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Work Backwards: The Revolutionary Method to Work Smarter and Live Better
“This is a rare book: both profound and useful” - Seth Godin
Something's about to break, and if we don't change direction soon, it's going to be us.
It doesn't matter in which industry or where, too many of us are overworked, disengaged and apprehensive about the future of work. In his life-affirming new book, best-selling author and entrepreneur Tim Duggan argues that we approach work and life the wrong way around.
Fuelled by a powerful realignment that's questioning the way we traditionally think about and interact with our workplaces, Work Backwards takes us on a journey around the world from America's top universities to the streets of Helsinki, from museums in Mexico to Sydney's golden beaches to explore how and why we work.
In Work Backwards you’ll discover:
- Why reversing your thinking can have such an oversized impact
- The three things you need to live a full life right now
- How to easily reset your life-work balanceHow to use tools like remote, hybrid and flexible work properly
- Why this is right moment to experiment with work
- Expert guidance from the world's leading work and happiness researchers
- A new army of people who are rethinking their relationship with work
It's time to take advantage of this once-in-a-generations opportunity to reverse your thinking and reclaim your life from work.
Something's about to break, and if we don't change direction soon, it's going to be us.
It doesn't matter in which industry or where, too many of us are overworked, disengaged and apprehensive about the future of work. In his life-affirming new book, best-selling author and entrepreneur Tim Duggan argues that we approach work and life the wrong way around.
Fuelled by a powerful realignment that's questioning the way we traditionally think about and interact with our workplaces, Work Backwards takes us on a journey around the world from America's top universities to the streets of Helsinki, from museums in Mexico to Sydney's golden beaches to explore how and why we work.
In Work Backwards you’ll discover:
- Why reversing your thinking can have such an oversized impact
- The three things you need to live a full life right now
- How to easily reset your life-work balanceHow to use tools like remote, hybrid and flexible work properly
- Why this is right moment to experiment with work
- Expert guidance from the world's leading work and happiness researchers
- A new army of people who are rethinking their relationship with work
It's time to take advantage of this once-in-a-generations opportunity to reverse your thinking and reclaim your life from work.
- GenresNonfictionLeadership
320 pages, Hardcover
Published November 12, 2024
37 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
Tim Duggan
5 books13 followersTim Duggan is an optimist who loves thinking about big ideas. He has co-founded several digital media ventures, most notably Junkee Media, one of the leading publishers for Australians.
His first book, Cult Status: How To Build A Business People Adore, was awarded the Best
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Book at the 2021 Australian Business Book Awards, and his second book on creativity, ‘Killer Thinking: How To Turn Good Ideas Into Brilliant Ones’, was named one of the Best Books of 2022 by Apple Books.
Tim is the Chair of the Digital Publishers Alliance, an industry body that represents over one hundred and fifty titles from leading independent digital publishers. He began his career as a music journalist for Rolling Stone, and lives with his husband in Mallorca.
His first book, Cult Status: How To Build A Business People Adore, was awarded the Best
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Book at the 2021 Australian Business Book Awards, and his second book on creativity, ‘Killer Thinking: How To Turn Good Ideas Into Brilliant Ones’, was named one of the Best Books of 2022 by Apple Books.
Tim is the Chair of the Digital Publishers Alliance, an industry body that represents over one hundred and fifty titles from leading independent digital publishers. He began his career as a music journalist for Rolling Stone, and lives with his husband in Mallorca.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 15, 2024
There were some things in this book that I’m already doing or could put into action.
I will now look at work/life balance as life/work.
This book is an inspiration for change. We are overworked and disconnected, we are scared and excited by the future. In order to reset our lives and our priorities, we need to Work Backwards, one by one, to create a life that is full of meaning, satisfaction, joy and happiness. The future of your work is waiting.
I will now look at work/life balance as life/work.
This book is an inspiration for change. We are overworked and disconnected, we are scared and excited by the future. In order to reset our lives and our priorities, we need to Work Backwards, one by one, to create a life that is full of meaning, satisfaction, joy and happiness. The future of your work is waiting.
May 23, 2024
I consider this book as one of the ‘slow productivity’ trend that reminds us to pause from the busy life and think about what we’re actually doing.
