Bribing You to Quit and Bosses as Muppets 33 Comments

Written by Tim Ferriss Topics: 4-Hour Case Studies, The Book - 4HWW

Let us celebrate a week well fought and pause for a moment of Zen, capitalist-style:

If you have any Zen capitalist questions of your own, please share them in the comments!

Take a well-deserved breather this weekend and schedule some personal fun for your psychological and emotional bank account. Income is renewable–time is not.

Have a great weekend! :)

P.S. Only 48 hours left on the uncut 4HWW manuscript charity auction! This includes bonus material, 30 minutes of private coaching with me (I don’t offer private coaching), and more. Check out the current price here…

Posted on August 9th, 2007

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33 Responses to “Bribing You to Quit and Bosses as Muppets”

Lyman Reed
August 10th, 2007
12:31 am

Great questions! Thanks for the laughs!

I’d have to assume that since it would only take about 10 grand to get me to quit my day job, I’m probably in the wrong one. ;)
Sean
August 10th, 2007
2:08 am

Interesting poll results.
Sijmen
August 10th, 2007
2:33 am

What actually is Zen capitalism? How is it different from normal capitalism?

###

Zen capitalism is the best term I could come up with for asking Zen-like questions (not quite koans, but close) like those I listed. Most are somehow related to money, hence the “capitalism” part. Income with introspection ;)

Tim
Dan
August 10th, 2007
5:26 am

Hi Tim,

Have you created an adwords advert for the auction? you can set up an eBay affiliate account with commissionjunction.com and any new sign ups to eBay that get there by your link you will get paid a commission. It seems your name and the book title have become a commodity on google so why not utilize it for this and get a few more hits on the auction? You know the numbers…

I quit my job 4 months ago.

Dan
Lovejoy
August 10th, 2007
6:46 am

What’s the best thing about being a wage slave?

the perks
the moolah
the slaves
the security
the routine
CJG
August 10th, 2007
7:11 am

I work at a biz that has off Fridays. It is a nine day 80 hour work week, with weekends off. It is not all that you would imagine, since it is often used to make schedule up by many managers. In the end, pressure is there to have you work more.
Graham Lutz
August 10th, 2007
7:38 am

What’s the most used corporate lingo at your office?

1. Mission Critical

2. Reengage

3. Key Takeaway

4. Core Competencies
Mario Parise
August 10th, 2007
8:52 am

$10,000 was the smallest amount to quit my job? How about a pack of chewing gum and a pat on the back?
thom singer
August 10th, 2007
10:02 am

If you had enough money to quit your job and not work at all would you:

a. be in a pure state of joy
b. feel guilty
c. not know what to do all day
d. volunteer to help others
e. go nuts
Charles
August 10th, 2007
10:06 am

How about a cold can of PBR to leave my job?
David
August 10th, 2007
10:21 am

The idea of having Fridays off sounds great, but it’s hard to imagine. I’d be happy just to have weekends off at this point.
Jan
August 10th, 2007
11:12 am

About the muppets: my boss is Swedish…

(best boss I’ever had)
John
August 10th, 2007
12:58 pm

$50,000 would be enough for me to start my own consulting business, so that would be my choice!
Rich
August 10th, 2007
2:40 pm

Tim,

I quit my job 129 days ago. It’s been a bumpy ride but your book provides constant encouragement. I think too many people are afraid to quit because they think they might fail. Like you mentioned in your book, if you fail you just get another job. No worries. Remember: Fortune favors the brave!
DCer
August 10th, 2007
4:19 pm

I wasn’t particularly scared by any of the “Scary” options. If you can’t speak in public then you need training or therapy or both because something is really wrong with your self-image. I was a trainer and I taught 8 hour classes 5 days a week and had people stare at me for 8 hours at a time. Within 3 days I no longer cared about what people thought of me and just worked at it. After all, what possibly could people think about you that would upset you?
Finer Minds - Todays top blog posts on Meditation - Powered by SocialRank
August 10th, 2007
8:25 pm

