I recently took an airplane-ride-skim of a little book called 30 Days to a Simpler Life. It’s about ten years old, but the advice was largely still relevant. One of my favorite takeaways was to

Simplify before you organize

It makes perfect sense when you read it, but it’s easy to work quite differently. Whether you’re looking at too many shoes in your closet, projects scattered around the office table, or even todos that are rolling around in your head, the tendency might be to think “okay, I need to put all this in a nicely structured system, and then I can decide what to do with it all.”

wrong.

Instead, whip through whatever mess you have and mercilessly delete things. Delete might mean throwing it in the garbage, recycling it, giving it away, or crossing it off your mental list before it ever sees the light of your GTD app. In the end you’ll spend less time organizing, and you’ll buy less stuff to organize with.

I’m not even going to look at all the other great advice out there, let alone try and steal from it. The list below– whether helpful, useless, fresh, or seemingly-unoriginal, is just from my own little experience.

#1- Business or personal. Take your pick. Can’t decide? Create two blogs. It’s not hard. I’m cringing at the thought of approaching another election season here in the U.S., because it means I’ll have to wade through all the politically charged garbage from blogs that I usually look to for helpful Actionscript snippets. That doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate your personality and personal experiences into your site- that’s part of what makes for interesting reading! Just save the completely off-topic stuff for Twitter or Facebook.

#2- Draft and wait. This post was like a lot of others- it sat in my WordPress database as a bullet-point draft for a couple weeks. Then I came back and filled in the blanks, and let it sit for a few more days. It’s not that I’m trying to be a perfectionist. It’s just that the internet has made people forget the value of rough drafts and iterations. Thanks to search engines and archives like the internet way-back machine, retracting your words is almost impossible online. As I look back through the posts in this site, it’s obvious to me (and perhaps to you!) which posts were flung out to the world 10 minutes after they first sparked in my brain.

#3- Pace yourself. We don’t need any more short-lived blogs. Most of them go like this:

• First post: “hey, my friends convinced me to start a blog.”
• Second post: “here’s what I did today. soon I’ll upload some photos.
• Third post: “sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted. But I just made a resolution to start posting more regularly!”

In keeping with my #2 advice, I actually jotted down ideas for this site for almost a month. I had about 20 rough drafts before I even bought the domain name. I didn’t end up posting all those drafts, but it helped me determine that this would be more than just a two week novelty.

#4- Don’t apologize. It’s okay if you haven’t posted for a while (especially if your blog is more of a personal one). You have more important things to feel guilty about. Other than your mother, your readers are not sitting there bored at their computers, just waiting for you to post something. If they are, I hope you’re making a killing off your Google Ads!

#5- Learn to link. It’s not just about saving your users from 5 seconds of Google searching. Linking to sites and books (instead of just mentioning them) is proper web etiquette. You’ll help that site get better Google rankings. They’ll be able to see where their traffic is coming from. And it’s not uncommon that you’ll end up hearing back from that site owner and making some interesting connections.

If you know of a “top # tips for blogging” post that’s especially useful, feel free to drop it in the comments.

You see, I can roll out of bed in the morning, throw on a shirt, and look ready to go. When it’s late and I’m tired, my head can hit the pillow without leaving a trail of American Crew. I can give myself a haircut at 4 am, in less than 10 minutes. I can wear a tuke (that’s a snow-hat for you Yankees) without needing to primp in front of a mirror upon arriving at my destination. It takes me months to get through a bottle of shampoo.

In short, it’s practical.

But it doesn’t come without its tradeoffs. Luckily my head has a normal shape so it looks okay, but it doesn’t look nearly as fabulous as when it’s longer– when a little pomade gives me that oh-so-hottie messed-up look. My wife will be the first to tell you she doesn’t care much for it when it’s short. Maybe next year I’ll grow it out again, but not right now. There are too many things I’d rather spend my time and effort on.

Eliminating the obvious time- and space-wasters is a great first step. After you get those out of the way, it’s time to start making the tougher decisions. Your homework is to find a new “haircut.” Pay attention to your daily and weekly routines and carefully consider how much you’re getting in return from the time you put in to your rituals, routines, and habits. Maybe you can drop one of your least-favorite TV shows. Better yet, kill the cable entirely and just grab your favorite shows online or on DVD. Buy more wrinkle-free shirts. Eat Tasty Bites a couple times a week instead of cooking or eating out. Prune your RSS feeds.

Bonus points if you share your success with the rest of us!

One night he crashed at our apartment. In the morning I was surprised at how he struggled to wake up. I just assumed he was some kind of insomniac. I teased him a bit about being lazy, and he shared his life motto with me:

Work hard, play hard, rest hard

We’re now two weeks into our two month Mexican excursion, and I’ve been doing my best to apply that motto. I don’t have any tangible examples or formula- it’s just matter of keeping an overall sense of deliberateness about what you do. It’s related to other GTD and 4HWW principles of avoiding distraction, fighting procrastination, and being focused on your goals, even if that goal is to rest and relax. I’ve kept my same wacky schedule, but somehow I just seem to be getting more out of each day; more productive work, more time with my family, solid rest, and even some hard playing. Perhaps it’s just the change of scenery and being away from home.