After all, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. And work is a big part of that.
If you’ve already been reading many self-help books like me, or follow other thought leaders in this space, I didn’t find any new ideas that I really had to take note. But this book is still a great reminder to think about how we approach work. It’s also well researched, backed up by relatable stories, especially for Australians, and easy to follow.
In fact, I even reached out to one of the people mentioned in the book, for further research!
Cheers to the life-work balance. We all deserve it.
After all, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. And work is a big part of that.
If you’ve already been reading many self-help books like me, or follow other thought leaders in this space, I didn’t find any new ideas that I really had to take note. But this book is still a great reminder to think about how we approach work. It’s also well researched, backed up by relatable stories, especially for Australians, and easy to follow.
In fact, I even reached out to one of the people mentioned in the book, for further research!
Cheers to the life-work balance. We all deserve it.
March 24, 2025
When it comes to ‘self help’ books this was actually really good. I preferred the first half but still had a few take aways from the second half.
June 30, 2024
Will read more than once
A must-read for anyone who knows something is wrong with how we work and wants to find a different way of living.
A must-read for anyone who knows something is wrong with how we work and wants to find a different way of living.
July 31, 2024
I love Tim’s writing style. Especially this book, since it comes with real life stories of those who are figuring out or who has experimented with Life-Work balance! This is a great book to read, no matter which stage of career you are. Especially for those who are at early or mid career. It gives you a set of tools to use and ask questions to figure out where you’re heading.
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April 14, 2025नयाँ वर्ष २०८२ को शुभकामना 🌹
Happy Nepali New Year 2082 🇳🇵
In "Work Backwards: The Revolutionary Method to Work Smarter and Live Better", Tim Duggan presents a refreshing and much-needed perspective on how we approach work and life. Against the backdrop of rising global stress levels and widespread burnout, the book offers a pragmatic guide to rethinking the traditional work-first mentality. Duggan doesn't just criticize the status quo; instead, he delivers a set of practical strategies aimed at helping people realign their lives around what truly matters. He draws attention to the long-standing societal tendency to overvalue productivity at the cost of personal well-being and invites readers to question why work so often takes priority over everything else.
One of the central ideas Duggan puts forward is the concept of life as a whole, with work being just one component of it. He introduces a metaphor in which life is imagined as a pie divided into four key areas: work, relationships, mind, and body. Each slice is equally important in creating a balanced and fulfilling life. Work, while necessary for income and a sense of achievement, should not overshadow the other elements. Relationships represent our connections with family, friends, and community, which nourish us emotionally. The mind refers to our inner world—our thoughts, beliefs, and mental stimulation—while the body covers physical health, movement, and rest. When one slice dominates, particularly work, the pie becomes imbalanced, often leading to dissatisfaction and exhaustion.
Duggan challenges the conventional idea of 'work-life balance' by flipping it into 'life-work balance,' arguing that life should come first. He notes that many people allocate time in ways that don’t reflect their true values, often giving the majority of their waking hours to work while neglecting the other areas. Through various studies and insights, he reveals that if happiness were the goal, most people would work significantly fewer hours than they currently do. He paints a compelling picture of what life could look like if we distributed our time more intentionally—allowing ourselves space to connect, think, rest, and simply enjoy life.
With 112 waking hours in a week (assuming eight hours of sleep each night), Duggan suggests an ideal distribution: 28 hours per week for each of the four slices. He advocates for a 32-hour work week, which typically results in around 28 productive hours when breaks are included. This more measured approach to working aligns with research showing that productivity and well-being improve when people work fewer hours. Dedicating 28 hours to relationships means prioritizing meaningful time with loved ones—having conversations, doing shared activities, and cultivating deeper bonds. The same amount of time for mental well-being allows for reading, learning, and downtime that supports cognitive health. Meanwhile, 28 hours devoted to the body includes movement, nourishment, and rest—fundamentals that fuel every other area of life.
To help people apply this framework more realistically, Duggan emphasizes the value of combining life’s components whenever possible. For example, taking a walk with a friend can fulfill the needs of physical health and social connection simultaneously. Watching a thoughtful film with a partner could benefit both the mind and relationships. These overlaps can help people get closer to a balanced life, even when time feels limited.
