Let me preface this by saying that I'm someone who always have to have a book that I'm in the process of reading. So when I finished up a fiction book recently on a weekend away and saw this book in their bookcase, I traded out books and figured I'd give it a shot. I remember hearing about The 4 Hour Workweek a few years ago and while I was skeptical, it certainly sounded interesting if you could pull it off. So why not give it a go and see what it has to say.
I've made it to page 34 and just can't continue. I'd rather have no book to read then be forced to finish this one. Perhaps it's the author's tone, perhaps it's his arrogence, or perhaps it's because the book was published in 2007 - likely written in 2006 - and with it now being 2010 I have the benefit of knowing the financial meltdown that was about to occur. In a nutshell - from the 34 pages I've made it through - the author seems to propose a life away from the cubicle, the working 9-5 (more like 8-6!), and the 401Ks IRAs and other retirement savings vehicles. He recommends becoming one of the "new rich," living for today, and enjoying life when you're young.
Like I said, I went into this with a healthy dose of skeptism and in my 34 pages it only grew. Then again, I am someone who believes that hard work pays off or lord knows I wouldn't be doing this entrepreneurship thing. I also believe fervently in living well below your means and keeping a nice healthy cushion of savings and investments both for retirement or simply the curveballs live throws at you along the way. So while the idea of outsoucing my life and traveling the world sounds appealing, I sleep better at night knowing I actually have two dimes to rub together.
The author does bring up an interesting concept though which is perhaps explored further had I continued to read anymore. The idea that we in the US believe that work has to be all-encompassing. That if you aren't working 50+ hr weeks you really aren't working hard and haven't "earned" your money or your lifestyle. This is in contrast to the European view of work in which work is a compliment to your life but certainly not the mainstay...otherwise the French wouldn't take the entire month of August off!
In some ways my own business mimics this somewhat. My busy season - so busy I barely have time to breath and typically lose 5-10lbs because I'm just too busy to stop and eat - is about 4 months long. There's some quasi-busy time as I lead up to those months and do my best to prepare, and then the rest of the year is really pretty quiet. During those quiet months I typically feel guilty for not being busy and for having the time available to enjoy some sunshine and read on the porch. What I'm trying to make myself realize this year is that I shouldn't be guilty about the ebbs and flows in my business. I'm certainly trying to introduce new products that will take some of the seasonality out of the equation, but at it's crux, my product and its price point will always be more geared towards holiday gifting then simply an everyday purchase. I'm trying to keep in mind that the slow periods are a great time to get caught up on the rest of my life and do odd jobs around the house like paint the baseboards or fix the screen door and that I shouldn't necessarily feel bad that I'm not running around like a chicken with its head cut off....cause that'll start again about September!
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