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New! Monthly Column
Debbi is the owner of Mack Research and Writing, providing articles, reports, case studies, white papers and otherwise assisting businesses and organizations with communications needs. She has also done research for legal and reference publishers and attorneys. A select list of clients and writing samples are available here.
Debbi is also a mystery author, whose published work includes a novel, Identity Crisis, a hardboiled mystery featuring lawyer/sleuth Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae, and a short story in Chesapeake Crimes I, an anthology written and edited by members of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime.
Submitted for Your Consideration
March 2009
The 4-Hour Workweek: It's All About Tim
When I first heard about The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, my initial reaction was, "You've got to be kidding me. That sounds too good to be true. And if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
So, I pretty much ignored it, and would have kept on doing so, except that the book was getting showered with so much attention and praise on various blogs I read. Blogs written by (seemingly) successful and thoughtful individuals, many of whom are freelancers like myself and had opinions I'd come to respect.
Grudgingly, I thought, maybe there's something to this. Maybe it's worth checking out.
So I found a copy of the book at the library (I wasn't going to buy it -- I was still skeptical). My local library didn't have it, but there was a copy available at another library in my state, which I obtained through inter-library loan. (That's how skeptical I was. I searched of the entire state library system to find a copy, rather than buy it.)
Having read more than half the book now, I feel like I've gone about as far into the thing as I care to. I don't think the book has so much to offer that it's worth the time I'd spend finishing it. Yes, I found some useful tips here and there, but if I wanted to get the maximum value of the advice Ferriss offers -- if I really wanted to work no more than 4 hours a week, that is -- I'd have to be prepared to completely change my philosophy and approach to work. And, frankly, do things that I'm not willing to do or that deeply offend me.
What could be so horrible about Ferriss' approach? Let me explain.
I can appreciate a great deal of Ferriss' advice on various ways to manage tasks and time. I understand that he's seeking to maximize our free time so we can live out our dreams or whatever. I think there are benefits to adopting some of his suggestions. But some of his ideas bothered, even angered, me -- including the following.
Work is something to avoid. On its face, this sounds okay. But when you think about it, it's based on very limited definition of "work." Work takes in a lot more than drudgery. Many highly rewarding pursuits take lots of work. But, let's assume for the moment that by "work," Ferriss means paid work. Not an unreasonable assumption, because he later refers to unpaid work you might do, after you've whittled your "paid" workweek down to four hours, as "vocations." A matter of semantics, in my opinion. Trying to organize a fundraiser for a good cause is work, even though you're not paid for it. Writing a novel is work, even though only a fraction of novelists make a living from it. I know, because I've done both of these things. I've enjoyed doing them, even though they take a lot of work. I could be watching TV or going to parties, but I choose to do these things instead. They're accomplishments and I take pride in those.
But, to return to the paid/unpaid distinction, I can think of several occupations in which work and enjoyment aren't mutually exclusive. Teaching, librarianship and medicine are just three that come to mind -- and, of course, there are many more. I can point to my own work (primarily, writing) as an example. There's no reason why you can't make a living doing something you enjoy and "have a life" apart from your paid work, if you play your cards right.
Avoid meetings and phone calls. Again, I can appreciate where Ferriss is coming from. I can think of many unnecessary meetings I've attended (most of which occurred when I was working for someone else) and phone calls tend to take more time and energy than emails. Online networking is good -- to a point -- but it's not a substitute for meeting people "in the flesh." I think there are good ways to use "face time" with others and sometimes you can actually accomplish things at meetings. Really.
As a freelancer, my best business has come from people I've met (either potential clients, people I can collaborate with or sources of possible leads). When it comes to in-person networking, pick and choose your events wisely. Conserve your time. But don't overlook them. Every now and then, you might want to treat a client or peer to coffee or lunch. I can say without hesitation that some of my most rewarding work (financially and personally) has come from people I've met face-to-face and in meetings of my networking group.
As a fiction writer, some of my most productive time has been spent getting feedback on my writing at meetings of various writers groups. In addition, I've made valuable contacts and met many supportive peers while attending conferences, some of which required a substantial time and money investment.
