Experiments in Lifestyle Design

A few weeks ago, a book called The 4 Hour Work Week was very highly recommended to me, and I'm grateful I ran out and bought it right away. Tim Ferriss, 30, is a successful entrepreneur and the author of the best seller that teaches anyone how to join the "New Rich."

After the book's quick launch to fame, his blog, "Experiments in Lifestyle Design," also became highly successful. His most recent post, "How to Test-Drive Friends and Irritate People" is an experiment in testing people's true nature by trying to push their buttons right off the bat, skipping past the honeymoon phase niceties.

"What if it were possible to fast-forward relationships, whether with new friends, business partners, or romances? To get past the honeymoon facade of niceties and see their true tendencies underneath all it all?" Tim asks in the post.

"I've been experimenting with methods of 'removing the mask' so-to-speak, and it can be done. Relationships cost a premium of attention and time, and Iâ€"like mostâ€"want people in my life whose real personalities and motives will uplift and strengthen me instead of drain and demoralize me.

"Catching bad apples early begins with recognizing a truism: Adversity doesn't primarily build characterâ€"it reveals it."

The rest of his blog posts are similarly intriguing, and the result of Tim's experiments as he lives the life of the New Rich by following the how-tos from The 4 Hour Work Week.

Although everyone dreams of earning millions of dollars, Tim says it's not the cash they're after, it's the millionaire's life style. No one envisions slaving away in an office 15 hours a day as the funds in their bank account accumulate. They dream of traveling the world, lounging at luxury resorts, and indulging in the riches of life.

His acronym for success is DEAL:
Definition - define your ideal lifestyle, and how much that will cost
Elimination - Get rid of everything that consumes your time unnecessarily (such as email, reading news)
Automation - Get others to do time consuming tasks my delegating, automating or outsourcing to virtual assistants
Liberation - Mobility and using the freed up time

By prioritizing, and stopping "work for work's sake" anyone can enjoy the life of the New Rich. Yes, even employees. You won't have to quit your job; the secret, Tim says, is in working remotely, then outsourcing as much as possible.

Being part of the New Rich is all about gaining time and mobility. In other words, working as little as possible, to make as much money as possible, to free up your time to do the "things that excite you." Tim has used his free time to race motorcycles in Europe, ski in the Andes, scuba dive in Panama, and tango dance in Buenos Aires.

Other essential pieces to living this appealing lifestyle include avoidance of mass media (ask others what's new in the world instead) and limiting useless communication (Tim only checks his emails once a week; the other days his virtual assistants in India and the Philippines take care of it.)

I'll be connecting with Tim next week and will post shortly after. Be sure to check back for the exclusive interview!

Meanwhile, check out his blog, Experiments in Lifestyle Design. I also suggest taking a look at the recent lifestyle feature in the New York Times.