[...] Bribing You to Quit and Bosses as Muppets [...]
Jay
August 11th, 2007
12:55 am

If you had enough money to quit your job what would you do with all the spare time?
John Green
August 11th, 2007
9:38 am

I had a job for 5 years in the 1990s. I got it because I wanted to learn about UNIX (I didn’t learn enough about UNIX and nobody there was very interested in helping me do it). Most of the rest of my life (I’m 61) I’ve managed to survive without having a job. For me, surviving WITH a job is harder. It kills something inside. I’m not rich, but I do own a nice house (fully paid off) and I get by. There are no easy answers though. You don’t solve anything by answering clever questions or speculating about pie in the sky aspirations. You have to find your way all over again each day, but you begin with the absolute determination that you WILL do it. I love that old saying “If the belief is strong enough the facts don’t count!”
J
August 11th, 2007
10:14 am

I’m currently only at my job for the paycheck and flexible hours. I spend most of my time outside (and at least a few hours in) working on foreign languages and portable skills so that I can set myself up for when I plan on leaving in a year for a hopefully permanent vacation.

I don’t need a bribe to quit but I might need a restraining harness for the next few days. The anger at how things are run at my place of employment as well as some of the customers has really got to me. I don’t hate the place, I just hate how it’s run and how I and my fellow employees are treated.

Looking forward to the last day,

-J
Ricki Ford
August 11th, 2007
11:44 am

love this post great job
Dave
August 11th, 2007
10:48 pm

One could argue that the irony here is I actually paid you (and your publisher) to convince me to leave my job. I was on track to do it anyway, but there’s no question coming across 4HWW put me over the edge. I quit within 2 weeks and genuinely big things started happening that very day. You’d have a hard time believing it if I told you. If you’re still undecided — do it. Your time will be once again yours and your life from that moment forward is exactly what you make of it.

There is no right time. The right time is the time you decide is right. Don’t discredit that as being cliche — it is, and it just so happens to be the absolute truth.

Create the life.
Svetla
August 12th, 2007
11:12 am

Hi Tim,

I quit my job at Corporate America about 3 years ago and never regret that for a second. I’m not rich, but I am much happier and free. I work now about 20 hours per month and I live on both sides of the world constantly, Europe and USA, working on Internet. This is possible – and what are you writing about is working- good for you to put that in a book before me:).I learned a lot of things from your book and I think I’ll reduce my working hours now even more:).
Gael
August 13th, 2007
5:28 am

Hello all,

If you combine “Rich Dad Poor Dad” with the 4HWW book, and you’ll manage to have a great life. I’ve been following some principles in the last 5 years, and it worked great for me:

1- Be financially independent: make money works for you and the other way around
2- Use the 20/80 principle in everything you do
3- Never stop learning
4- Travel and meet with new people as much as possible
5- Exercise 30 minutes a day, one day rest per week.
M.Hooker
August 13th, 2007
8:40 pm

I’m finally leaving my job of 9 years this October. I am not looking for another until money runs out and I absolutely have to.

I started during senior year in highschool and got sucked in for the decent pay. I’ve never been flat broke like most friends of mine over the years, but I’ve also never really done anything worthwhile or been completely happy with life as a result of this office job.

I am nearly done with your book and still can’t come up with one damn idea or semblance of a game plan.

Fear is setting in but I’m still going to go through with quitting.

My biggest fear isn’t starving, it’s having to crawl back.
Rather not Say
August 15th, 2007
7:17 am

Damn it!

I got the 20% raise instead of every Friday off!

I guess it’s back there tomorrow to waste hours in meetings playing wank-word-bingo….
Shawn Morgan
August 15th, 2007
2:30 pm

You don’t have to do anything more for me Tim. Check out this blog post:

http://www.shawnmorgan.com/Blog/tabid/54/EntryID/7/Default.aspx

###

Congrats, Shawn! That is awesome. I also dig the LIF acronym. Another one that I’m fond of, which is used in business often, is FUD — Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.

