Comments on: How I Stay Focused for More Than 4 Hours a Week http://joeism.com/2010/01/25/how-i-stay-focused-for-more-than-4-hours-a-week/ Unofficial Thoughts on Bronto Software and Online Marketing Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:07:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Chris Wheeler http://joeism.com/2010/01/25/how-i-stay-focused-for-more-than-4-hours-a-week/comment-page-1/#comment-385 Chris Wheeler Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:12:20 +0000 http://joeism.com/?p=525#comment-385 Great post and very relevant to me personally. A good friend of mine suggested I read this so I just picked up the digital version the other night and dove in. Ironically, and in juxtaposition to you, he and another good friend of mine who replied after he saw I was reading it m(yes, via Twitter) mentioned it changed their life. They are married and have kids (yes, plural), so I would say that this book at least touches some people in a prophetic way. Again, I'm only a few chapters in, but the thing that strikes me is the "New Rich" and the idea of retirement. I don't agree that retirement has to suck with you either being poor, bored, or poor and bored so spend everything now to enjoy instant gratification. But, I also see that with the current economic conditions the way they are and the old paradigm of employers "taking care of their own" in their elderly ages having vanished, there has to be an individually driven need to enjoy life and capture enough money to live comfortably later when you can't work (or don't want to...I really hope I'm not bagging groceries at 80). There has to be some middle ground - which this book seems to ignore by just going to extremes (akin to CrushIT!). So, we'll see. In the meantime, I'll continue working my 40+ hrs a week and seeing if the 4 HR Workweek soaks in and changes my lifestyle design. :-) -Chris ===== Good points. I can see that. I had the fortunate opportunity to start my career doing something very different -- teaching on a tropical island for the peace corps. One of the nice things is that it gave me the time to really think through the purpose of work and life. I really do believe that most people move from distraction to distraction and forget the things that really matter -- to me, what really matters is not a completing a bucket list -- becoming a tango champion, climbing everest -- but connecting better with people on a day to day basis. It is the pillar of happiness. So it has more to do with how you go about doing something versus what you are doing. Of course, pitching people a story of a tropical island, no-worries-living sells books and sounds great but ultimately it is shallow. And, whatever holes you have your life follow you regardless of the location. Even living on a tropical island gets boring and frustrating after a while ... like with everything, the vacation ends and life starts. Like with all things, there are definitely truths in there but I'm always a bit skeptical of people who describe contentment in terms of things and places versus something deeper. My in-laws have a old picture with sayings on their kitchen wall. One of the sayings says "a happy man is one who needs nothing." (or something like that.) I think that there's some truth to that. Now let's get back to working until we retire.... Joe Great post and very relevant to me personally.

A good friend of mine suggested I read this so I just picked up the digital version the other night and dove in. Ironically, and in juxtaposition to you, he and another good friend of mine who replied after he saw I was reading it m(yes, via Twitter) mentioned it changed their life. They are married and have kids (yes, plural), so I would say that this book at least touches some people in a prophetic way.

Again, I’m only a few chapters in, but the thing that strikes me is the “New Rich” and the idea of retirement. I don’t agree that retirement has to suck with you either being poor, bored, or poor and bored so spend everything now to enjoy instant gratification. But, I also see that with the current economic conditions the way they are and the old paradigm of employers “taking care of their own” in their elderly ages having vanished, there has to be an individually driven need to enjoy life and capture enough money to live comfortably later when you can’t work (or don’t want to…I really hope I’m not bagging groceries at 80). There has to be some middle ground – which this book seems to ignore by just going to extremes (akin to CrushIT!).

So, we’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll continue working my 40+ hrs a week and seeing if the 4 HR Workweek soaks in and changes my lifestyle design. :-)

-Chris

=====

Good points. I can see that.

I had the fortunate opportunity to start my career doing something very different — teaching on a tropical island for the peace corps. One of the nice things is that it gave me the time to really think through the purpose of work and life. I really do believe that most people move from distraction to distraction and forget the things that really matter — to me, what really matters is not a completing a bucket list — becoming a tango champion, climbing everest — but connecting better with people on a day to day basis. It is the pillar of happiness. So it has more to do with how you go about doing something versus what you are doing. Of course, pitching people a story of a tropical island, no-worries-living sells books and sounds great but ultimately it is shallow. And, whatever holes you have your life follow you regardless of the location. Even living on a tropical island gets boring and frustrating after a while … like with everything, the vacation ends and life starts.

