow my first muse including:
– product selection
– becoming and expert
– automation
The second part of my video describes the techniques I applied to my life to get the ball rolling. These are invaluable to me because the set the stage to become part of the New Rich.
– Dreamlining
– Speed Reading
– Elimination
– Surrounded with like minded people
Heres a link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXLFzEopSuE
Again – as you can see from the timestamp – I was close to the cut off….but I definitely made it. I’m still puzzled as to why my original post and second attempt never appeared in the comments.
Well – here’s my 4th attempt…
Here’s the link
Tim, thanks for this opportunity. 14 months ago I was destined to retire from my job in 30+ years. Because of your book, I’ve been saved from that path. Here’s the techiques I applied to get my first muse started. I also talk about my favorite techniques that I credit for getting me where I’m at today. These include dreamlining, speed reading, elimination, and surrounding myself with like-minded people.
BTW – if you’re the moderator – there’s no need to post all half doze of my postings. The first one I wrote around 7:45pm EST is fine. However, I’m reposting again to make sure this gets on the comments section. I’m still puzzled as to why none of my remarks are making it online. PLEASE HELP!
Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, we’ll delete your stuff.
Dear, Can you give an example to let know what is rude critical and what is not rude critical?
regards,
author wanglili
It’s hard to define, like pornography, but when you see “rude”, you know it. Attacking others or using abusive language is rude. Criticizing politely or with tact is not. The intention behind it all counts a lot.
Best,
Tim
Hey Tim,
Just wanted to give you some feedback from China. I’m here doing a little “mini-retirement” getting to know the language and culture.
Only problem is your videos used to work but recently they don’t? Don’t know if you switched players or whatever site you put videos on was recently “unapproved” by the Great Firewall of China.
Also, you know that us folk in China can’t use Youtube as that has been blocked for months and months. Can we still take part in your contest/case study? After all, 2 years ago I was piled deep in debt, owned a house, had a crappy job and now I am living in China. I’d like to share what I went through (still own the house by the way, but everything else is over with thank god)!
Hi Becky,
Sorry to get this so late, as I was with family and offline, but try using http://www.hotspotshield.com to watch my videos (and get the rest online) from China.
I’d love to hear your story!
All the best,
Tim
Tim, I know I’m past the deadline, I just returned home from a Christmas sailing trip in Krabi, Thailand! But I spent a few hours to put this together and show my success story since I read your book in 2007, and really wanted to share it with you, so hope you give it a watch. I owe almost all of my success to the 4HWW!
I’ve leveraged geoarbitrage and been able to put a lot of freed-up time into volunteering, fundraising, writing, traveling, and developing great relationships with my friends. You can see a quick post on everything I’ve been able to do in 1 year living abroad since applying the principles of lifestyle design.
Really enjoyed your recent call with Eben, your 2-hour Q&A, and looking forward to when I can get back to the States later this year and grab a copy of the updated book! Thank you so much Tim!
Okay weird, that didn’t post the first time, and no “your post is awaiting moderation” message. I’ll try again, sorry:
Tim, I know I’m past the deadline, I just returned home from a Christmas sailing trip in Krabi, Thailand! But I spent a few hours to put this together and show my success story since I read your book in 2007, and really wanted to share it with you, so hope you give it a watch. I owe almost all of my success to the 4HWW!
I’ve leveraged geoarbitrage and been able to put a lot of freed-up time into volunteering, fundraising, writing, traveling, and developing great relationships with my friends. You can see a quick post on everything I’ve been able to do in 1 year living abroad since applying the principles of lifestyle design.
Really enjoyed your recent call with Eben, your 2-hour Q&A, and looking forward to when I can get back to the States later this year and grab a copy of the updated book! Thank you so much Tim! Happy holidays buddy!
I was re:reading book last night and i just got an idea which sounded to be cool in my head, about getting some mini social network ( like NING ) in which all NewRich could connect and maybe cross-over life style.
New Rich is matter of mind set, so one group or SN in which we all could connect could be more that cool and i would gladly be part of it.
Imagine that more than few of NR, living in same city/area but they could not connect.
Thanks Tim for being rebellion as hopefully we all are.
