Comments on: Why Tim Ferriss Irks Me and How a Sabbatical is Not a "Mini-Retirement"

By: Elizabeth Pagano

Elizabeth Pagano — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:50:13 +0000

So well said, C.S.I. In Tim Ferriss’ defense, I think he’s found ways to be “productive” (in the sense of giving back to society) with his state of un-work. But I understand your point. Even though I’ll continue wishing that everyone finds work that they love, I know that won’t always be the case. Sometimes our “meaningful work” is outside of our salaried job, and that’s okay. Either way, I continue to advocate “meaningful breaks” – and I’m awfully glad you get yours every year. I bet the breaks make you a better teacher for your students. Thanks for stopping by …

By: C.S.I.

C.S.I. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:57:33 +0000

The whole notion of trying not to work annoys me-if the goal is to be unproductive at the cost of society. I am a teacher, and a happy one. I have a mini-retirement every summer, if that is the terminological currency of value here. In fact, I only “work” about eight months per year. I love that, and I love my work. It feels like the most serious sort of play there can be.

There is a fellow who teaches on the same campus. He works what we call a 7/6 position, teaching extra classes to speed up his retirement. He has offered to teach during his lunch hour if it will hasten his retirement. I find that exceptionally sad. I love what I do so much that I never begrudge the end of a weekend or of a week off (I am in the midst of one currently).

It seems to me that there is a deep-seated kernel of truth in the contention that we stigmatize work as being that which we don’t do by choice. If this is the case, then call me unemployed.

By: Twitter Trackbacks for Why Tim Ferriss Irks Me and How a Sabbatical is Not a “Mini-Retirement” | yourSABBATICAL.com [yoursabbatical.com] on Topsy.com

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:26:24 +0000

[...] Why Tim Ferriss Irks Me and How a Sabbatical is Not a “Mini-Retirement” | yourSABBATICAL.com yoursabbatical.com/blog/2009/03/27/why-tim-ferriss-irks-me-and-how-a-sabbatical-is-not-a-mini-retirement – view page – cached Along with a gazillion other people, I am inspired by Tim Ferriss and his book, The 4-Hour Workweek. He’s the uber rock star of work-life balance, and he — From the page [...]

By: The Sabbatical Mindset » Too Busy Working to Go on a Sabbatical: Could That Be a Lie?

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:06:14 +0000

[...] Last week, Penelope Trunk nailed anyone still whining about being too busy. “People feeling overwhelmed are putting their careers at risk.” Trunk says there is a correct response to information overload (”I’m on top of it!”) and swipes (again) at Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek (”he’s a scam”). And she admonishes her readers to get a grip on “busy.” As an aside, we have issues with Tim Ferriss, too. [...]

By: Karl Staib - Work Happy Now

Karl Staib - Work Happy Now — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:53:06 +0000

Right on! Mini-retirement is a bad way of looking at it. A sabbatical is a way to recharge the battery and go back to work with a refreshed outlook.

When we work in an environment that engages us it usually means that we put our heart and soul into it. If we work 40 years and try to live after we are retired that’s no life. We must live now.

Great article!

By: Elizabeth Pagano

Elizabeth Pagano — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:25:55 +0000

Karen – My dear, super-sharp and talented mother annoys me sometimes, but God I love her. Tim’s incorrect definition of sabbaticals annoys me, as does his use of the term “mini-retirements”. But do I love and support his work? He’s been at the top of our books page since our inception. I think that’s raving. I love the larger picture of what he represents; as you so eloquently describe, Tim sucks the life out of every day with hyperlearning, giving back, etc. But you’re also right in that semantics are critically important. I am annoyed that he promotes the concept of “retirement”, instead of focusing more on the definition of *work* in the way that Jonathan Mead's post describes. Tim's solution is basically an entrepreneurial one. What about all the folks who aren’t cut out for entrepreneurialism or who love their company so much that they want to continue working AND have a Ferriss-like lifestyle? His book offers little for those people and mis-defines a concept that offers a partial solution for those who will always work for larger organizations – sabbaticals. Thanks for reading. Thanks for your very intelligent comments/feedback. Thanks for participating. And although I bet Tim is too busy for dinner, you and I could still continue the dialogue over a shared entree at 4th & Swift – I’ll bring his book.

By: Karen

Karen — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:28:18 +0000

It shocks me that you do not see the like mind in Tim Ferriss’ approach of integrating work/play rather than separating. This seems very much your philosophy – hence my shock that you are annoyed so by him. To quote you above “Tim apparently takes three or four mini-retirements a year. The guy is basically on a permanent, extended vacation.” You make it sound like he sits on the couch in far off lands. This guy gets more out of every day and practices learning (actually hyperlearning), applied experience, and giving back – whether it be at home or elsewhere. He posts from everywhere how he blends and improves and doesn’t wait until a magical vacation at the end of the year to do it. Or, worse, a magical retirement at the end of work life. Help me understand….He advises for simplifying the more repetitive things in one’s life in ways to maximize value (i.e. be conscious of your savings/spending and automate your finances so you don’t spend extra hours worrying or backtracking). You advise to integrate work and life to maximize value. Semantics are critically important….I wonder if he should have called his book “The 168 hour work/life week”. Or, better “The 168 hour week”. I would think YourSabbatical would be a raving supporter. How is this person someone that would annoy you? Maybe the solution is that we need a dinner with Tim Ferriss to clear up his actual intentions in his words? Maybe in Fiji?

By: Elizabeth Pagano

Elizabeth Pagano — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:17:43 +0000

“Mocking” in admiration, Jamie. I wholeheartedly support the values you’ve described. You’re right, work and personal life should be one. And I think we’re slowly getting there. Certainly, the Brazen community’s popularity makes evident that this kind of work-life design is the future. And Zipcars are so perfectly sensible…..thanks for reading and commenting.

By: Jamie Varon

Jamie Varon — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:44:34 +0000

Suggest to Jamie and all her Brazen Careerist friends that they work for 40 years SO THAT they can finally live, and they’d probably throw a Facebook punch at you, drive off in their Zipcar … and then Tweet about it.

Even though I do feel that you were mocking me (just a bit), I still found this incredibly funny and amazing. Especially since you followed up with something I truly appreciate:

They must make jobs rewarding enough (and not just with money) so that people choose working over not working. In that world, with that lifestyle, retirement becomes unnecessary and organizations retain their talent.

What you are hitting at here is that we do want to work hard and be passionate about the company we represent. Sure, we may come off as abrasive and a little bit snotty, but that’s only because we want to be happy within our work and personal life. We don’t want those separated. Of course, I’m speaking in generalities, but this is the impression I get from others like myself in the Brazen community.