Or maybe its the street tacos

When setting a goal, I find it helpful to clearly define whether the goal is process- or outcome-oriented. For example “I’m going to work out 3 times a week during September” is the process, and “I’m going to lose 10 pounds in September” is the outcome. You might often hear that goals should be specific. My preference is to set loose outcome goals and strong, specific process goals. This might sound like I’m just saying “set a goal and then set sub-goals to get you there.” But it’s more than that.

Too often we look at the final result and think “yeah! that’s what I want!” without realizing the hours (or years) of hard work, frustration, or complete drudgery that goes into it. Building your custom dream home might seem glamorous, but ask somebody that’s gone through it how much they enjoyed the process, and if the end result was everything they imagined it would be. Likewise, you might think you want to run a marathon “just to say you did it.” If you hate running as much as I do, you might want to choose something you actually enjoy practicing as much as daydreaming about the end result.

My point (unlike The Station) is not that you should focus more on one than the other. However, it is helpful to define and recognize which is which. Next time you have a new aspiration, ask yourself what it is about it that really appeals to you, and perhaps you’ll shift your actions a bit to better meet that desired endpoint.

Any effort that has self-glorification as its final endpoint is bound to end in
disaster.

– Robert Pirsig, from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

“Financially-driven work, or work that you would prefer to spend less time on”

Simple as that. Under this definition, a 4-hour work week seems a pretty plausible goal. The 4HWW book title and subtitle, cover image, and catchy reviews give the impression that the goal is to spend your days lying on a beach; an impression Tim works to change throughout the book and in all the interviews and talks I’ve heard him give.

Many people enjoy the field of work they’re in, but their passion fizzles in the drudgery of the daily grind. It gets buried under micro-management and stretched thin across successive assignments they don’t want, and don’t get a break from. It never got that bad for me during my short run of working for “the man,” but I’m still grateful that I am now in more of a position to truly enjoy my work. And I mean the day-to-day work part of my work.

This means I have to scrutinize my schedule and really make careful decisions as I 80/20 my tasks. I have to be more willing to let things go that I normally think “oh, I don’t mind doing that.” By letting them go (either dropping or outsourcing), I can focus more on the work that brings me the most income or that I enjoy the most.

Wikipedia defines satisficing* as: ‘…the tendency to select the first option that meets a given need or select the option that seems to address most needs rather than the “optimal” solution.’ Optimizers, on the other hand, can’t handle the thought that there might be something better just around the corner. The problem is that it’s so easy to find “corners” today. The internet gives you searches and meta-searches. You can read reviews from dozens of people you’ve never met. Try Consumer Reports. Wait for the next version of the product to be released (which is always only a couple months away). Consider getting it used on eBay or craigslist.

Compared to a decade ago, there are way more sources for any given product or service, and/or easy access to sources previously out of reach. If you’re not careful, you can end up with a feeling of regret over every decision you make!

Barry Schwartz has some great thoughts on this topic, found in his book The Paradox of Choice, and in the following video of a talk he gave at Google:

So next time you find yourself agonizing over a decision, especially a purchase, ask yourself how important it really is that you get the absolute best deal on the absolute best option. If you’re not talking about a new home, keep the agonizing to a minimum, pick your top choice, and move on.

* I first came across the term “satisficing” from Steve Krug’s excellent book Don’t Make Me Think

12 years ago I was really in to rock climbing. In modern climbing there are two roles: the lead and the belay. Let’s take our cues from Wikipedia and fill out this analogy as it applies to 4HWW and families.

Lead Responsibilities

The lead sets the pace. They are responsible for placing anchors along a route, or securely clipping in to existing ones. They look ahead, planning the next steps towards safely reaching the goal. In a 4HWW family, the lead is the person designated as primary income provider. They must keep the money flowing in, and drive the implementation of “muses” (see the FHWW book ).

Belay Responsibilities

“It is extremely important for the belayer to concentrate on the climber’s situation, as they literally have the climber’s life in their hands.” Belaying is serious business. I’ve been a part of adrenaline-rush-inducing falls as both a lead and a belayer. It forms a special trust between climbers that I imagine is similar to sky-divers packing each others chutes. When the lead calls for more slack, the belayer carefully gives it, but is quick to take it up should the lead fall. The belayer does the same for a 4HWW family. They take primary responsibility for:

• care of the children
• finances, monitoring the amount of “slack” the family has
• day-to-day logistics of living

It’s not just lip service to say that the stay-at-home spouse fills a more difficult role than the breadwinner.

Communication

It’s easy for a lead to get tired and rely too heavily on a belayer, ultimately resulting in a failed attempt. Likewise, (and especially when kids are in the picture) it’s easy for the belayer to become exhausted and distracted. If either scenario occurs too frequently, then a serious adjustment needs to be made; you simply might not be ready for the “climb” you’re attempting. Needless to say that constant, open, clear communication is vital.