Finally, meeting people shows that you care about them. Time spent with clients and friends builds relationships -- but, of course, relationships take work. More on this later.
Outsource everything. Now, while the previous points may come down to differences between Ferriss' definition of work and mine, here's where we really diverge. He has no problem with the idea of outsourcing almost every little task in his life -- mainly to virtual assistants (VAs) overseas. These people will do everything, including (and I quote the providers) "[a]pologizing and sending flowers and cards to spouses of clients" and "[t]alking to parents in our client's stead."
Now, I don't know about you, but when we've screwed up, I think it's only right to make personal apologies to the people we (ostensibly) love. Buying new garbage bins or fixing a broken window in my vacation home -- fine. But I draw the line at having VAs do the work involved in my personal and family relationships. (What kind of spouse, significant other, friend or relative outsources an apology? What does this say about your importance to them?) This, in itself, seemed excessive.
But what really pissed me off was Ferriss' use of cheap overseas labor to do the very work that I perform. And work that I know other information professionals perform. When I looked at the lengthy list of services these companies provided, I was flabbergasted: proofreading and editing, market research, business plans, reports and newsletters, legal research, website development, maintaining and updating databases, creation of legal documents (the unauthorized practice of law!) and the list went on and on.
Just so I'm clear on this point, I'm not arguing for protectionism. I'm perfectly willing to compete on a level playing field with other freelancers. It's just that Ferriss' approach undervalues our services. It contributes to the mentality that the listed services are commodities, without taking into account the extra value you get when you pay more for them. (Like actually going to a lawyer to have legal documents drawn up? Or getting a decent proofreading or editing job done by someone conversant in the language used to write the piece? What a concept.)
In addition to recommending a couple of virtual assistance companies in Bangalore, India, Ferriss also suggests using Craigslist to find domestic help (presumably when you absolutely, positively need someone who speaks English correctly). Craigslist, in case you didn't know, has become a notorious source of the lowest-paying freelance work one can find. Now, as a freelancer writer and information professional, how do I feel about this? Disgusted would be understating it.
While some of us are being screwed by Ferriss' approach, others work in essential services that can't be outsourced to India. (In fact, Ferriss makes it clear at one point that his system requires you to base your income on a product, not a service.) Cheap laborers in Bangalore can't teach our children, work in our emergency rooms or put out our houses when they're on fire. We need doctors, nurses, teachers, emergency medical personnel, firefighters, police, etc. So, by Ferriss' lights, these people will never be able to have a four-hour workweek. Which makes them -- what? chumps? I would disagree. Many people who choose these professions do so because they love the work. And these services, in particular, are essential. Garbage collection and snow removal may not be glamorous work, but they're essential services, too. What would we do if people quit these jobs to sell (ahem) dietary supplements (Ferriss' product of choice -- like we need more of those)?
Another issue with outsourcing most of your life is identity theft. A VA who has your financial and confidential information could steal your identity, and Ferriss acknowledges this risk. He claims he only knows of one such case of "information abuse" and that he "had to search long and hard" for it. But he ends a section discussing ways to avoid the problem (so there's enough of a risk to take steps to avoid it?) by saying:
If information or identity theft hasn't hit you, it will. Use these guidelines and you'll realize when it happens that, just like most nightmares, it's not that big a deal and is reversible.
First of all -- huh? I thought the guidelines were meant to avoid identity theft, not deal with it after the fact. Second, I'm thinking, "You're kidding me, right?" First, he makes identity theft sound like the inevitable (which it's not), then he says that it's no big deal (which it is, as many millions of victims will attest).
But there's more . . .
Expertise in four weeks. I was intrigued by one idea Ferriss had -- the idea of selling information products. Makes perfect sense. If you have expertise to offer, create a product that sells it. What got me was his reducing the process of becoming a subject expert to a sidebar (literally!) in his book. Apparently, all you have to do is join a few key associations, read a few key books, give a free seminar and (at your option) write an article or two. Four weeks later -- voila! You're an expert. (What is it with this guy and the number four?) Join ProfNet (a source used by journalists to find experts) and you can be quoted anywhere from the New York Times to ABC News. Is this a little scary -- the idea that journalists from major media outlets are looking to ProfNet for expert information? From people who may have established their "expertise" by fiat? It should scare the hell out of you.