Just read the new book. Two months to Thailand using the steps. Thanks Tim.
Hi Tim,
Discovered and followed your blog since August of this year. I wanted to have productive use of my FREE time as I could finish my 9-5 job in 3hours. Wanted to quit my job but it seems where I come from, VA way is the “remote” way. Decided to buy your book on Dec 1st (couldn’t wait for the new one as time is of the essence) to see what’s the fuss all about.
Finally! I got validated for my “4HWW personality”. I just needed the structure– which I also got there. The heavens parted and the angels sang– I had the “muse” all along too! My dad, a former 2nd mate ship officer, now writes (technical!) maritime books. It’s a family business. All I have to do is to make it go on autopilot.
And to make things more interesting, I’m from the Philippines. My website programmer/collaborator is a great friend who comes from a top university and it’s easy for me to hire topnotch VA’s as I came from the call center industry.
So what can I say but a BIG THANK YOU for the inspiration. I look forward to the coming year as I have a challenging-exciting work on my plate.
For your question: I’ll go to Europe to see what’s the fuss all about 😀
Tim,
Here is my video submission about working on a PhD while managing a social networking business using the 4HWW techniques.
A PhD and a Latin Party
Thanks to your book I have been able to double my profits, travel the world, pursue personal projects, and spend time with people I love.
Ciao!
Giovanni
Hey Tim,
I’ve tried to post this several times but my comment doesn’t seem to be approved. I submitted the video on time on Saturday so I hope you get a chance to see it. Live from India, I talk about how a 22 year old American student has managed to live abroad and work 3h59m per week, earning purely passive income and starting awesome companies/doing pushups all over the world.
Thanks,
-Maneesh Sethi
I was at the webinar last night where were you. I was looking forward to your webinar and I got there at 9pm and stayed to 10Pm with no show.
So I was wondering what was up?
Let me know when your next webinar is, Hopefully you will be there.
take care,
Ray
Hi Ray,
I’m sorry to hear that. 1200+ people were there at 9pm ET (6pm PST). Please see my other comment on this post for the recording!
All the best,
Tim
Hi Tim. When is the launch of your new book on portuguese-brazilian version?
Do you plan to come to Brazil to promote your book? If not, It’s ok. At least you should know our beaches, if you did not already. 🙂
Hi Gustavo,
The older edition is in Brazilian-Portuguese, but I do know and love Brazil’s beaches. Lovely 🙂
Um abraco,
Tim
Tim, same same me. I’ve tried posting 2x (sent you a tweet too) so i hope you see my short vid. I know it’s too late for the contest, but i spent a couple hours on this and tried to get it us asap after returning from xmas vacation. Thanks so much for everything you’ve done Tim.
Tim,
When will the judging be done and the voting start?
– Nathan Jurewicz
Heya Tim!
I made this before the contest so its more of a book review than covering my personal story – but people will like it anyway!
A Better Life – Review- Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
-Bruce Fenton
It seems like most of these videos were picked for their “feel good” qualities rather than their measure of 4HWW success.
Let’s see some real data.
What percentage of people who have attempted a muse have made a profit of 30k or more?
The 4HWW isn’t all about the muse. There are many approaches to different ends, and each video presents a successful implementation for different circumstances. If you don’t want to use what I or others suggest, there is no reason to use them. Just suggestions, not obligations.
Tim
Thanks for the fast reply.
Tim, Is it possible to share the “Tim Ferriss & Eben Pagan Teleclass Interview with Eben Pagan”, since most of the people – inside or outside USA – couldn’t make the call?
@Amy:
The muse isn’t necessarily about reaching a certain annual income that is socially acceptable. It’s about escaping the societal prison of 9 to 5 bull sh*t. I was making about 60k a year in the Marine Corps and I was absolutely miserable. Now I’m making a third of that from my muse and I’m happier than I’ve ever been before. That doesn’t mean that I don’t intend on making more than 20k a year but right now I’m living the dream on what most would consider a “low class” income.
That’s REAL data. Feeling good IS real data. Then again I’ve learned that there’s a lot more to life than making a ton of money.
