How many of us feel like we are out of place where we are right now. Our work takes place in the proverbial cubicle where we secretly do other things at the same time. Running an online business or perhaps blogging in the boss’s time. We hate don’t like our job a lot and as the saying goes, we work so we can live.
Work has a negative ring to it, it’s our job, it’s what we do so we have money to do what we really want to be doing. Just ask anyone you meet what they think work is. Work is something we should not enjoy, if we enjoy our work to much it would become play. That certainly can’t be good for productivity now can it? It’s not supposed to be fun. Stop playing and get back to work.
But what if playing was our job? If we define our work as something we have to do to make a living (are we actually living?) and if we see fun as something that doesn’t apply to work we are heading off into an interesting direction. If we enjoy our work, we could conclude that we don’t have to work another minute! How about that one, the zero hour workweek is born just because of a change of mind. Every once in a while you see one of those employees or entrepreneurs, people who thoroughly enjoy themselves at what others perceive as work. They actually are playing all day long. No wonder they are enjoying themselves!
Where did it all go wrong? It’s not so much that things went wrong, times have changed. With the invention of Internet came the possibility to get paid to exist in stead of having to work long days for the rest of your life. Internet has rewritten the rules about life and how we spend it. Fifty years ago working from 9 to 5, 5 days a week for 40 something years was the norm. After that you were allowed to retire and enjoy what was left of you life. It seems totally out of place somehow. We work when we are most vital, and enjoy life when we’re not so vital anymore. Work was your life…
…and now we can get away from it all. The first thing would be to enjoy your work and get rid of all the negativity associated with working. The second step could be to take a look at what the things are you really want to be doing with your life. You can use boredom to get a clue to that. Boredom sets in whenever we are in a certain situation that we’d rather not be, we’d rather be some place else. Start making a list of all those places you’d rather be and get to work realizing those dreams.
With the power of Internet it’s quite possible to have a great time and get payed for it. The challenge is your to make it happen. Believe in that zero hour workweek and you can make it happen. Our brain is a brilliant piece of engineering, there is nothing that’s humanly possible that we can’t do, it’s all in the frame of mind. Why does one person become a bestselling author and the other works in a factory all his life? It’s the combination of creativity to think outside of the preconceptions and the productivity to make those thoughts real. We end up with success. We are playing, not working.
Come play
[update] Yesterday (20090908) Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind launched a new eBook called “The Zero Hour Workweek”. A huge coincidence but I’d still like to mention it here, for those who want further reading on the subject. For your convenience (and as internet currency) here’s a link to his new eBook [/update]
The absolutely explosive growth of technology has certainly rewritten the rules about ‘work’. I believe that now we are in a very long transition period where people finally begin to realize that there are options beyond the old societal norms about providing for oneself and family.
It’s incredibly exciting for sure. Good post!
The internet definitely has transformed our potential for work, however it is also possible to play and get paid for what you love doing without it.
As a dancer I get paid well for doing what I love, teaching dance and traveling to do so.
I know many regular artists who also get paid to do what they love. While it’s not the Tim Ferriss 4 Hour Workweek and often involves some ass-kicking work, it’s a pleasure for them. Even non-artists, mechanics, carpenters, etc. that I know are sometimes so enthused to be doing their work even if it is harder labor.
Sometimes getting your hands dirty and doing that hard work is as much a sense of play as getting to write about our journeys.
I think that you are on the right track here to use the phrase “zero-hour workweek”, if work means boring or unpleasant obligations.
Changing the state of mind from “boring” (work)to “fun” (play) is one way to make life more enjoyable, but it may not be easy to do. I would rather suggest that one conciously embraces all 3 aspects of life: personal – professional – social, and finds the way to fulfill them to the maximum.
Under this light, you can leverage a work/job for personal satisfaction (loving your work), professional (enhancing your expertise) and even social (sharing with your friends). A 60-hour work/play/networking week may seem feasible then.
Great timing – added extra to the blog post I was just tweaking and helps set the context for a new job I’m about to start (after freelancing for the last 9 months!).
Thanks – Robbie
Waao! Wonderful! Lovable article :)
Yes! Nice article! And you are really right in calling “Zero-Hour” :P
It’s funny to hear people talk about retirement now that I do what I love. I tell people I retired two years ago but I started coaching and writing two years ago. I hope that we can reach people with this message and help them see that when the find their calling they will never work again.