“But I just want to climb…”

If you’re a career-driven professional, you might be reading this and thinking “I don’t ever want to belay (in a family sense).” That reaction is probably more likely if you’re not married with children. When you think of rock climbing, you think of actually climbing. You don’t hear people say “yeah, I’m a professional belayer.” But every climber belays. Roles can change in a family, and they don’t always have to be starkly divided. In the spirit of really going for it, we will be pushing this division, to the extreme over the next several months, but it’s not going to be like that forever.

Whatever your situation, just remember that the goal of 4HWW is to work less and spend more time pursuing your dreams. For many of us, those dreams include more time with our families. If you’re not in to that, this series of posts probably isn’t for you

* photo of Maple Canyon (one of my old favorite climbing spots) taken by susanica

If you’ve delved into GTD, this type of simple decision-making-aide will look familiar. The most obvious difference is the first question point: “Will I enjoy this?” GTD, helpful though it may be, is focused on productivity and efficiency. In fact, this GTD-based chart puts you right on track for the “deferred life plan”. 4HWW principles push towards enjoyment. Yes, you want to be productive, effective, and efficient; nobody wants to waste time. The key is to focus that effectiveness towards a goal of spending your time doing what you want to do, rather than simply cranking out more billable hours and deliverables for your boss.

It’s simple and seemingly-obvious (just like the GTD charts), but it’s had not-so-subtle effects since I’ve started applying it. Every time I’m presented with some activity– whether by invitation from another person, or by random thoughts of my own– I mentally run it through this decision process. Sometimes I’m surprised by the result.

Assumptions

• You have to find a balance that ensures you’re meeting your required TMI (target monthly income). If you follow this chart diligently and don’t have the cash to back it up, you could end up saying “yes” to a whole slew of enjoyable but cash-draining activities.
• Be assertive in actively finding activities- don’t just wait for assignments and invitations. This applies to work, but even more so to enjoyment. Next time you find yourself saying to a co-worker “yeah, we really should go fishing one of these days,” get out your calendar and propose a date!
• “Income generating” needs a qualification: sometimes this should be asked more generally as “will this produce a desired output.” That output is not always cash. The best example is exercise- you may not enjoy it, it doesn’t directly produce income (for most of us), yet end result is desirable from many perspectives.
• Finally, a chart this simple obviously can’t handle every scenario that hits you. Your mileage will definitely vary.

• 1980’s: My elementary school is the first in the state to switch to a “year-round” schedule. I learn the value of, and become accustomed to, shorter bursts of focused work with vacations spread throughout.
• 1993: I spend 2 months at a summer camp in rural New York called Camp Rising Sun. I work and play with 100 boys and girls from around the world, gain a real love for people and languages of other cultures, and make lifelong international friends whom I promise to visit someday.
• 1996-98: I volunteer for a 2-year service mission to central Canada through my church, which changes my perspective on life. Related to 4HWW, I learn two valuable lessons: 1- Serving other people really does bring happiness. 2- It’s possible, and quite liberating, to live for two years out of two suitcases and on a minimal budget.
• 1999: For a class assignment, I read “E-Myth Revisited,” (one of the books Tim references in 4HWW) and it changes my perspective on entrepreneurship.
• 2000- I watch my best friend’s father retire from decades of working in the public school system. A year later he returns to the school system where he continues to work today.
• 2000- My college Economics professor instills in me a strong understanding of the concepts of opportunity cost and sunk cost. I never look at time, money, nor material possessions the same again.
• 2001- I decide and begin to declare that I want to be semi-retired at age 45. I qualify the statement with “semi” because I recognize that another 50 years of not working at all is ridiculous. I also get used to answering the question of “what will you do with your time?”
• 2002- Much to my delight, I discover an article entitled “Retire at 45,” which I write about. Thus begins my quest to avoid large homes, particularly the millstone-collar mortgage that accompanies them.
• 2002- Upon moving to Chicago for graduate school, Chelsey and I sell our car and move into a studio apartment; two things considered very unconventional for a married couple (especially to our friends back home). This allows us to enjoy the city lifestyle we want without incurring significant debt.
• 2003- I take a semester off from grad school to spend time on my own business endeavors, and I consider transferring to CMU. The counselor at school asks me if I’m stupid. After spending the semester building up my Flash skills and developing one of my muses ( WebSort ), I return to school. Chris Conley and John Grimes become my mentors.
• 2005- As graduation approaches, I form my favorite conversation-starting question: “So, if you could work from anywhere for one year, and have the same job you do now, where would you live?”
• 2006- With a new baby, the worry of health insurance, and a very sexy-sounding project waiting for me, I take a “real” job and we move to the Boston area. At first things are fantastic. Eventually, the call of entrepreneurship becomes too strong.
• 2007- I resign, giving longer-than-usual notice in order to help finish the project. A week later I come across 4HWW via 43Folders. Chelsey and I listen to Tim’s presentation from SxSW, and we decide to really go for it.

Finally, here are some past entries from my personal site that came to mind as I read 4HWW:

• Ask forgiveness, not permission
• Sunk costs
• Automated life
• Relativity