Cheers,
Farrell Hudgins
That’s weird, I thought my entry showed up in the comments days ago. Crap!
Well, here’s the link to my video anyway: http://su.pr/A0mhuu
Great post, love the videos. Nice to connect with others doing what I’ve been doing for the past 10 years.
Chris..
wow great competition. enjoyed the videos and its good to see what people have gleaned from tim.
@Amy.
my muse has made significantly more than $30K. We made over $10K this month. However, there are many more measures of a successful life than $$ alone. I’m for keeping the big picture in mind.
I’d rather have 10 automated streams making 10K/year than one making 100K. Many of my “muses” dovetail with each other, so, for example, a trip to Ukraine for book research also yields stock footage for sale and a new VA channel…Or a trip to Afghanistan makes good TV that expands my platform and helps sell books…
The principles of diversification and leverage learned by investors work just as well when the investment is your life.
Love the inspiration, thank you.
It was from Wayne Dyer that I first heard, “The more you advance toward God, the less he will give you worldly duties to perform.”
I’ve definitely found that to be true.
Tim,
I need to say thanks to you Tim.
In 4HWW you have put into words what I have been feeling for the past, oh, 10 years now. – That there is more out there than just the work-weekend-work, then retire routine. I’ve felt kinda like Neo. That there is a splinter in my mind and that something is just not right…
I’ve known it instinctively but haven’t known how or where to start. Funny thing is, I don’t’ lack ideas. I have too many of them! Each one seems better than the previous. So I loose focus and go nowhere.
Now, with 4HWW as my guidebook, I can test before I get too far along to see what worth pursuing. Find the market, then the product, right? Of course my ego says every idea is good so I’m in for a reality check. But that’s cool. My main focus needs to be progress-progress-progress. Moving forward to see what happens and adjust.
I do have a question for you though.
My tech skills and savee are frozen in time, circa 1998 (ie I can breeze through Office, email, and the web but just found out what the hell Digg was 2 days ago…) Web 2.0 has passed me by.
So when you’ve stopped laughing, I’d like to know what your 5 must read/understand blogs, sites, or technologies are. I know enough to realize that these will be essential to outsourcing the B.S., automating my income, and living the NR lifestyle.
Keep up the good work.
Great idea!
I’m actually writing this while sitting on the veranda at my wife’s family home near Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines. I love the culture around family and friends getting together to eat and laugh. Americans can learn a lot from Filipinos, let me tell you!
In fact, my 4-hour work week journey started several years ago when I first visited the Philippines. My travels to Manila, Dumaguete, Cebu, Bohol, Bacolod, IloIlo, and Roxas City (in approximately that order) helped me see the value of delegation – jobs and income for people that desperately need jobs and income. At some level, it struck me that it is simply wrong to withhold the opportunity to work from someone that has the skills and ability to help me.
So began a new mission for me to help businesses to hire sooner and grow faster with exceptional global talent. As well, for me the vision is one of fighting global poverty.
Back to this issue of travel though – when in Bohol make sure to take a boat out to watch the dolphins. They may tell you that you’ll leave at 6AM and return by 10AM – but this is where I learned that Filipino time is a tad slower than US time. We departed an hour late, and arrived just 3 hours late. The driver we had arranged to meet us at 10 arrived at noon, and didn’t seem to be at all concerned that we showed up at 1. We found him at the restaurant, catching a late breakfast of tapsilog.
Later this week, we’re headed over to Boracay for a few days. I’ve never been there before, but I understand the beaches are some of the best in the world – better than Bohol.
Well, enough said. Time to have some mango and palutan for my afternoon merienda.
Happy travels!
Greg Lins
Tim – impressive turn out for the video contest. Any thoughts on doing a “geek to freak” type contest when the new book comes out? – applying concepts from the book and documenting the results for all to see. It might be a great way to promote the new release. + I need some serious motivation to get back to the gym.
Jay
Yo Tim!
Awesome post…….absolutely Awesome,,
I have a good friend of mine that is going to Tokyo Japan with his wife–leaving in 2 weeks. I noticed you mentioned several tips in one of your posts with Kevin(on the roof top sipping drinks) about your trips to Japan–anyway I was wondering if you could spend 30sec. and paraphrase some more tips/info for my friend.