Like with all things, there are definitely truths in there but I’m always a bit skeptical of people who describe contentment in terms of things and places versus something deeper. My in-laws have a old picture with sayings on their kitchen wall. One of the sayings says “a happy man is one who needs nothing.” (or something like that.) I think that there’s some truth to that.

Now let’s get back to working until we retire….

Joe

]]> By: colopy http://joeism.com/2010/01/25/how-i-stay-focused-for-more-than-4-hours-a-week/comment-page-1/#comment-381 colopy Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:31:37 +0000 http://joeism.com/?p=525#comment-381 Thanks for the comment Victor. I'm not doing much with drawing to prioritize but I do carve out some time every Sunday night to frame my priorities for the week. Appreciate the Twitter follow too. At some point, I'll blog on my Twitter following / followers strategy. It still needs some work. Thanks for the comment Victor.

I’m not doing much with drawing to prioritize but I do carve out some time every Sunday night to frame my priorities for the week.

Appreciate the Twitter follow too. At some point, I’ll blog on my Twitter following / followers strategy. It still needs some work.

]]> By: colopy http://joeism.com/2010/01/25/how-i-stay-focused-for-more-than-4-hours-a-week/comment-page-1/#comment-380 colopy Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:29:16 +0000 http://joeism.com/?p=525#comment-380 Rory .... agreed. I think that social media is very powerful. It's not about living in a cave -- just a matter of you dictating it versus the other way around. Life is more than jumping from distraction to distraction and if you really look at the very successful people out there in the world, most of them are stars at focusing on few things and doing them well. Thanks for the LinkedIn connection too. Rory …. agreed. I think that social media is very powerful. It’s not about living in a cave — just a matter of you dictating it versus the other way around. Life is more than jumping from distraction to distraction and if you really look at the very successful people out there in the world, most of them are stars at focusing on few things and doing them well. Thanks for the LinkedIn connection too.

]]> By: Victor Velasquez http://joeism.com/2010/01/25/how-i-stay-focused-for-more-than-4-hours-a-week/comment-page-1/#comment-379 Victor Velasquez Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:44:21 +0000 http://joeism.com/?p=525#comment-379 One more recommendation for staying focused: Every Sunday or Monday take up to 15 min to think about the ultimate goals for the next week and then write them down and put them in front of you desk. If you are very visual you can draw a symbol for each goal in 3 different sheets of paper and put them in front of you. Then during the week, every time you feel you are getting distracted, just turn your head up and look at the 3 goals (drawings). One more recommendation for staying focused:
Every Sunday or Monday take up to 15 min to think about the ultimate goals for the next week and then write them down and put them in front of you desk. If you are very visual you can draw a symbol for each goal in 3 different sheets of paper and put them in front of you. Then during the week, every time you feel you are getting distracted, just turn your head up and look at the 3 goals (drawings).

]]> By: Rory Carlyle http://joeism.com/2010/01/25/how-i-stay-focused-for-more-than-4-hours-a-week/comment-page-1/#comment-378 Rory Carlyle Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:53:10 +0000 http://joeism.com/?p=525#comment-378 I would argue that Twitter has a unique position in the online world to connect you with people of great influence and can be extremely productive. I've learned more than I care to tell from Twitter in a short period of time. Facebook on the other hand, I agree, a waste of time. Curtailing your time goofing off and having the will power to focus is different than removing online connectivity from your life altogether. Social media is here to stay. Dip your toe in once in a while at least ;-) I would argue that Twitter has a unique position in the online world to connect you with people of great influence and can be extremely productive. I’ve learned more than I care to tell from Twitter in a short period of time. Facebook on the other hand, I agree, a waste of time.

Curtailing your time goofing off and having the will power to focus is different than removing online connectivity from your life altogether.

Social media is here to stay. Dip your toe in once in a while at least ;-)

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