What do you think about when you’re at home, on your way to work, and at work? If you’re like most people, you think about your work – what you still need to complete, what you need to get started on, when the next meeting is, and so on. The 9-5 grind is exhausting for many and seemingly meaningless as you have barely any time or energy left over to enjoy the little money you’ve earned.
How can you escape this pattern? Here are six books that may give you some ideas on how to work less and earn more:
Work Like Your Dog: Fifty Ways to Work Less, Play More, and Earn More (1999) by Matt Weinstein & Luke Barber
Work Like Your Dog is the result of more than two decades of Weinstein and Barber running seminars to help corporate clients to enjoy their work more. In this manual the two experts clearly explain fifty ways in which you can make work more fun. Their advice is easy to read, highly practical, and proven successful by employees of American Express, IBM, and AT&T, among others.
(You Will) Never Work Again: Work Less, Earn More & Live Your Freedom (2013) by Erlend Bakke
If you’re a budding entrepreneur, this is definitely a must read. Merely three months after its publication, Never Work Again has become an international bestseller, with readers from around the world pouring praise on the Norwegian author and outsourcing expert Erlend Bakke. This is no surprise given that the book contains many insightful and detailed tips on how to escape the 9-5 grind and pursue your dreams. At the core of it is the simple principle that your time is precious. That’s not a bad principle to remember if you ask us!
The 4-Hour Workweek (2007) by Timothy Ferriss
Heard about the ‘Tim Ferriss’ effect? In 2007, American writer, educational activist, and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss published The 4-Hour Workweek, a self-help book with a tagline that reads “escape 9-5, live anywhere, and join the new rich.” In this bestseller, Ferriss cites personal experience and also the Pareto principle to offer a different approach to making money and enjoying life. Working less and earning more? It is definitely a possibility with this approach.
Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap – and What Women Can Do About It (2005) by Warren Farrell
American educator, activist, and author Warren Farrell first came to prominence in the 1970’s as a leading male thinker for second-wave feminism. By 2000, he realised that he had examined every gender issue apart from the pay gap. Hence forth came this controversial book where Farrell charts twenty-five differences between male and female work-life choices that arguably account for the pay gap more than systemic discrimination. Whichever side of the debate you’re on, this is definitely a thought provoking read to consider you work/life balance.
The Skinny on Time Management: How to Maximize Your 24-Hour Gift (2010) by Jim Randel
Part of the Skinny on series, The Skinny on Time Management measures at just 134 pages. In it entrepreneur Jim Randel is relevant and concise, addressing techniques to free up your time and also strategies for how you can make better use of existing time. One key tip: prioritise. How? You’ll have to read it to find out!
The Contented Soul (2006) by Lisa Graham McMinn
Sure there is much to gain in working less and earning more, but perhaps the best way to ultimately feel that you have gained is to be content with what you have. In The Contented Soul, sociologist Lisa Graham McMinn from George Fox University dissects modern life as we know it, suggesting that instead of racing through life at dangerously high speeds, we were actually designed and function better at a slower, more reflective pace. You may not agree with all she says, but this read will definitely make you pause and think.
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Isabella Clarke is a university student and freelance writer interested in finance and spending her time getting stuck in a good book. When she’s not reading, you can find her browsing TGC for exciting new property listings!