Thanks in advance,
Jeff
4 Hour Work Week has literally inspired me to quit college, stop focusing on working for “the man” and start working for myself. I’ve got a great internet marketing setup going and I will be making $100k/yearly in no time
Hi,
I live in Brisbane Australia.
I have just produced a tuitional stretching DVD on how to achieve a full front & side split in the shortest possible time (at 49 years old & 6′ 5″ & 230 pounds I know I have something to offer) what I need help in is how to market and sell them. Any comments and or feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Yours sincerely Jerry Hatter
Tim, thanks for your inspiration. I read the book in the fall of 2007. It took me about a year to find my muse and I have been implementing it for the last year. I have been able to utilize some of the concepts: low information diet, outsource, batch, guarantee recurring income, and dreamlining (took my mom the artist to Italy in 2008 and my dad the pastor to Israel in 2009), I am still working on “global and unristricted”. I am looking forward to developing the Ideal Lifestyle.
Hi Tim!
Happy new year!
Though I missed out on the contest, I thought I’d share my success story with you anyways…
In a nutshell your book has freed me from work. That’s right: I don’t have to work. Often, when I tell that to people they look confused. Then I tell them I have a ‘web business’ and they look even more confused.
After reading your book, I realized I could take my existing business and structure it so that I didn’t have to work at all. I hired a freelancer to do most of the content generation for my websites, wrote some software to automate some of the other processes, and sat back, and watched the money pour in.
So, do I actually work? Sure, I do spend maybe four hours a week working. That’s right: Four Hours! (Just like your book’s title!)
What kind of work is that? Well, the accounting takes about a half hour a week. I also manage the advertisements that bring visitors to my websites. That’s another hour a week. Managing the freelancer is about a half hour a week. Maybe another hour on generating ideas, brainstorming, planning. And another hour on doing some of the critical marketing/copywriting tasks that I just haven’t figured out how to outsource yet.
Sometimes I do work more, when I get an exciting idea that I want to implement.
What do I do with the rest of my time?
Well, I write poetry, four or five hours a day. I read several books a week. I go on long vacations. I spend time with friends. This year I moved to NYC, didn’t even work for a solid month. Next year I’m planning a several month trip to Europe.
I LOVE LIFE.
Your book made me realize that I can structure my life however I want. I can design my life…I can build a lifestyle perfectly suited to me…
And I have done exactly that.
Thank you Tim!
Congratulations, Jacob! I just put words on a page, but you made it happen.
Happy new year, all!
Tim
You should ask Kevin to use the code from digg to start a website for napkin ideas… where people can rate great ideas that pop into my head but i have no intention of ever doing.
Hi Tim,
I’m a long time reader but this is my first contribution.
After reading your book, my wife and I decided around 12 months ago to have an overseas adventure – I prefer adventure to maxi-retirement. As we have two kids (9yrs and 3yrs), this involved a fair bit more organisation than just for a single or couple. More than any one tool or technique, your book gave us the encouragement (as Jed put it) to believe in our dreams when most of society is a lot more constrained.
After a lot of online investigation and consideration of destinations around the globe, we decided to go to Costa Rica. While it’s clear to us now that this may not seem like a particularly adventurous destination for Americans, it’s a place that very few Aussies know anything about, or even which continent it is located. Having kids obviously impacts the criteria, however as per Michael we’ve viewed this adventure as something that will benefit them rather than use them as an excuse.
I’m a 34yr old oil and gas project engineer. In 2010 I’ll take a break from my conventional career to investigate a number of on- and off-line business opportunities. We have enough savings to last 6 to 24months, depending on our decadence or frugality – so the length and details of our adventure is yet to be determined.
Overall, our 2010 goals are:
1. To have an adventure, both for ourselves and our kids, and
2. To get closer to our long term massive contribution goals.
So far all we’ve done is made our plans and purged our possessions. We’ve now been homeless for 3 weeks and leave Australia (for 1 year? 10 years?) on 17th Jan. That’s when our adventure will really begin.
