The 6 Hour Work Week Journal

One Year on! It's all about timing!

2012-02-03T21:32:00.000Z

Yes, the last year was full of hope. And once again I marched out in my own strength. Learn to be patient young man! [Not that young anymore!]. The Bible tells us we have to respect God's timing, which is perfect. If this last year has taught me nothing else, it has taught me that the Will of God is extraordinary and futile to fight against. In the Goodcommerce blog, I wrote last year about surrender - so prophetic!

However, although it was not time to progress this blog, the better part of His plan was to set me Free from the shackles of the 'employed' world, into the somewhat intimidating wilderness that is business, and on toward the promised land that is my mission fulfilled. How long I spend in the wilderness is dependent upon how well I listen to Him and how surely I obey His Will.

So I have made huge leaps toward my 6 hour workweek objective. I have been guided away from the shackles of straight forward 'money for time' employment and given the opportunity to control most of my own time. Now I can plan and reorganise with much greater flexibility. Now much of my income comes down to a reflection of the progress I make in my chosen fields of endeavour, which in turn reflect what is in my heart and what excites me! [Passions I believe are gifts from Jesus]

Last year, the plan was to explore the work of Marsha Sinetar and keep a journal of my progress toward a 6 hour workweek. Now I have the time and the space. I am listening to the voice of my master, and I am convinced the time is ripe.

Until the next post - certainly not one year from now - we'll see which topic I am guided to first, the book or the journal...or maybe something else!

God bless - Mike

Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow...

2011-02-15T07:23:00.000Z

OK, posting weekly doesn't seem to have happened yet. As I said, first needs to come 'Time Discipline'. I've tried crafting as I go but other things just suck the time away. So I'm going to identify a time each week dedicated to writing and editing/posting. I'm still going to try and write as I go but I'm going to treat anything I manage to do this way as a bonus! I've identified writing as a skill that comes naturally, and from the feedback of others, maybe a modicum of talent.
Of course this is a journey. Writing may not be your 'thing', but this Blog is about exploring ways of getting to the 'ideal' position of a 6 hour Work Week, however that is achieved. For this reason, I'm going to sit down, re-explore and write about a book on the topic of 'Talent focussed worklife'. I believe this is the essence of what our working lives should be about. As a Christian, I'm completely sold on the idea that God made each and everyone of us to fulfil His purpose on earth, and He made us with the exact specifications to fulfil a particular mission/role. It is our 'Joy' to discover and unfold this mission, as He has put within each one of us an inner knowledge revealed in our predispositions, core desires and passions. These ensure that if we engage with Him, follow His direction and work diligently with the inner tools we have been given, we will indeed have a joyful and fulfilling life.
The book in question is by Marsha Sinetar and is called 'Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow: Choosing Your Right Livelihood'. In it the author addresses some important issues that I believe are at the very heart of victory over life. Think about it, if you or I never got the time freedom offered by a 6 hour work week, but instead still did what we loved, would our journey have been in vain? If the journey never blessed us with abundant wealth, but we loved what we did, would our journey have been fruitless? You could argue that this way offers a plan B built into it by default, without ever having to abandon plan A! Before I go on to explore Marsha's book over the coming weeks, I want to point out that this journey, explored and reflected in this blog, is about creating space to freely express myself as I believe Jesus wants me to. It's not about pursuing wealth, or for that matter about creating an easy life. I believe it is about bringing me into contact with those who are ready to receive His word and about transmitting the message that He is not only Love, but that within this He is true Freedom - "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."(Galatians 5:1). God bless. Mike.

The time poverty reality!...

2011-01-21T06:12:00.000Z

Well there you have it. I first posted on 13th December and here I am over one month later...with the second post!!!
Now I don't have a high powered job that demands I put in 16 hour days and eat/sleep/drink the work of the company I work for. I don't own a business that demands the same kind of commitment either. However, I certainly find that 'things' eat up the time I have. I currently work a full 5 day week. Nothing special there then. I have weekends away from work but find domestic and family distractions abound. No doubt many of you are in the same boat. It might seem obvious to the reader, that what is needed is a little time discipline, so;

Observation : Before we can have the time abundance offered by a 6hr work week, we must first claim the time through time discipline.

What I'm already putting in place are specific times each day when I can fulfil the activities I believe will get me to my goal. (NB. Please forgive me if I state the obvious, I'm trying to document my thinking and leave a trail for others to follow and make sense of in their own contexts.)
Now I'm aware that at this present moment in time, I am probably writing this to myself. I acknowledge there will probably be no readers for some time!! That doesn't matter. As I said, this is to leave a trail of my experiences and thoughts, a living testimony that might guide and inform, and inspire.
Reading and listening to others who have developed blogs, makes it clear that especially in the beginning, what really matters is that we form a habit, a discipline of writing, we learn our craft and we do it for the love of doing it, not for what it will/might bring.
One thing about this blog that I want to clarify before we end. It is a journal, but I want to develop my craft of writing. Now this post was written as it tumbled out of my thoughts, but I want to craft these posts to make them more readable and effective. I intend to post weekly, but the content will be no less 'real', just better constructed to communicate the experiences and ideas. With this in mind, I would be extremely grateful for any constructive comments - about my writing or about the content.

God bless
Mike

In the beginning...

2010-12-13T13:35:00.000Z

The purpose of this diary is to document the progress of this project to a 6 (Six) Hour work week reality! It was inspired partly by the book of Tim Ferriss 'The 4 Hour workweek' , and partly by a calling to work unhampered by financial concerns or time constraints, in areas where income is not a reward.

This project forms part of an endeavour by Goodcommerce.co.uk, which we call 'Goodcommerce Freedom', to explore and develop 'productive activity' that also liberates its participants from much of the bondage of modern life - Debt, Time poverty, Purpose misdirection etc.

We do not seek to get 'rich' in the monetary sense, but to get rich in the way God always meant us to be - doing the things we were made for, which by definition we love and are drawn to, for which we are gifted and/or resourced, and which we would gladly engage in without worldly motive.

Some people are fortunate that they have the oppportunity to live a liberated lifestyle (and I'm not talking about a slothful life of loafing about!) doing productive, purposeful enterprise that benefits all. For the rest of us, we need a means to overcome imprisonment in our lives - whether that is breaking free of crippling debt, pushing on to overcome time-poverty, or further still to find true peace and freedom as a follower of Jesus.

We want to offer these three steps without condition. To make available resources that allow each potential participant a level of service that meets the needs most appropriate at the time. Goodcommerce.co.uk is the place to find out more.

Here at 'The 6 Hour Workweek' our intention is to form a testimony by 'walking the walk' of the mission we are led to. To demonstrate that a 6 hour work week is feasible, learnable and liberating.

Why a 6 hour work week and not a 4 hour one? Tim Ferriss maybe right that we could build a 4 hour a week enterprise but we feel that an hour a day 6 days a week is a lovely round number that fits nicely with scripture (Six days you shall labour and do all your work - Ex 20:9) and my sense of unhurriedness. I can't see that one hour per day, six days a week is going to be that much of a constraint!

The first diary entries will appear in the next few days.