Working Extra

We Work 40 Hours Each Week

Most people, most weeks, work for 40 hours (at least in the USA). When I started my career, I thought these 40 hours weren't enough. I should work on side projects to get better at coding, I should earn certifications to advance in my field, I should watch lectures and focus on consuming content from seasoned professionals to reshape my mentality, etc., etc. I've felt this way for 3 years now, which might not seem like a lot, but that's a problem we'll dive into in a moment. Why am I spending time rushing? Does it matter if I work 2000 hours a year and spend another hour a day learning on top of that? Is 2400 hours vs 2000 hours going to make a big difference? Maybe it will, maybe it won't. I think the root of the problem is this hyperfixation on earning the bigger title or the bigger compensation before anyone else. I find myself feeling a sense of pride and ego when I chase and accomplish these things. There's a greedy part of me that wants to be rich, and to get there younger than other people and faster. Almost as if there's a competition of intelligence and success, and making a ton of money determines the winner.

But who cares? My salary has almost doubled since the time that I started working, yet my life hasn't really changed at all. I send extra money into my retirement and mortgage, and that's the end of it. So if one spends all their time and energy focused on a career so they can make money and retire, what are they going to do? What would you do if you could retire at 25? Wouldn't you be bored? Wouldn't you always wonder if the people around you are only around you because you can afford to have them there? If you are so focused on improving your ability to work, what happens to your ability to live?

I think there are a few problems that are leading people to the same path, which I think is a toxic path for the majority of people. People either feel they need to be better, they aren't good enough, or they need to put in more hours to make more money. For most people, this means you are trading in time and hoping to get value back. But time isn't equal. When you are in your 20s, and you trade in 3 years of afternoons and evenings figuring out how to be better at your career, you've traded in 3 years of your 20s that you will NEVER get back. What a terrible deal. Those years, hours, minutes, and seconds are gone forever and won't come back. Think about the life you could have lived, the activities you could have participated in if you had thought, "I wonder what sports or clubs I can sign up for this summer," instead of "If I spend the next 2 months working on this side project, I might be able to do a better job at work, and maybe my boss will promote me sooner." I'm lucky to have met some friends who pulled me away from my career. I've always been focused on what my career will be, and how fast I can climb the ranks. But 2000 hours per year is enough for learning and working. Work hard during those 2000 hours. Get work done, learn, teach, grow, focus, have fun. If you are someone who is passionate about something on the side, do that. If you can make that a career and are willing to take the risk of turning your passion into a career, then do that. But if you are someone who makes a comfortable income, consider living. You may have already done enough. Is it really worth trading your youth to have more money when you retire?