The main thing that the 4HWW book has done has enabled us to focus relentlessly on our dreams, rather than be constrained by what the mainstream believes is possible. I’ve also very much benefited from the information diet principle, which has prevented my work from encroaching on other important areas of life.
Please excuse my rather un-smooth delivery; however I’m hoping the kids’ contributions make up for it. New Years Eve family obligations have limited my polish time, but hopefully you get the gist.
Tim, thanks so much for the personal comment on my video. Apologies for the double-posting (there must be a moderation queue?), but I’m thankful you got the chance to watch. I’ve been a big fan since ’07 and really appreciate all the stuff you put out there for your readers to help us learn & grow!
You GOTTA come back out here to Thailand, life is incredible! Will be meeting lots of cool people in the next couple weeks: my little sister’s here, lifestyle bloggers Dan Haneveer, Sean Ogle, and Adam Baker, then David Walsh from MuseLife (in the comments above).
Cheers Tim! Good luck all in the contest.
[…] video case studies that I asked for in the last post really caught me […]
Hi Tim,
I found this comment about your book online and wondered what your response to this person would be:
“1. If you are as smart and well-prepared as Mr. Ferris, there is money to be made using his strategy. But the same could be said for the stock market, real estate, or various other methods by which many people lose their shirts.
2. If everyone outsources their work, who is left to do the work? If all the farmers, doctors, and garbage collectors followed the advice in this book, eventually, we would all be starving, sick, and sitting in our own waste. The jet-set lifestyle enjoyed by the author only works because others are actually willing to work. Until robots can run the world, the ethical implication is that it is OK for some people to work, just not Mr. Ferriss or his readers.
Finally, throughout the book Mr. Ferris keeps referring to the New Rich. Despite all his attempts at creating a new paradigm, it appears that the only difference between the New Rich and the Old Rich is that the old rich are capitalists that actually produce things that society needs, such as railroads and software, while the new rich sell things like unregulated nutritional supplements. ”
Thanks and happy new year!
Hi Neeva,
My responses would be:
1. Watch the 15 video case studies on the latest “Cold Remedy” blog post, or read the comments and case studies on this post. The idea that you need to be like me to use the principles is unfounded and ridiculous.
2. This won’t happen. That’s like arguing we shouldn’t have books on entrepreneurship. What would happen if everyone started their own company and no one worked for other people? It doesn’t really matter, as it will never happen. I am also willing to work on the few important, right things. This is the point the commenter misses. He or she has obviously not read the book and is pulling from the usual low-hanging fruit counters to arguments that I don’t make.
3. The new rich value time more than income and have different values. They don’t produce value? Again, look at the many case studies. There are also reasons like Microsoft and Google have me work with their execs.
I could spend all day, every day responding to critics. The nutshell: 99% of them haven’t read the book and are happy to criticize because it absolves them of doing anything proactive. “No one can do what Tim Ferriss does” is a great excuse to never fix things I demonstrate can be fixed.
Hope that helps — happy new year 🙂
Tim
I stumbled upon the original 4HWW in the fall (book on CD at the library) and just got my own copy of the new and improved version. Upon listening to the first one, I immediately put myself on an information diet and read email only twice a day. I’ve also nixed most of my facebook activity. What a huge time-saver! Plus, I’ve cut out most in-person meetings with clients saving me a huge amount of time. Just those tips alone have netted me several hours a day of free time. I hired a housekeeper; a gardener is next. Now I’m working on creating my muse. By the time my youngest son goes off to college next August I plan to be free to travel and experience life like never before!
I have also become really selective as to e-newsletters and following blogs (part of my email diet was unsubscribing to at least 2 dozen ezines). Had to chuckle when i saw the option to sign up for email at the top of this blog!
These videos are really awesome and I am excited and looking forward to it! Thanks Tim for everything!
————————————
Moury Roberts
Wow Tim! Where did you hear about the island of Bohol in the Philippines? I actually quit everything in San Diego, CA and moved to the Philippines after reading your book.
I didn’t hear about this video contest soon enough. The deadline has passed. Would love to turn in a video of how I’ve applied your book. Will you be having another one? Or can I just turn in a video?
