4-Hour Workweek : Chapter 2 Q&A

1. How has being “realistic” or “responsible” kept you from the life you want?

Being realistic and responsible has included believing that I need a ‘job with a steady income’ in order to support my family, to provide for their needs and wants, and that I should continue to raise the level of that ‘steady income’ higher and higher so that we can have a more comfortable lifestyle and can have opportunity for better experiences and growth. This has kept me from the life that I want because by perusing a steady income, I have accepted the 9-to-5 drudgery of corporate America. It’s constant effort to convince myself that I want to be there. I’m good at what I do, it’s just that I’m doing it for the benefit of people that I don’t truly care about, other than how they can help me reach my goals of higher ‘steady’ income. I want to experience life, and experience it during my best years, with those that I love.

2. How has doing what you “should” resulted in subpar experiences or regret for not having done something else?

Doing what I should includes ‘sucking it up’ and ‘putting in the time’ so that I can keep my job which will provide a steady income. This commitment to this mundane way to earn a living has prevented me from putting in any serious effort into numerous ideas that I’ve come up with over the years that represented true passions. Not giving these ideas true effort in trying to bring them to fruition is something that I already regret, regardless of how successful or unsuccessful they may have been. Either way, I would have been better off for having the experiences.

3. Look at what you’re currently doing and ask yourself, “What would happen if I did the opposite of the people around me? What will I sacrifice if I continue on this track for 5, 10, 20 years?”

If I did the opposite of the people around me, I would end up working for myself. I would reject the drudgery of corporate America, dismiss the idea of a ‘job for a steady income’ and pursue my dreams and passions – pursue excitement. If I continue on that track of working for myself, I could potentially sacrifice the lifestyle that I and my family are now accustomed to. I could potentially sacrifice the ability to afford the home in which we now live.