Interesting Read On Evonomics About Leisure

[Penn42]

Thought I'd share the most recent article from Evonomics.  If you're unfamiliar with Evonomics it's a great website. 

The post is called "Is There Anything That Working Less Does Not Solve?"  It's not written from the point of view of a potential early retiree, however it flirts with many of the same ideas that the ER community wrangles with often: the best way to maximize happiness, how to structure your life so your work and your play start to become one and the same, what the effects of consumerism and money dependence have on our culture and ourselves. 

I particularly like the very last line.  The conclusion he draws with it isn't exactly the same as I've drawn because the way he treats leisure throughout the article is a bit too passive (?) for me.  I just think that I too can handle the good life, if only I take it upon myself to give it to myself.  The good life isn't a destination, it's a journey.  That's such a cliche, but I want to be living the good life long before I'm FI.  The good life is simply what will make me financially independent.

I hope some enjoy the read.

http://evonomics.com/anything-working-less-not-solve/ 

[Just Joe]

Malkynn you nailed it. Spending evenings and weekends recovering from the work week. Done that too. No thanks.

[NoStacheOhio]

Rutger Bregman is really cool, MMM recommended his Utopia For Realists book a few months back, which was a good read.

[Schaefer Light]

Keynes the greatest economist of the 20th century?  Give me a break.

[Rubic]

Keynes the greatest economist of the 20th century?  Give me a break.

Here, have a break.  ;-)

Regardless of your opinion of him, Keynes is consistently ranked at the top
of the lists of 20th century economists: Forbes, Marginal Revolution, American
Economic Association.  Even the Mises Institute (who consider Keynes a
destructive influence) put him at the top of the list.  Keynes was also a
brilliant investor.   

As a counter balance, I'm fond of Milton Friedman.

[spokey doke]

The less I work, the more productive I am.
I used to work very long hours and cut down to 3 days at ~30 hrs/week, and once my debt is gone, I’ll cut down to ~15hrs/week as my side projects start taking over.

When I worked long hours, I watched a lot more tv and drank a lot more alcohol. My free time was spent mostly recovering from work and *just* managing to keep the rest of my life in order. The only thing that was thriving was my one job. My therapist then confronted me with the fact that only one thing was keeping me at my miserable job: me.

I was the ONLY factor holding myself back from a happier life. Me. That’s it. I *could* choose a happier and healthier life, but I was choosing to keep myself stuck. I was the asshole in my own way.

Now that I have plenty of leisure time, I rarely watch tv, rarely drink, and almost all of my free time goes towards enriching activities and productive projects. I’m happier, healthier, and funnily enough will end up far more profitable in the long run with a far more prestigious and diversified career based on essentially “hobbies”.

I’m now at the point where I’m literally inventing jobs for myself along the way as I see spaces for them to exist.

Me too...and I quit...to start something more fulfilling, which it has been...BUT I am now working long hours and not finding time to exercise, etc. because of the success (people want more of what I am doing...about the only topic of conversation is how to do more).  As I struggle with my response to the expectations and desires of others, it occasionally dawns on my that it is ME that is driving the bus here.

Looking forward to another downshift very soon. The art of saying "No" is a challenging one, but one that is incredibly valuable to master (or even get somewhat proficient at)...