HI Vince,
Thanks so much for the comment. Ah, I’ve still never been to the Philippines! Please post a link to your video here in the comments, preferably on the post where I have the new 15 case studies. I’d love to see it, and I’ll showcase it in another post I’ll put up.
Happy new year 🙂
Tim
i vote for gary .
Hi,
Thanks for your inspirational videos ! Here in Barcelona we have applied your book. Now I am working 32 hours a week in the way to be a freelance, and my husband is already having miniretirements with about 60 days of holiday every year. Outsourcing some of the housecare stuff has been key too.
Thanks to your ideas I have started to write a book and updating every week a personal blog.
Hope you will me inspiring more women in the future.
I vote for Chuck!
Judith
Hi Tim,
It took me almost 2 yrs. to have the courage to buy the book, but it’s never too late right? 😉 Im one of your thousands followers.. and i really want to thank you,for being an inspiration.. 😉
P.S.
Hope you can visit Philippines soon!
I’m going to Bohol tonight!!! Haha!
Jx
Hi Adnan-
I’m a physician who applied the 4HWW principles to my practice BEFORE the book came out in 2006. 70 hour work weeks (on a good week), being strapped for cash flow, 3,000 minutes on the phone, & struggling to stay afloat to 25-28 hour work weeks, double the income, 5 times the cash flow, no marketing, and a thriving practice in less than 2 months. I suddenly had a social life for the 1st time since undergrad, started singing, dancing and learning a new language, and took 7-10 day trips for study and perform every 3 months. Send me a mail if you want to know what I did…I sold the practice in 08, and I am testing my 2nd muse in India while studying Carnatic music and Indian dance.
Namaste,
Tara
Tim, I was so excited to see you are visiting Sunny SOUTH AFRICA!! I was upset when you said it was not a recommended destination, but you will see for yourself for the truth.
I recon you will love the people out here, and the thirst for business, success and “Ubuntu” as we call it here. I have only just finished your book (on audio) and can not contain myself with the excitement you have created.
We have a small tour operating business in Durban and would love the opportunity to meet you. Perhaps we could give you a few pointers if you get to Kwa Zulu Natal on what to see and do? The invitation is there, use it, lose it, but please let the world know about our special country?
Regards, and thanks for your book it is a life-saver!!
John’o
Maneesh Sethi has my vote.
Hi Tim,
I just started reading your book, the expanded and updated version which I borrowed from the library and I am so impressed that I think I am going to buy my own copy this week. I am from the southern part of the Philippines but I am now living in Florida and I want to thank you for mentioning one of the islands in my country! In fact what is very interesting is that my husband and I are planning to retire in Bohol!! I have visited Bohol during one of the Singles for Christ Convention ( before I met my husband:) ) that was held in one of the beautiful beaches of Bohol!! It is a beautiful island and the people are so nice and hospitable. I miss my country and I am glad that you featured it here! Thank you so much! Have you been to my country? I totally agree with the principles of your book since I am at a point in my life where I am exhausted with the 9 to 5 grind. I am a teacher by profession and has been teaching since I graduated from College in 1975! I just started teaching on line which I find very liberating and not have to worry what to wear or how you look at work . You also avoid stress with traffic and you can set your own time. I am working part time only so the pay is less but I don’t want to work full time any more. My concern now is to use what you mentioned in your book so we can make our dream of retiring in Bohol come true. Thank you very much again!!
Just a note…Something I noticed….
Tim Ferriss’s picture on his twitter has an uncanny resemblance to the other genius zefrank even on twitter.
Related?
Tim, I think I found your twin ; P
I am excited and looking forward to it! Thanks Tim for everything!
Wow–the fourhourworkweek–what can I say?
This book played a huge role in my life. I was doing good when I first read it, but working too much. Soon after, I had a run of bad luck and lost everything. Was just about to close a deal on my first property and make $100K on purchase (based on appraisal). This from a kid whose father overdosed on heroin and whose mother raised 3 boys on her own by bartending and cleaning houses.