Another transformative concept Duggan introduces is the 'Backwards Budget.' Rather than starting with income and limiting spending accordingly, this method encourages individuals to first define the life they want and then work out how much money is needed to sustain it. This shift turns budgeting into a creative exercise in self-awareness, helping people reflect on their financial priorities and align their spending with what brings them the most fulfillment. By calculating the actual cost of a satisfying lifestyle, people may find they need less income than they previously believed—opening the door to working fewer hours and living more intentionally.
Duggan also touches on the emotional narratives we carry about money, which he refers to as our 'money story.' These beliefs, often shaped by upbringing and past experiences, influence how we perceive spending, saving, and financial risk. The Backwards Budget helps untangle those internal narratives, bringing clarity to financial choices and making space for decisions based on values rather than fear or habit. People who value simplicity might realize they’re happier with fewer material things, while others may choose to invest in travel, education, or wellness because those experiences add richness to life.
The book also offers a realistic take on the role of work in our lives. Duggan critiques the overly romanticized notion that we must all 'find our passion' and turn it into a career. He distinguishes between three categories: a job, which serves a functional purpose; a career, which involves growth and progress; and a calling, where personal purpose aligns with professional work. Instead of pushing everyone to aim for a calling, he suggests it's perfectly acceptable to have a job that simply supports the rest of your life. The pressure to derive deep meaning from work can be overwhelming, and expecting work to be your ultimate source of purpose often sets people up for disappointment.
He references a study that reveals how even a small percentage of meaningful work—around 20% of one’s duties—can significantly reduce burnout. Interestingly, doing more meaningful work beyond that threshold doesn’t necessarily lead to greater well-being. This finding flips the script on how much meaning we actually need from our jobs to feel content. It turns out that small, deliberate efforts to engage with the parts of work that bring joy or satisfaction can be enough. Duggan encourages readers to take note of what aspects of their job feel fulfilling and to increase focus on those areas if possible, without expecting every hour of work to be emotionally rewarding.
Understanding your personal work style also plays a major role in achieving balance, and Duggan introduces the concepts of 'segmenters' and 'integrators' to illustrate this. Segmenters are people who prefer to keep work and personal life distinctly separate. Once they’re off the clock, they can truly switch off. Integrators, in contrast, let work and life blend throughout the day, often responding to emails outside office hours or managing personal tasks during work time. According to a study by Google, most people identify as integrators, but both styles have their strengths. Segmenters benefit from better mental separation and recovery time, while integrators enjoy flexibility and fluidity.
The remote work boom has made these styles even more apparent. For segmenters, working from home can erode boundaries and increase stress. Integrators, meanwhile, may struggle to 'switch off,' since work is always within reach. Recognizing which category you fall into can be empowering—it allows you to tailor your environment, schedule, and habits in ways that support your natural tendencies. Whether you prefer structure or fluidity, the key is to honor your work style and build a routine that supports your energy and well-being.
In conclusion, "Work Backwards" offers a compelling, practical reimagining of how to structure life around what really matters. Duggan’s message is clear: work should serve life—not the other way around. By focusing on balance across work, relationships, mind, and body, we can move toward a more intentional and fulfilling existence. The tools and insights in this book, from time budgeting to financial planning to self-awareness about work styles, provide a flexible yet grounded roadmap. Rather than chasing perfection or subscribing to unrealistic ideals, we can strive for a life where each piece fits together in harmony, allowing us not just to survive—but to thrive.
Happy Nepali New Year 2082 🇳🇵
In "Work Backwards: The Revolutionary Method to Work Smarter and Live Better", Tim Duggan presents a refreshing and much-needed perspective on how we approach work and life. Against the backdrop of rising global stress levels and widespread burnout, the book offers a pragmatic guide to rethinking the traditional work-first mentality. Duggan doesn't just criticize the status quo; instead, he delivers a set of practical strategies aimed at helping people realign their lives around what truly matters. He draws attention to the long-standing societal tendency to overvalue productivity at the cost of personal well-being and invites readers to question why work so often takes priority over everything else.
