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Ask HN: Is Anyone Living “The 4-Hour Work Week”?

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Re: Ask HN: Is Anyone Living “The 4-Hour Work Week”?

#61

Post by _jdams »

moat wrote: post #33

I lived it for a couple of years based on the framework from the book. Living on an island in Thailand diving everyday, hanging out in Bali or Barcelona. Eventually I got a little bored with it and wanted to create bigger companies so I dove back in, but I still attribute a lot of my success to stumbling across that book one day.

As a somewhat obsessive relationship with that book, I'm looking to get into entrepreneurship soon. From everything I've read and researched about the 4HWW, people say its better to first have a working business and/or income stream, then focus on ways to automate or make single processes more efficient; As opposed to trying to start a business using the 4HWW from the 'get-go'.

What would your advice be? As someone who's lived the success, do you think its possible to start from the ground up with 4HWW in mind?

Re: Ask HN: Is Anyone Living “The 4-Hour Work Week”?

#63

Post by _jdams »

stealsomesteel wrote: post #26

I’m living 4 hour work week and it’s one of the best books that ever helped me. Just use the advices in the book, pretty simple. I spend most of these days working on side projects, feels great! This also allowed me to earn a lot of money, so definitely not downshifting. Actually kinda amazed that there aren’t many similar people in the thread...I can email you from a public address, it would prove I have a real repu…

As the other request said, please post more information. I want your lifestyle and hope one day I can come up with an idea and put it into action to achieve it.

Re: Ask HN: Is Anyone Living “The 4-Hour Work Week”?

#64

Post by icebraining »

dahoramanodoceu wrote: post #55

I work one hour or two every morning to pay the bills. I spend an additional 3-4 hours working on things I want to see happen in the world. The hardest part is self-discipline, so I cut out all social media (no reddit outside of work-related stuff and limit HN). No movies and no porn surfing. No internet at home helps me stay on track. When I need internet I walk to the coffee shop with a to-do list.

What do you actually do during those couple of hours to pay the bills?

Re: Ask HN: Is Anyone Living “The 4-Hour Work Week”?

#65

Post by tmaly »

I wish I had read it sooner, but I have made small adjustments to my day job to improve things.

For those that cannot work remotely, you can still improve your productivity. I have a DND button on my phone that goes right to voicemail after one ring. I funnel everyone into creating a Jira task instead of trying to email, call, or ask in person for some work.

I document commonly asked questions like his FAQ in Confluence so I can point all new hires in other departments to this introduction training material.

Re: Ask HN: Is Anyone Living “The 4-Hour Work Week”?

#67

Post by NumberCruncher »

soneca wrote: post #56
mstade wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It definitely did. I feel for OP – my family has also had its issues with money. Particularly money grabbing individuals who don't mind walking over bodies, family or otherwise, to get what they perceive as "theirs" by some metric. Whether or not these people are technically correct doesn't really matter when in the end, people who truly used to love each other are now sworn enemies. Cliché as it may be, it's very sa…

My mother's family went through the same dispute over my grandparents' real state and destroyed the family. Keep in mind that it is a lower middle class family in a developing country (Brazil), not that much money. One of the most vicious aunts in the dispute had actually the same or more wealth than my grandparents. Money has a way of being the perfect "excuse" for vicious people to expose their viciousness.

Humans do not need an "excuse" for being vicious. Viciousness is a part of our nature. If the game involves sex, power or money your fellow humans will show their real nature.

Re: Ask HN: Is Anyone Living “The 4-Hour Work Week”?

#69

Post by Grustaf »

joekrill wrote: post #37
Grustaf wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the main value of books like these, including books on diets or exercise, is inspiration. After you've read 4 hour work week you probably come away with an increased determination to run your own business. That more than any concrete advice it contains would be what recommends it to readers I think.

I've certainly "fallen victim" to this. I label it as that because -- for me at least -- the determination fades very quickly. Maybe I just have to find enough of these books to read consistently so I can keep my determinism up for long enough to succeed?

Or make sure to read them right when you are in a position to make the leap!

Re: Ask HN: Is Anyone Living “The 4-Hour Work Week”?

#70

Post by mstade »

soneca wrote: post #56
mstade wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It definitely did. I feel for OP – my family has also had its issues with money. Particularly money grabbing individuals who don't mind walking over bodies, family or otherwise, to get what they perceive as "theirs" by some metric. Whether or not these people are technically correct doesn't really matter when in the end, people who truly used to love each other are now sworn enemies. Cliché as it may be, it's very sa…

My mother's family went through the same dispute over my grandparents' real state and destroyed the family. Keep in mind that it is a lower middle class family in a developing country (Brazil), not that much money. One of the most vicious aunts in the dispute had actually the same or more wealth than my grandparents. Money has a way of being the perfect "excuse" for vicious people to expose their viciousness.

My case isn't very different from yours, except we're in a well off country and individually pretty well off also. Goes to show vicious greed isn't necessarily a class thing.

In my case, a certain person did things so despicable that in my view until they atone for their crimes (actual crimes, not just wrongdoings) in prison, I will never be able to even start forgiving them. Instead, they're living the high life. It's very sad.

I hope you and your family are ok, if nothing else the ones you still care for. These episodes in my life have certainly made me appreciate my immediate family in a different and stronger way.

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