I moved away to Santa Cruz and tried to set up a business for 9 months but couldn’t get the proper permits. Finally, I gave up and moved back home to start it there. Plan was to be seasonal and travle the rest of the year. I was buying it from my girlfriend at the time’s parents. took it to the next level and recieved entrance into the biggest reggae concert in America. But a misinterpration of the market and the start of a dwindling economy left little profit by year’s end, and I threw in the towel. RElationsihp was over at this point.
So, I rekindled an old landscaping biz I ran before while going to college and returned to university. Got into an owner-will-carry on a house and went back to school at 28. I’ve never planned on working for someone else, so finishing university has never been an issue–just love to learn, and now I was studying international business. I wanted to take my entreneurial spirit to the next level.
I got straight A’s that first semester and then headed off to int. business and intercultural communication program in Europe for a month. Spent another month traveling and went hang-gliding in the alps. Came home with a severe case of wanderlust.
At this point, things got really wierd. I came home to find out that members of America’s most dangerous criminal organization (by many expert accounts) had a bounty on my head. Case of mistaken identity, but they thought I stole from them and wanted to kill me. Didn’t know these kind of people–didn’t WANT to know these kind of people! They caught up with me in a bar, and I had no clue what was going on. I fought back hard when 3 attacked me and split open the leader’s eyebrow pretty bad–broke a poolstick one someone’s face.
After that, laid in a hotel room fro 4 days with a loaded pistol–I didn’t think the cops could help me with these guys. Recieved multipled death threats on my cell, and I finally called the guy to sort it out, and I think he realized he had the wrong guy. But his friends were mad about the bar–guess I wasn’t supposed to fight back–and they demanded 30K or I was dead. I don’t have that kind of money and wouldn’t give it either way for something I didn’t do.
Weren’t you run out of Thailand by the Triads, Tim? Not sure of the whole story, but maybe you can relate…
I was buying another house at the time–owner will carry but not as lucrative as the last. Was supposed to start my new semester in a week. Instead, I had my brother drive me 6 hours away and drop me int eh city with my backpack. Threw it over my shoulder and set off to go fulfill my dream of traveling.
I haven’t looked back. Been in southeast asia for a year and a half, and what a time it has been. Lived on tropical islands. Learned a new language. Went from never diving at all to logging 30 plunges and enrolling in a divemaster internship. Bungee jumping. Drove a longtail boat and a tuk-tuk. Survived two collisions with vehicles on my motorbike. Finished my first novel–a lot of firsts, really.
It hasn’t been easy–I didn’t have the support system for this. I got so stressed about money I started losing hair. Nowhere to fly. No money to go. But I learned how to start an outsourcing biz over my computer and now make a decent living online. I’m glued to my computer at the moment, but I’ve got freedom of location at least.
Next step is freedom of time. I can get there.
I just want you to know one of the three books I packed when I left wiht my little backpack was yours. Vagabonding, How to Be Invisible, and The Fourhour Workweek.
Out of all the things you’ve done, I imagine having inspired so many people is the most rewarding. And you truly are an inspiration. Your book was simple but necessary. Couldn’t have come at a better time–for me or the world.
One of my outsourcing clients says he met you in a subway in New York. i thougth I saw you in Koh Samui about a year and a half ago–right when I got here. After about 15 minutes I decided it wasn’t you.
Still, it was a momentous day for me. I’d just arrived and was driving my motorcycle down the road with friends from 5 different countries when the rain hit. A hard rain. We stopped and stood under the veranda of a resort, looking out over the most beautiful storm I’d ever seen dumping into a blue-green cove. I stripped off my shirt and dove in the water, and my friends followed. I stood in the sand half a football-field’s length from shore and looked up as the rain spilled into my face. The beginning of a new life.
The man who started trouble for me is dead. He was killed in his home and the other men who attacked me were sent to prison for killing a Hell’s Angel in front of popular bar. I’m not angry with them; I pity them. It was the best thing that ever happend to me, and they set me free. Gave me life. In the end, they were suffocated by their own chains.
My next Big Goals:
PASSIVE INCOME!!!!
Trekking in Nepal
Rock-climbing
Cave-diving and Ship-diving
Wingsuit Training in Spain
Hitch a yacht to Argentina
Motorcylce across China
finish my memoir
Build a home in the tropics
Learn to fly an airplane
Hope to bump into you somwhere someday and buy you a belgian ale or your choice of wine, Tim. Because of you, I had that much less fear through this all (though I was still scared as hell lol). I hope to see a lot more from you in the future, and I’m sure I will.