One of the central ideas Duggan puts forward is the concept of life as a whole, with work being just one component of it. He introduces a metaphor in which life is imagined as a pie divided into four key areas: work, relationships, mind, and body. Each slice is equally important in creating a balanced and fulfilling life. Work, while necessary for income and a sense of achievement, should not overshadow the other elements. Relationships represent our connections with family, friends, and community, which nourish us emotionally. The mind refers to our inner world—our thoughts, beliefs, and mental stimulation—while the body covers physical health, movement, and rest. When one slice dominates, particularly work, the pie becomes imbalanced, often leading to dissatisfaction and exhaustion.
Duggan challenges the conventional idea of 'work-life balance' by flipping it into 'life-work balance,' arguing that life should come first. He notes that many people allocate time in ways that don’t reflect their true values, often giving the majority of their waking hours to work while neglecting the other areas. Through various studies and insights, he reveals that if happiness were the goal, most people would work significantly fewer hours than they currently do. He paints a compelling picture of what life could look like if we distributed our time more intentionally—allowing ourselves space to connect, think, rest, and simply enjoy life.
With 112 waking hours in a week (assuming eight hours of sleep each night), Duggan suggests an ideal distribution: 28 hours per week for each of the four slices. He advocates for a 32-hour work week, which typically results in around 28 productive hours when breaks are included. This more measured approach to working aligns with research showing that productivity and well-being improve when people work fewer hours. Dedicating 28 hours to relationships means prioritizing meaningful time with loved ones—having conversations, doing shared activities, and cultivating deeper bonds. The same amount of time for mental well-being allows for reading, learning, and downtime that supports cognitive health. Meanwhile, 28 hours devoted to the body includes movement, nourishment, and rest—fundamentals that fuel every other area of life.
To help people apply this framework more realistically, Duggan emphasizes the value of combining life’s components whenever possible. For example, taking a walk with a friend can fulfill the needs of physical health and social connection simultaneously. Watching a thoughtful film with a partner could benefit both the mind and relationships. These overlaps can help people get closer to a balanced life, even when time feels limited.
Another transformative concept Duggan introduces is the 'Backwards Budget.' Rather than starting with income and limiting spending accordingly, this method encourages individuals to first define the life they want and then work out how much money is needed to sustain it. This shift turns budgeting into a creative exercise in self-awareness, helping people reflect on their financial priorities and align their spending with what brings them the most fulfillment. By calculating the actual cost of a satisfying lifestyle, people may find they need less income than they previously believed—opening the door to working fewer hours and living more intentionally.
Duggan also touches on the emotional narratives we carry about money, which he refers to as our 'money story.' These beliefs, often shaped by upbringing and past experiences, influence how we perceive spending, saving, and financial risk. The Backwards Budget helps untangle those internal narratives, bringing clarity to financial choices and making space for decisions based on values rather than fear or habit. People who value simplicity might realize they’re happier with fewer material things, while others may choose to invest in travel, education, or wellness because those experiences add richness to life.
The book also offers a realistic take on the role of work in our lives. Duggan critiques the overly romanticized notion that we must all 'find our passion' and turn it into a career. He distinguishes between three categories: a job, which serves a functional purpose; a career, which involves growth and progress; and a calling, where personal purpose aligns with professional work. Instead of pushing everyone to aim for a calling, he suggests it's perfectly acceptable to have a job that simply supports the rest of your life. The pressure to derive deep meaning from work can be overwhelming, and expecting work to be your ultimate source of purpose often sets people up for disappointment.
He references a study that reveals how even a small percentage of meaningful work—around 20% of one’s duties—can significantly reduce burnout. Interestingly, doing more meaningful work beyond that threshold doesn’t necessarily lead to greater well-being. This finding flips the script on how much meaning we actually need from our jobs to feel content. It turns out that small, deliberate efforts to engage with the parts of work that bring joy or satisfaction can be enough. Duggan encourages readers to take note of what aspects of their job feel fulfilling and to increase focus on those areas if possible, without expecting every hour of work to be emotionally rewarding.
