The 4-Hour Workweek May Be Bullsh*t. But, the 4-Hour Workday (Definitely) Isn’t.
How to do more in less time
We often think getting more done means, well… doing more.
But, the truth is, the most successful people in the world focus on slowing down — not speeding up. Personally, it’s taken me over 3 decades to truly understand this.
And, it really came down to one simple principle.
Here’s how to do more with less — while respecting the laws of reality.
Why the 4-hour workweek doesn’t work.
For most people.
In 2007, Tim Ferris published “The 4-Hour Workweek”, which went on to sell millions of copies and made it to The New York Times Best Sellers list.
In it, Tim outlines a simple set of practices to strike a healthier work-life balance, by:
- Outsourcing as much work as possible
- Working smarter, not harder
- Applying the 80/20 rule
Although none of the lessons were glaringly innovative, it struck the perfect balance of simplicity and minimalism — which were both extremely trendy at the time.
Thus, allowing Tim to practice what he preached.
Making millions of dollars working just a few hours per week.
The problem is, 99.99% of debut novels won’t be smashing successes. And, slowing down requires you to first speed up.
The truth about getting started.
In the mid-2010s, I began looking into starting my own business.
Although, at the time, I had no idea what I wanted to do, I knew I wanted to work for myself. The problem was, all the conventional wisdom I found online pointed me in the wrong direction:
- Wake up early
- Grind yourself to a pulp
- Work hard, get rich, retire young
Like many, I fell victim to the enticing rhetoric of hustle culture. And, it led me down a dark path culminating in burnout. Not being alone in my experience, the pendulum began to swing in the opposite direction.
And, striking a healthy work-life balance became the new trend:
- Be smart
- Work less
- Know everything and do everything efficiently
Which, on the surface is an amazing way to live one’s life. But, if you’re not naturally talented nor intuitively organized… well, it just doesn’t work.
And, can be just as harmful as working too hard.
So, yet again, I found myself stuck in a paradox of work-life imbalance.
I felt hopeless.
But, fast-forward to today, I finally figured out what was missing.
Like anything in life, the answer often lies somewhere in the middle. And, the key to achieving more while doing less really comes down to one fundamental principle.
The law of finite resources…
This is all you have (period).
In life, there are only 3 resources:
- Time
- Money
- Effort
Contrary to popular belief, every human on Earth has access to the same resources. How much of each… well, that’s where life becomes unfair.
The truth is, not all humans were created equal.
And, how much time, money, or capacity for work you were born with is largely a game of luck. But, no matter where you start, you can increase the value of any one resource by supplementing the others.
If you have money but no time or energy to build your dream life, you can hire someone to build it for you. And, if you don’t have money but find yourself with an abundance of time or energy, you can effort success.
Personally, when I first started building my writing business, I had no skills and no money. So, I took the slow and steady approach — working as a freelancer alongside various full- and part-time jobs.
Working 4 additional hours per week, I was able to gain the knowledge and experience to quit my job and go all-in on my online business.
But, to scale to a full-time income, 4 hours per week would no longer cut it. And, I had to speed up before learning to slow down.
How to do more in less time.
One fundamental law of the universe is that reality is ever-changing. Every thought, decision, and action you take shapes the reality in which you exist.
The same goes for building an online business. And, why there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach.
When I first started my writing business, I spent every waking hour of each day thinking, trying, and failing. It was through this process I began to find my limits.
Feeling as though I was working too hard, I would try to force myself to slow down.
But, then I simply wouldn’t get enough done.
So, after experimenting for years, I discovered the linear nature of any new venture.
At first, you must overwork to understand your limits. Then, you can start to push your limits to expedite your growth. And, eventually, once you understand your business, you can begin outsourcing work to save yourself time.
Exactly how you go about it depends on your specific resources…
#1. Money rich:
But, time or effort poor.
If you’re fortunate enough to have the funds to build your business, but lack the time or energy, you can outsource it. This takes a certain level of experience, as you need to understand how to achieve your goals. Luckily, if you have money, you can buy this experience as well.
Whether you’re hiring ghostwriters for your newsletter, social media experts, or business coaching to smooth your learning curve, Fiverr is a great place to start.
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#2. Time rich:
But, money or effort poor.
If you have an abundance of time, first, consider yourself very lucky. Time is perhaps the most valuable commodity. But, today, it’s harder than ever to have control of it.
So, if you have the time, building a successful business is merely a process of:
- Trying
- Failing
- Learning
- Trying again
Although it may sound simplistic, this is the only path any successful person has ever taken. And, the quicker you take your first step, the more time you have to develop.
#3. Effort rich:
But, money or time poor.
Effort is often an overrated aspect of business success. Yes, it takes a high level of perseverance and dedication to bring your dreams to life.
But, relying solely on work ethic is a surefire path to burnout.
Instead, find your limits, work within them, and slowly increase your capacity for work over time. Effort isn’t always about pushing harder, but understanding when to push.
And, when to take your foot off the gas.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is that, yes, you can force success. But, it's often short-lived. What I find much more valuable is to work in spurts, using your effort to upgrade your time and money stats.
Final thoughts: find your sweet spot.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with just about every productivity hack under the sun.
And, if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s this:
What works for you is what works. Period.
If 4 hours of focused work moves you closer to your goals, amazing. If you can work for 8+ hours without burning out, awesome. And, if you’re one of the rare humans who can run a successful business in just 4 hours per week, maybe Tim’s book isn’t cow poop after all.
Regardless, find your balance, remain objective, and use your resources wisely. All of this will help you discover a path that works for you.
Hi, I’m Hudson. I write about living healthier, happier, and more mindfully. To see my stories pop up on your feed, I’d love for you to follow me (Hudson Rennie). And, to have stories sent directly to you, subscribe to my newsletter.👇
