#809: The 4-Hour Workweek Tools That Still Work — The Art of Refusal and The Low-Information Diet

This time around, we have a bit of a different format, featuring the book that started it all for me, The 4-Hour Workweek. Readers and listeners often ask me what I would change or update, but an equally interesting question is: what wouldn’t I change? What stands the test of time and hasn’t lost any potency? This episode features two of the most important chapters from the audiobook of The 4-Hour Workweek. The chapters push you to defend your scarce attention—one by saying no to people, the other by saying no to excess information.

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Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Start.

[00:07:24] The low-information diet.

[00:09:45] Cultivating selective ignorance.

[00:14:32] How to read 200% faster in 10 minutes.

[00:17:09] Questions and actions: Go on an immediate one-week media fast.

[00:21:05] Develop the habit of asking yourself, “Will I definitely use this information for something immediate and important?”

[00:22:03] Practice the art of nonfinishing.

[00:22:49] Comfort challenge: Get phone numbers.

[00:25:14] Interrupting interruption and the art of refusal.

[00:28:16] Not all evils are created equal.

[00:29:36] Time wasters: Become an ignoramus.

[00:30:09] Limit email consumption and production.

[00:33:05] Screen incoming and limit outgoing phone calls.

[00:36:10] Master the art of refusal and avoiding meetings.

[00:38:33] In order of preference, steer people toward email, phone, and in-person meetings.

[00:38:59] Respond to voicemail via email whenever possible.

[00:40:50] Meetings should only be held to make decisions about a predefined situation, not to define the problem.

[00:41:53] If you absolutely cannot stop a meeting or call from happening, define the end time.

[00:43:00] The cubicle is your temple — don’t permit casual visitors.

[00:44:24] Use the Puppy Dog Close to help your superiors and others develop the no-meeting habit.

[00:46:48] Time consumers: Batch and do not falter.

[00:50:05] How much is your time worth?

[00:50:45] Estimate the amount of time you will save by grouping similar tasks and batching them.

[00:51:14] Determine how much problems cost to fix in each period.

[00:53:02] Empowerment failure: Rules and readjustment.

[00:59:44] Questions and actions: Create systems to limit your availability.

[01:01:55] Batch activities to limit