Understanding your personal work style also plays a major role in achieving balance, and Duggan introduces the concepts of 'segmenters' and 'integrators' to illustrate this. Segmenters are people who prefer to keep work and personal life distinctly separate. Once they’re off the clock, they can truly switch off. Integrators, in contrast, let work and life blend throughout the day, often responding to emails outside office hours or managing personal tasks during work time. According to a study by Google, most people identify as integrators, but both styles have their strengths. Segmenters benefit from better mental separation and recovery time, while integrators enjoy flexibility and fluidity.
The remote work boom has made these styles even more apparent. For segmenters, working from home can erode boundaries and increase stress. Integrators, meanwhile, may struggle to 'switch off,' since work is always within reach. Recognizing which category you fall into can be empowering—it allows you to tailor your environment, schedule, and habits in ways that support your natural tendencies. Whether you prefer structure or fluidity, the key is to honor your work style and build a routine that supports your energy and well-being.
In conclusion, "Work Backwards" offers a compelling, practical reimagining of how to structure life around what really matters. Duggan’s message is clear: work should serve life—not the other way around. By focusing on balance across work, relationships, mind, and body, we can move toward a more intentional and fulfilling existence. The tools and insights in this book, from time budgeting to financial planning to self-awareness about work styles, provide a flexible yet grounded roadmap. Rather than chasing perfection or subscribing to unrealistic ideals, we can strive for a life where each piece fits together in harmony, allowing us not just to survive—but to thrive.
May 9, 2024
What does work look like for you? Do you think about work in the same way you always have? Working backwards is a new book about how to work differently, and not just work smarter. This book talks about how to break out of the current ways we think about work - to be open to it – in order to address all the counterintuitive advice that has been around for so long and doesn’t really fit how work has transformed itself after the pandemic.
“Understanding what you value in life, what meaning you derive from work and outside it, and what your priorities are is the first step on your path to Work Backwards”. We are “hardwired to take the path of least resistance” when it comes to challenging how we work, and this books offers way to tackle this.
Tim explored a lot of elements of work in this book, and includes a lot of IRL exercises to undertake to challenge your thinking and perceptions of work. I liked the examination of jobs vs careers vs calling – are you working for money, are you working to build a career or are you working because it is your calling, a passion or an inspiration to do what you do? Linked to this was the idea of Job crafting – awareness of the role you apply for plus emphasising areas to increase engagement and meaningfulness to positively impact your psychological wellbeing. Revisiting your personal values, or your anchors is also a valuable exercise.
The book explored and examined how to decipher fact from fiction in the way we work where we are “overworked, disengaged and apprehensive”. It delved into research about the effects of working remotely and working flexibly, and identified the three “Cs” that have suffered from remote working: connection, communication and collaboration.
The other element I found useful was to explore the “work-life balance” fallacy, which is a term I hate hearing. Work is part of our life, in whatever form we choose to undertake it (eg as a job, career or calling – good connectors in this book!). Tim suggests more of a work-mind-body-relationship balance where we look at where we already focus our time, and where we should identify our time is being utilised. We should not diminish to time we tale for our well being (mental and physical) out of this equation.
If you are looking for a refreshing way to examine your life and the component of work that is in it, grab Working backwards, published in April 2024. Thank you to @panterapress for the uncorrected proof copy.
“Understanding what you value in life, what meaning you derive from work and outside it, and what your priorities are is the first step on your path to Work Backwards”. We are “hardwired to take the path of least resistance” when it comes to challenging how we work, and this books offers way to tackle this.
Tim explored a lot of elements of work in this book, and includes a lot of IRL exercises to undertake to challenge your thinking and perceptions of work. I liked the examination of jobs vs careers vs calling – are you working for money, are you working to build a career or are you working because it is your calling, a passion or an inspiration to do what you do? Linked to this was the idea of Job crafting – awareness of the role you apply for plus emphasising areas to increase engagement and meaningfulness to positively impact your psychological wellbeing. Revisiting your personal values, or your anchors is also a valuable exercise.
The book explored and examined how to decipher fact from fiction in the way we work where we are “overworked, disengaged and apprehensive”. It delved into research about the effects of working remotely and working flexibly, and identified the three “Cs” that have suffered from remote working: connection, communication and collaboration.
