| Is Goal Setting compatible with the ideas in Tim Ferris's | | | | which are dissolving the protection of distance for |
| bestseller on Lifestyle design, "The 4-Hour Work | | | | many job functions. Tim's recommendation is to come |
| Week" ? As with most self-help best sellers it has a | | | | up with an image of your ideal work life and then |
| catchy 4-letter system ('DEAL') to simplify the | | | | focus on win-win ways of demonstrating the |
| principles! (Actually, 'DEAL' is a sound strategy.) This | | | | productivity improvements this will inevitably deliver. |
| article looks at four important ideas from the book for | | | | 3- Build On Your Strengths |
| people ultimately looking to get out of the corporate rat | | | | This does contradict the advice of some authorities |
| race. The first goal is to escape the illustrious cubicle | | | | who countenance becoming a well-rounded person by |
| farm so beloved of big corporations. | | | | improving in your weaker areas. But in addition to it |
| 1- Self-Belief | | | | being a frustrating experience to focus on an field in |
| Since many of Tim's readers are likely technology | | | | which you have limited ability and almost no desire, |
| literate Gen X or Y folks who are looking down the | | | | time itself is not on your side. Our days are numbered |
| barrels of an ongoing (US) housing price bubble and | | | | and we know not when the end will come. |
| the social security time bomb of massive Boomer | | | | So why would you leverage your strengths and align |
| retirement, it is timely that he is 'preaching' to the | | | | your goals to help do this? One answer is that you are |
| converted when he implies that saving for the | | | | pursuing happiness in all that you do. Tim goes much |
| 'promised' good times of tomorrow-land is not the deal | | | | further than this and suggests that the primary driver is |
| it once was. | | | | "excitement". You are performing most effectively and |
| Tim is not ignoring the need to take responsibility for | | | | enjoying it immensely when you really are doing all |
| our own financial planning. Exactly the opposite! He | | | | those exciting things you have been putting off and off |
| reminds us that it is limiting beliefs which hold many | | | | - well, at least a subset of them to start with! |
| people back. They simply don't believe it is possible to | | | | 4- Build a Dreamline |
| have a series of mini-retirements during your most | | | | Tim has a novel approach on how to create inspiring |
| productive years, and avoid waiting decades for an | | | | visions for the immediate and near future - he is not |
| uncertain future. | | | | big into long range goal planning because he believes |
| The fundamental lesson here is that of reframing your | | | | things change too much or are simply unknowable that |
| beliefs concerning what is attainable for you. Tim calls | | | | far in advance. |
| this perspective "The New Rich" (NR) and for him it is | | | | His system for dreamlines is designed to get you into |
| now a perfectly normal way to live. However, to a | | | | action as quickly as possible. NOT taking action is |
| cubicle wage slave for 60 plus hours a week it | | | | what, logically enough, kills most peoples' dreams stone |
| probably seems plain crazy. But with some active | | | | dead. |
| preparation and goal setting, the probability increases | | | | The 'D' and 'E' sections of DEAL in Tim's book are for |
| of it working for us too, albeit initially in baby-steps. | | | | people in the planning stages of jettisoning their daily |
| 2- Mis-Planning For Retirement | | | | attachment to the cubicle farm. Tim understands that |
| Tim reckons the current ideas about slaving away at a | | | | his readers bring a wide range of personal and |
| JOB for the best (physically and mentally) 40 plus | | | | financial constraints on this self-empowering road trip. |
| years of your life and then retiring, is now antiquated. | | | | Easy does it! |
| More likely is the reality that people will live long lives | | | | The second half of the book is for heavy hitters who |
| but not be able to afford "permanent retirement" and | | | | have already crawled out the tunnel and are in free |
| also maintain a decent standard of living i.e. they will still | | | | territory. The ins-and-outs of passive income streams |
| need to work anyway. If that's the case then it makes | | | | and how to apply some of your well earned project |
| more sense to find meaningful work while we are in | | | | management and technical skills to owning your own |
| our prime years and break it up with extended | | | | Internet business are covered in some depth. Notice, I |
| "mini-retirements". | | | | said "owning" and not "running" your own business! |
| For salaried employees with typically just 10-20 days | | | | That is probably the difference between a 4-Hour |
| annual leave, this is again a difficult concept to buy into. | | | | work week and a 4-Hour Work day!! |
| But there are major shifts underway in how work gets | | | | Goal Setting for Career Changers. Free 14 Page |
| done in the global economy (e.g. the teleworking | | | | Report! |
| opportunities available via always-on Internet access) | | | | |