10 Simple Steps One Guy Took To Turn His 9-5 Into A 12-Hour Work Week
Ever since Tim Ferriss hit the book shelves with the 4-Hour Work Week, we have been fascinated with the idea of spending more of our time on passion pursuits and less time working. Like actual, boring, hate-to-do-it work. Because who the heck wouldn’t want to only work 4 hours per week?
While the 4 hour work week is a very, very aggressive goal, only working 12 hours per week somehow seems achievable. If nothing else, it is far less drastic. But how do you do it? How do you go from working 40 hours every, single week to only 12 hours? Passive income streams like a side hustle business that you can put on autopilot or a boat load of dividend stocks?
Both of those things could help you do it, sure. But there’s a little more too it than that. After all, if you are still holding and need your 9-5 (for income and healthcare benefits) then you need to be more calculated with how you go about working less.
In the twitter thread below, from Kostas On F.I.R.E. he discusses the 10 simple steps he used to have his 9-5 become more of a 9-11:24. (Yeah, we did the exact math!)
How To Turn Your 9-5 Into A 12-Hour Work Week
1. Negotiated full remote work
By getting to work full time from home I save time from
• Commuting
• Chatting in the kitchen
• Attending pointless meetingsI simply work only the necessary hours that I need to get the job done
— . (@TheMrMoneySmart) May 12, 2021
Thanks to the circumstances of the past year, this should be easy for most people to accomplish. Step two is getting your boss to buy into the idea. Here is what Kostas did.
3. The Pareto principle
This principle also known as the 80/20 rule, says the following
80% of the output comes from 20% of the input
I focus on executing 2-3 key tasks that have the most impact on
• The client
• The project
• The company
• My performance— . (@TheMrMoneySmart) May 12, 2021
Performance is everything here. So is the ability to handle your entire workload in a quarter of the time. Some might argue the job is overvalued and overpaid if you can create that big of an efficiency. Kostas was fortunate to not have that scenario.
That way I always make sure that I devote the majority of my time to high-value tasks
Being productive does not offer anything of value if you are being productive by finishing unimportant and meaningless tasks
Being effective and creating an impact is more important
— . (@TheMrMoneySmart) May 12, 2021
6. Removed time wasters
Many tasks and "rituals" of the office environment are complete time wasters
I check my email only twice per day
If a meeting does not require my input and is of low value to me I simply put it on speaker or headphones while I do other tasks
— . (@TheMrMoneySmart) May 12, 2021
There are so many — SO MANY — time wasters in the modern American workplace. From endless zoom meetings that could have been phone calls or even emails, to useless reports, to a myriad of other things that uselessly waste time.
8. Organization
90% of the time wasted in an office environment is to figure out
• Who did what
• What's the latest version of a file
• Where are you supposed to put files and documentsBeing organized is very critical to avoid wasting time on tedious tasks
— . (@TheMrMoneySmart) May 12, 2021
The importance of boundaries at work cannot be understated. When your boss thinks it is within their rights to text you at all hours of the day or night, you have a probably. And it’s a big problem at that.
The same goes for wasting time by constantly organizing. There is a place for organization in every job, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of actual productivity.
Especially when projects last for months or years
This might take more time in the beginning but it will save hours when you have to go back later and remember what you did
— . (@TheMrMoneySmart) May 12, 2021
To summarize:
1. Negotiated full remote work
2. Value Over Time
3. The Pareto principle
4. The Eisenhower Matrix
5. Parkinson's Law
6. Removed time wasters
7. Set boundaries
8. Organization
9. Documentation
10. Automation— . (@TheMrMoneySmart) May 12, 2021
Always be automating. And achieve the 12-hour work week and the work-life balance you so crave!
All credit to Kostas On F.I.R.E. for the incredible thread and useful information. Check out his account for more valuable information on personal finance and business.
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