The other element I found useful was to explore the “work-life balance” fallacy, which is a term I hate hearing. Work is part of our life, in whatever form we choose to undertake it (eg as a job, career or calling – good connectors in this book!). Tim suggests more of a work-mind-body-relationship balance where we look at where we already focus our time, and where we should identify our time is being utilised. We should not diminish to time we tale for our well being (mental and physical) out of this equation.
If you are looking for a refreshing way to examine your life and the component of work that is in it, grab Working backwards, published in April 2024. Thank you to @panterapress for the uncorrected proof copy.
May 28, 2024
Having just started my own for purpose business, Cult Status was recommended to me by a fellow entrepreneur. I enjoyed it and was delighted to find that Tim Duggan had just released a new book with provocations for finding your 'life/work balance'. This was a great complement to Cult Status (a book about how to create brands/businesses that mean something to people). It includes some helpful evidence and reminders of the need to nurture mind, body, relationships and work; as too often the latter dominates. It includes tips and case studies to reflect on what we need in each of the four quadrants, and dives deeper into the tools of the future of work to help find the balance or work style that brings us more into line. I especially like the tip about creating a 'user guide' - I think this is a great, non-confrontational way to spark conversations among teams about how to best respect each other's boudnaries and differences to work positively and productively together.
While the discussion of future work tools (remote/flexible work, better meetings, AI...) had some emphasis on how these are necessary to facilitate increased prevalence of workers juggling caring or other outside work responsibilities - the 9-5 work day was conceived at a time when working outside the home was not ubiquitous for carers. Great to see this acknowledgement. However, in the discussion in an earlier chapter on making time for all four quadrants, I think there is a lack of acknowledgement that for people with domestic duties, there is simply no way to diminish or balance the proportion of time work takes up. Some greater emphasis on domestic work as 'work' would be good. Anyway, a great book, thanks Tim.
While the discussion of future work tools (remote/flexible work, better meetings, AI...) had some emphasis on how these are necessary to facilitate increased prevalence of workers juggling caring or other outside work responsibilities - the 9-5 work day was conceived at a time when working outside the home was not ubiquitous for carers. Great to see this acknowledgement. However, in the discussion in an earlier chapter on making time for all four quadrants, I think there is a lack of acknowledgement that for people with domestic duties, there is simply no way to diminish or balance the proportion of time work takes up. Some greater emphasis on domestic work as 'work' would be good. Anyway, a great book, thanks Tim.
November 15, 2024
I just finished Tim Duggan's latest book this afternoon in Edinburgh while sitting in a cafe with my phone and laptop left in my flat; coincentally (and unintentionally) choosing to start the book last Sunday ahead of what quickly became two very traumatic weeks.
Yesterday I had told my clients that I need to switch off from active work, asking them to understand that I'll not be delivering anything or open to any new projects for another week as I focus on my mental, emotional and physical health following what I went through and witnessed.
Another Australian writer, Anna Mackenzie, helped me with being open about that publicly to my clients and not being afraid to lose business because of it. And that's the ethos of Tim's writing and work processes, too. I was in Year 11 when Junkee Media launched as a youth publication, and I have grown up at the same time as Tim's career path has.
Work Backwards is now my new favourite life bible (for lack of better term), and I can't wait to see Tim in the new year on his international leg of the book tour. It's writers like Anna and Tim that make me believe I'll one day be influencing younger generations as positively as they have both influenced me.
Yesterday I had told my clients that I need to switch off from active work, asking them to understand that I'll not be delivering anything or open to any new projects for another week as I focus on my mental, emotional and physical health following what I went through and witnessed.
Another Australian writer, Anna Mackenzie, helped me with being open about that publicly to my clients and not being afraid to lose business because of it. And that's the ethos of Tim's writing and work processes, too. I was in Year 11 when Junkee Media launched as a youth publication, and I have grown up at the same time as Tim's career path has.
Work Backwards is now my new favourite life bible (for lack of better term), and I can't wait to see Tim in the new year on his international leg of the book tour. It's writers like Anna and Tim that make me believe I'll one day be influencing younger generations as positively as they have both influenced me.
