Living To Work?

• Living to work, or working to live?

  I think this is the biggest question of modern man: Am I here on this Earth to work, or am I just working so that I can have fun at the end of the week?

  It’s a difficult questions with many, many answers. I hope I do this extensive topic justice by discussing it here.

  Please let me know your thoughts on the topic – I’d be very grateful!

  So the question again:

  • Do we immerse ourselves in our work, spend 12+ hours a day out of the house for 5+ days a week for 48+ weeks of the year to earn a decent salary so that in those very rare times off you get to spend that money on gadgets and toys, spend time with loved ones, and spend time chilling out reflecting?

  Or:

  • Do we find an easy way to work, earn enough money to live by possibly being a little bit frugal, and spend our lives cramming in exciting activities to create memories that will last a lifetime?

  Or:

  • Something in between?

  This blog is not designed for me to judge your decisions and what you do with your life, so the simple answer is: There is no right answer. Everyone is different and we will all choose different things. Some things seem more logical than others – e.g. it doesn’t make sense to spend 12 hours days out of the house, sleep for 8 hours, only have 4 hours at home each day for the majority of your life, and then become ill because you are working too much -

  Unless of course you LOVE what you do, and you are doing it currently and happy that you are doing it.

  Personally, I am not after working those kinds of hours. I’m currently working almost that much and however much I love my job as a Personal Trainer and Holistic Lifestyle Coach, I am aware that my life is more than just work, and that life is to be lived. So, I am looking to change from working all the hours God sends. (Any ideas on how, please let me know – comment, thanks )

  So, on the other end of the scale, does it make sense to work less and make ENOUGH money that you can then take time out to do the things you love.

  There is a little story in the Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss on this that I love. I loved it from the very first time I read it so I hope you like it too:

  “

  An American businessman took a vacation to a small coastal Mexican village on doctor’s orders. Unable to sleep after an urgent phone call from the office the first morning, he walked out to the pier to clear his head. A small boat with just one fisherman had docked, and inside the boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish. “How long did it take you to catch then?” the American asked. “Only a little while,” the Mexican replied in surprisingly good English. “Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American then asked. “I have enough to support my family and give a few to friends.” the Mexican said as he unloaded them into a basket. “But…What do you do with the rest of your time?” The Mexican looked up and smiled. “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Julia,and stroll into the village each evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life senor.” The American laughed and stood tall. “Sir, I’m a Harvard M.B.A and can help you. You should spend more time fishing, and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. In no time, you could buy several boats with the increased haul. Eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats.” He continued, “Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell it directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coasting fishing village, of course, and move to Mexico City, then to Los Angeles, and eventually New York City, where you could run your expanding enterprise with proper management.” The Mexican fisherman asked, “But senor, how long will all this take?” To which the American replied, “15-20 years. 25 tops.” “But what then, senor.” The American laughed and said, “that’s the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.” “Millions senor, then what?” “Then you would retire and move to a small coastal fishing village, where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…”

  “

  I think this sums up the way I, and a good few many others feel about life, and lifestyle design.

  However in order to do this we need money. In the past our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have hunted for their food, but now we need money to go to the store or the market and pay for our houses. The way to do this is to work. Obviously our ancestors wouldn’t have called it work, but that is what they were doing when they were hunting – working. So, I think generally we are looking for balance in our lives.

  It has been shown that most hunters would have done about 3 hours of hunting in the mornings and then just “lived” the rest of the time. Maybe this is an option? I’m not sure about getting down to the Four Hour Work Week just yet, but what about the Three Hour Work Day to start with?

  
  
  January 4th, 2009 | Brett Sanders | 2 Comments | Tags: four hour work week, life, living, money, Work

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