Keep us posted on your adventures,

Tim
Chris Wilson
August 18th, 2007
9:53 pm

Only need 50K to get myself completely out of debt. Then I’d be able to just focus on working. did it for 5 years after my .com crashed in the bubble burst, but was never able to get out from under past debt.

think it would be different without the hounds on my tail the whole time.
Barry Hughes
August 29th, 2007
3:26 am

Hi Timothy

My name is Barry Hughes from Kelowna, BC Canada.

Funny how I had decided last week to leave my job as a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep in search of a more exciting and fulfilling lifestyle. I couldn’t see myself doing this for the rest of my life. Coincidentally, the next day a gentlemen offered me a new exciting opportunity and also told me of your book. The timing is perfect. NOW!

You are right, it was fear holding me back!

I am brand new at this, afraid, but also committed.

If you would be kind enough to answer a few questions.

1) How do you start to re-discover and begin a new existence? Where do you look?

2) My biggest worry is taking my boys 11 and 8 and wife of 17 years and turning their world upside down to achieve my own happiness. Your thoughts?

You are my first attempt to contact someone famous and ask a few questions. I hope and believe you’ll respond, but won’t quit trying if you don’t either.

###

Hi Barry!

Thanks for taking the first steps. These are questions that require some in-depth answers. The quick answers are:

1. Ask a lot of questions and test your own assumed limitations. Do you “have” to do anything? The Q&A in the book are a good place to start.

2. I don’t think your happiness and your family’s happiness need be separated. If you’re unhappy, so will be your family. Don’t guess at how they’ll feel or how they’ll respond. Talk to them and ask. At the end of the day, few decisions are permanent, so commit as a family to testing things that you think could increase your happiness and lifestyle quotient.

Good luck!

Tim
Roger Pilon
August 30th, 2007
1:22 pm

Will ever your book “The Book: The 4-Hour Workweek” be available in PDF form (read payable downloadable form)??

I live in Costa Rica and here it is a pain in the neck to get anything here at a fair cost…if ever it gets here!

I know your editor has to get his investment back but…maybe somewhere in 2008?

Thank!

Roger

###

Hi Roger,

Here is the ebook PDF at http://www.powells.com:
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=91-9780307394392-0

Que te guste!

Tim
Poll on what can make you quit - A 4 Hour Work Week Forum
October 3rd, 2007
3:29 am

[...] Poll on what can make you quit Tim Ferriss posts a series of laugh out loud questions on what can make you quit your job and take up the 4hww lifestyle. Get the questions from » Bribing You to Quit and Bosses as Muppets [...]
Jennifer
November 6th, 2007
2:05 am

Hi,

I stumbled upon your site today and was quite impressed. I really liked the design. Did you make it yourself?

I wanted to let you know about ReadPrint.com — a massive non-profit library similar to Bartleby — except its far better organized and user friendly. We’ve been using it extensively in school nowadays — it’s great for doing research since you can search within the books.
Poll on what can make you quit | TechTalk
November 30th, 2007
3:53 am

[...] Tim Ferriss posts a series of laugh out loud questions on what can make you quit your job and take up the 4hww lifestyle. Get the questions from » Bribing You to Quit and Bosses as Muppets [...]
Arlene
January 26th, 2008
5:58 pm

Thank you for writing this book that helps so many of us take another look at our priorities. I would appreciate more input on creating the “muse”, the cash generating business that frees us to enjoy more things in life. I work for government, so convincing the boss that I should telecommute is a slow moving endeavor. I would LOVE to get out of cubicle jail.

The problem is, I just am not having a lot of luck figuring out a muse or business to get cash coming in. Dropshippers merchandise is too overpriced to make any profit. I’ve searched for magazines and journals that identify with my group, but can’t seem to come up with anything inspiring to sell or invent that isn’t out there aleady. I’ve searched the patent database, and it’s just overwhelming. Sorry to sound a bit negative, but while I believe in everything about not working a regular desk job, I currently need to replace the income before I jump ship. Knowing you want to do all these things in life is so frustrating when you can’t figure out how to free yourself from work!

Any input on how readers went about creating a successful muse would be greatly appreciated!!

Best Regards,
Arlene