December 8, 2024
I didn't go into this book thinking I would see anything life changing or revolutionary...and I was right. Duggan isn't a bad writer at all, and he seems like a pretty reasonable and positive bloke, but I just kept finding a lot of what he said throughout the book over-simplistic and not particularly applicable to anyone who has a career outside of digital entrepreneur, or upper/middle management in a corporate 'busywork' tower in the CBD of Sydney or Melbourne.
If you went into a corporate job and 90% of your day involves pushing proverbial paper across a desk, tasking your underlings to do the same, and/or have regular meetings that could have been emails...and you would like to feel differently about it, this book is for you. If you find yourself posting on LinkedIn about how much of a privilege it was to boost stakeholder engagement metrics across the inner south region but secretly don't care, then this book is probably for you.
If however you get meaning/engagement out of your job already, and accept that sometimes things are a bit hard, then don't bother reading this book.
If you went into a corporate job and 90% of your day involves pushing proverbial paper across a desk, tasking your underlings to do the same, and/or have regular meetings that could have been emails...and you would like to feel differently about it, this book is for you. If you find yourself posting on LinkedIn about how much of a privilege it was to boost stakeholder engagement metrics across the inner south region but secretly don't care, then this book is probably for you.
If however you get meaning/engagement out of your job already, and accept that sometimes things are a bit hard, then don't bother reading this book.
March 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ it’s no surprise that the typical work week needs a bit of a shake up for some, and that a lot of us are burning out and overworked. I found this book incredibly motivating and insightful around rethinking our focus on work. Duggan suggests we approach work ‘backwards’ when considering how much time and energy we put into our careers. There were many things I enjoyed about the book, an easy one was reframing work-life balance to life-work balance, as life outside of work should be our focus and source of meaning. He delves into other toolkits we can consider to improve this life-work balance, including remote working, hybrid models, 4 day work weeks, AI etc, which aren’t accessible to all roles, but are becoming more relevant for a lot of workplaces. There are a bunch of resources (which I’ve now downloaded!) to support figuring out what’s important at work for you, ways you can drive a project meaningfully, make the most of meetings and figure out how much you need to earn to fund the lifestyle you want to live. Love a book that you can practically use afterwards!
July 12, 2025
While I found many of the author's suggestions compelling and well-intentioned, they are certainly not revolutionary and often assume a level of financial freedom and flexibility that most people simply don’t have. The tone and context of the book seem tailored more toward an upper-middle-class audience, which might make some of its advice feel out of reach for everyday readers. It's practical, but only if your circumstances allow for that kind of luxury.
Books like this often operate in a bubble of privilege, unintentionally excluding readers whose realities don’t align with the assumed baseline. It would have been more impactful with broader accessibility—tips that work across income brackets, not just for those already comfortably ahead.
Books like this often operate in a bubble of privilege, unintentionally excluding readers whose realities don’t align with the assumed baseline. It would have been more impactful with broader accessibility—tips that work across income brackets, not just for those already comfortably ahead.
November 28, 2024
Wow - this is part life manual, part new ways of working toolkit.
The central premise is to start with the end in mind; how do you want to end up? Tim asks us to rethink the linear trajectory of learn, earn, burn (retire). Why not have bun and earn and learn run parallel to one another?
In order to pull this off, go through the usual reflection of what do I really want, how much is enough, and how do I want to end up.
My favourite bits were about taking a career beak and sabbaticals. We really can create whatever what we want- there are plenty of options, and we can forge our own rules.
The books is good offer for reconsidering your major work and life choices.
The central premise is to start with the end in mind; how do you want to end up? Tim asks us to rethink the linear trajectory of learn, earn, burn (retire). Why not have bun and earn and learn run parallel to one another?
In order to pull this off, go through the usual reflection of what do I really want, how much is enough, and how do I want to end up.
My favourite bits were about taking a career beak and sabbaticals. We really can create whatever what we want- there are plenty of options, and we can forge our own rules.
The books is good offer for reconsidering your major work and life choices.
April 23, 2025
Ideas from the book:
* The idea of 'life-work balance' better captures the essence, putting life first, where it belongs.
* Happiness, fulfillment, relationships, mental and physical health – these are the pillars that should dominate our time and energy.
* Start with the end in mind: envision your ideal future and work backwards to achieve it
* The idea of 'life-work balance' better captures the essence, putting life first, where it belongs.