Cheers, and best of luck
Thank you so much for the comment and incredible story, James! Life is an adventure, to be sure. Be safe, work smart, and I’ll take you up on that Belgian ale when we bump into each other.
Best,
Tim
Michael Davis story is really touching he actually brought the family back to its roots, without the system. This has more reach than I thought.
Hi Tim, After reading your book I decided to start an internet business that is a subscription based website that provides a lead generation system to real estate investors. I am a 23 year old real estate entrepreneur and When I started I was working 16 hour days and not getting anywhere. Using D.E.A.L. I started the business with my twin brother who is a php programmer and we were up and making a profit by week 1! I was able to purchase a sailboat and live on it for 8 months and had the time of my life! It was amazing! I really love your book and am reading the new version right now. I think you are a really cool dude, and hey if you are ever in the so cal ever give me a shout, i’ll buy you a beer! I am launching a new triathlon website in the next few months because I love triathlon. Thanks again man!
Congratulations, Brandon! That is a fantastic story. May many more adventures await you, and thanks for the offer 🙂
Pura vida,
Tim
Good stuff Tim. Nice to see that you are really changing lives.
Just picked up the book…looking forward to reading it!
I viewed your lecture at TED. Well Done! You say you want to know about the education system and I know very little but the little that I do know could help you.
I have spent years learning what went wrong in my youth and have discovered that I was poisoned most of my life. That’s correct, poisoned. Not on purpose but systemically. If you look closely, you will find that most, if not all, youth are involved with mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium. All of these metals are systemic exposures and accepted by almost everybody, without question.
If you look on my homepage there is a story about mercury in (Massachusetts – Azogue) Lawrence, Massachusetts that will astound you . . . but it is true and accurate. It gets worse and all of this shows up in the classroom as behavior problems, depleted attention spans, and worse. Even the teachers are effected to a large degree.
I would love to go further into the subject with you but I get tired of repeating myself, as I have said the same thing for years with little success to show for it.
I hope that you will have more success then I have had.
The following are some of the sites that I use to convey my message:
PodCast: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/18621
YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/qujgmj
Book Preview: http://tinyurl.com/2bjpaa
Book Club: http://tinyurl.com/c77v3n
FaceBook: http://tinyurl.com/ozmlpz
Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36407305@N00/
Blog: http://illnessdefined.blogspot.com/
What do you have to say about this MR Ferriss, ” …the author must think that managers, and possibly other employees, are a bunch of idiots. I have to say that the 80/20 rule and the Parkinson’s rule are a necessity in today’s job market rather than some kind of differentiator that will help you cut the work time. Companies already expect employees to apply these principles in order to keep the jobs. While it is possible that a few employees may be in position of great leverage to negotiate working from home, this “negotiation” will mean losing the job for most”
I can’t wait to become one of your case studies Tim.
I’m working on it as we speak 🙂
@Logan Parker It’s hard to find successful business with efficiency ! But i try too !
I have to express thanks to you just for rescuing me from such a dilemma. Right after searching through the world-wide-web and obtaining concepts which were not beneficial, I thought my entire life was well over. Living without the approaches to the difficulties you have fixed by way of your main site is a critical case, and the ones which may have adversely damaged my entire career if I had not come across your web blog. Your main skills and kindness in playing with all the pieces was very useful. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t come across such a solution like this. I am able to at this point relish my future. Thanks for your time so much for the high quality and amazing guide. I won’t be reluctant to suggest the blog to any person who needs guidelines on this matter.
This is such a great idea to build buzz and share stories. I need to make a video about my story. It hasn’t been the perfect 4HWW story, but it’s done good for me so far. Looking forward to seeing all the case studies that will undoubtedly pour in here.
Hi Tim,
Just reading 4WW for the third time. Have tried a couple of ideas but they didn’t work out as planned. I’m still employed and working on another project. Great ideas in the book especially taking mini-retirements !
best wishes
Robin