My take on "The 4-Hour Workweek"

Tim Ferriss is the author of the popular book The 4-Hour Workweek and a companion blog (I've linked to it in the past) that promise to enable readers to "escape 9-5, live anywhere, and join the new rich." Judging from Amazon reader comments, many people have found the book helpful.

The book, which covers a lot of ground, isn't primarily about managing information overload - but there are some tips included. Solely in terms of that one topic, from my reading, the book makes two main suggestions: outsource as much of your efforts as you can, and foster a discipline of not constantly checking email. Presumably, checking email just once in the morning and once in the afternoon (or some similar schedule) will free you up to spend time on more important things.

On its own, it's a fine suggestion. In Bit Literacy, in fact, I say that some people may find it helpful to have pre-defined email times to check email. And I say that other people may find it helpful not to do so. It's really up to the reader to choose what's best for them. But I didn't have much more to say on the point, since this isn't the key question in solving information overload.

The solution, rather, is learning to "let the bits go" - so that one can be online constantly, or twice a day, or anything in between. Practicing bit literacy allows you to work whenever and wherever you want, without feeling stressed or guilty from all the incoming information. Specifically in email, this means emptying the inbox once a day, a process that relies on deferring action items to a future day's todo list - a skill that has hardly been discussed, let alone practiced, in today's workplace.

So when Women Entrepreneur magazine interviewed me recently, and asked me (among other things) my take on Ferriss's email-management tips, I said the following:

Timothy Ferriss is focused on outsourcing and not checking e-mail so often. The last time I checked, the amount of e-mail you get is not a function of how often you check e-mail.

And that's my take of his book's two main suggestions, as I've explained above. While it may be helpful for some people to check email less often, by itself that doesn't solve the problem.

Strangely, the comment made Timothy Ferriss angry. He posted today:

I just take offense at his tone and blanket statements about people who are attempting to do the same thing as he: help others overcome digital overload. In the end, I think his comments come from a mistaken view that there is only room for one version of what is inherently “personal” productivity.

And as if to underline the importance of tone, he starts the post with a picture of the Hulk (caption: "You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry") and finishes with "friends come and go, but enemies accumulate" - followed by a Youtube clip of Bruce Lee kicking an opponent again and again and again. Ferriss's readers cheer him on in the comments: my book is "dreadful," my comments "insulting," and so on.

As I say: strange. Had I known it was such a hyper-sensitive topic, I might have just passed on the question. As it was, I did what one does in book interviews: explain what I believe is helpful to the reader.

Zig Ziglar says that the best way to get a chip off of someone's shoulder is to have them take a bow. So: Tim - congratulations on the success of your book, blog, and community. I know I could learn a lot from you on all three. Good luck with your continued efforts, and if you'd like to cover this ground more calmly for your blog, drop me a line.

• May 29, 2008
• IN: Bit Literacy
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