* Happiness, fulfillment, relationships, mental and physical health – these are the pillars that should dominate our time and energy.
* Start with the end in mind: envision your ideal future and work backwards to achieve it
November 30, 2025
If you give this book a chance and get past the: ‘I’m kind of rich and privileged, but still here me out’ opening to the book - I think you’ll find it useful.
Job crafting and sharing your flexible working arrangements really stood out as compelling ideas for the new world of work we are all a part of.
Job crafting and sharing your flexible working arrangements really stood out as compelling ideas for the new world of work we are all a part of.
May 10, 2024
Work Backwards forced me to take pause, and ask 'why?' about so many of the work practices that are ingrained but for often arbitrary reasons. I particularly enjoyed the anecdotes and case studies throughout and have been pretty much hurling the book and anyone I can to get them to read it too!
February 12, 2025
Much food for thought. Having got to the end I think I need to go back over it again. Changing the way we work requires intentional effort but the outcomes can be good. Thanks Tim for opening up discussion on possibilities...
November 5, 2024
Good in theory but I did feel defeated since my profession doesn't allow me to put into place most of the suggestions offered.
November 8, 2024
I love Tim’s writing this book has been so helpful at rethinking my approach to work and life. Must read!
May 29, 2025
Not bad but I felt like I already knew a lot of what was referenced.
January 1, 2026
This is a smart, sincere attempt to rescue “work” from becoming a bloated religion—yet it sometimes reads like a self-help book trying to pass as a philosophy seminar. Duggan’s core point is sound: we’ve overloaded our jobs with emotional expectations they can’t bear, then act shocked when burnout follows. As he puts it, “It’s a fallacy to think that a lot of our emotional needs can be fulfilled at work.” That’s the book in one line.
Where it shines is in reframing productivity as limits, not heroics. Duggan echoes the ancient truth that busyness expands to fill whatever space you give it: “work expands so as to fill the time available.” (Parkinson’s Law, now in a modern suit.)
Where it lost a couple points for me is that it can drift into “gentle coaching voice” territory—pleasant, but occasionally too tidy for the mess it’s diagnosing. He says employers largely determine your salary, not supply & demand? His economics education is lacking. He claims two-thirds of Americans live pay check to pay check, but this is a specious statistic (see a great FEE article to see why). The author could study the difference between burnout and moral injury, as he tosses around the term burnout as if it's meaningful when it's not. Still, it’s useful. It’s a book you hand to someone you like, right before they decide to answer emails at midnight “just for a week.”
Favorite takeaway: If you want a sane life, stop demanding salvation from your calendar.
Where it shines is in reframing productivity as limits, not heroics. Duggan echoes the ancient truth that busyness expands to fill whatever space you give it: “work expands so as to fill the time available.” (Parkinson’s Law, now in a modern suit.)
Where it lost a couple points for me is that it can drift into “gentle coaching voice” territory—pleasant, but occasionally too tidy for the mess it’s diagnosing. He says employers largely determine your salary, not supply & demand? His economics education is lacking. He claims two-thirds of Americans live pay check to pay check, but this is a specious statistic (see a great FEE article to see why). The author could study the difference between burnout and moral injury, as he tosses around the term burnout as if it's meaningful when it's not. Still, it’s useful. It’s a book you hand to someone you like, right before they decide to answer emails at midnight “just for a week.”
Favorite takeaway: If you want a sane life, stop demanding salvation from your calendar.
August 25, 2025
Tim Duggan has written a book that is a true wake up call for so many of us. His unique - and refreshing - take on how we think about work and life has been written in an entertaining and captivating way. Work Backwards reminds you to consider your values, and your desired life. It encourages you to start with understanding the life you want and then identifying the elements that fall into creating that life... hence "life-work" balance, not the other way around.
I loved this book, every page I was circling something and writing "YES! Exactly!" in the margins. I feel like Tim put into words that I had been thinking and feeling for so long, so it felt like 'coming home' to me when I was reading this.
I loved this book, every page I was circling something and writing "YES! Exactly!" in the margins. I feel like Tim put into words that I had been thinking and feeling for so long, so it felt like 'coming home' to me when I was reading this.
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