Is this how Ferriss became an "expert"? So he could create information products like books with catchy titles like The 4-Hour Workweek? Even so, Ferriss notes at one point that "truth be told, it is a hell of a lot of work writing about not working." He says his Indian VAs "are more than capable of writing this section, so I'll just mention two guidelines and leave the mental hernia of detail work to them." He says he's delegating this chore because he'd rather watch Family Guy.
Gee, Tim . . . thanks for sharing. It's nice to know you didn't even care enough to write your own book. Yes, writing is a lot of work. Those of us who do our own writing (and have to compete with cut-rate workers who are semi-literate in English, no less) could have told you that. But it's work that we take pride in. And we actually enjoy doing it.
I have other bones to pick, but these are among the biggest. To his credit Ferriss does have a chapter at the end of the book about "filling the void" left when you only work four hours a week. He suggests just doing nothing, at first -- recalibrating yourself to a life of leisure. Then, he mentions charitable efforts (making a donation or doing online fundraising efforts that require minimal personal involvement -- no surprises there), then adds "local" volunteering combined with "mini-retirement" to the list (which apparently means traveling around the world and doing volunteer work "local" to the place where you've traveled). You can devote your life to art, philanthropy, writing -- all activities that take plenty of work, as I've already mentioned.
You can go anywhere and do anything from competing in kickboxing and tango contests to becoming fluent in six languages -- these are, at least, some things Ferriss has chosen to do. Philosophical question: are these accomplishments Ferriss takes pride in? Or is he simply collecting experiences the way some people collect pens? And while he mentioned that other people spend more time with their families because of his program, I couldn't help but notice he never mentions anyone special in his life. Is it because maintaining a close relationship would be too much work?
If that's so (and I'm not saying it is), then Tim Ferriss is indeed a very poor man. He may like the idea of taking an endless world tour, doing a multitude of "vocations" (i.e., unpaid work), but it sounds exhausting and lonely to me (the jet lag alone would kill me). He writes: "I woke up this morning, and given that it's Monday, I checked my e-mail for one hour after an exquisite Buenos Aires breakfast." In this section, he writes, "Fun things happen when you earn dollars, live on pesos, and compensate in rupees," even though earlier he claims that his system "has nothing to do with currency rates." (Tim, I know writing is hard work and you've outsourced some of it to people with dubious English skills, but by hiring a better writer or editor, you might have avoided completely contradicting yourself.)
There's a passage from John Steinbeck's East of Eden that is worth bearing in mind when choosing how to live one's life:
When a man comes to die, no matter what his talents and influence and genius, if he dies unloved his life must be a failure to him and his dying a cold horror. It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world.
So who will mourn Tim Ferriss' death? What will his life have stood for? Will his endless travels and various pursuits add up to a life lived so that his death brings no pleasure to the world?
If Ferriss' life stands for nothing and his death affects no one, no worries. For a few rupees, I'm sure a VA from Bangalore can be hired to shed a few tears.
Postscript: After writing this column, I was pleased to run across this blog post. The author has had the dubious honor of dealing with Ferris up close and personal, and her experiences pretty much confirm my worst suspicions about the man.
February 2009: My Friend is Dying
January 2009: Spontaneous Combustion
December 2008: Support Your Local Bookseller
November 2008: In Tough Times, Think Marketing 101
October 2008: First Times
September 2008: A Trip to Aqaba
August 2008: Little Lies (Or How Weeds and The Sopranos Are Really the Same Show)
July 2008: Having the Last Word on Words
June 2008: Opportunity Knocks (Even When it Knocks You Down)
May 2008: Zen and the Art of Spring Cleaning
April 2008: A Virtual Crowd
March 2008: Four Great Reasons to Hire a Freelance Writer
February 2008: Beyond the Bend
January 2008: Green Thoughts
December 2007: What Goes Around Comes Around
November 2007: Bitten by the Bug
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