How many hours a week do you think is reasonable to work? I am currently in my junior year of college and I am trying to decide on my future. I used to want to work in a job in investment banking or consulting, but I do not want to work 70+ hours a week (or more for ibanking) plus the travel in consulting after learning game.

On the other hand, I am not interested in the Roosh idea of barely working as I need money, plus the backpacker lifestyle is not for for me.

I am thinking between 40-60 hours a week, which will hopefully allow me enough time to go out at least 3 nights a week. How many hours a week do you guys work?

I used to work 24 hours per day.

Honestly, if you are coming up, you need to put the hours in to make the connects. (sorry to break it to you).

Now I work a few per day (if I want). But I would never have been able to do this if I didn't pay heavy, and I mean heavy dues.

More importantly though (a higher level of the Game if you will), is to find out something you don't mind doing/ love to do.

Then you are never working.

What field do you want to work in?

If you're interested in moving up quickly, you will need to be very PRODUCTIVE. Think less about how many hours you're putting in, and more as to how much you're accomplishing. Use the 80/20 principle to eliminate unproductive and wasted time, and you will find yourself doing much more with much less.

(01-12-2010 10:27 PM)fantasticmrfox Wrote:  How many hours a week do you think is reasonable to work?

Nobody can answer that question for you. 40 hours is good to some, but to me that's way too much. There's no law of the universe that says how much work time is appropriate. At one time people worked in factories or mines for 15 hours a day, came home, ate, slept a few hours and did the same thing the next day. Unfortunately, that's still the way it is in some countries. These days nobody can imagine working that long and hard. At some point in the future, people will work less than they do now, I think it's just the natural evolution of things.

So instead of asking others how many hours are reasonable, ask yourself what is the least amount of hours you can put in and still have your comforts. When you're on your death bed one day, will you look back over your life and wish you'd spent more time in the office or more time enjoying your life and whatever it is you actually LIKE to do.

Also, as has been said, hours don't mean anything, it's productivity. Half the hours people spend at work are wasted. Most meetings could be much shorter.

I would recommend working hard for short stints and maximizing your time off. I used to work 5 12 hours a days in a row and then take 5 off. This worked great for me. Other guys I used to work with would do "24 and 4" thats 24 days on, 4 off. In 2 or 3 months they had enough dough for a few months off. Of course, these options might not be a available in your industry.

I'm happiest at 20 hours a week

Brazil is so hot that it's hard to get anything done. Lucky if I get to 10 hours.. projects piling up.

The more important question is what do you want in the end? and why?

Do you want a cozy 9-5 job that pays decent? Do you want a job that lands 200k+ some time in the future? Do you want work-life balance or do you find yourself restless with time off? Do you want to dick around for 2 years and work on game before focusing on your career? What do you want to do with the money?

The amount of hours that need to be worked come after you have answered all the questions above. That being said most jobs that pay well requires dues in terms of hours. 99% of the time there is no way around this. Everyone has to pay.

Personally, I dicked around for 2 years after college and pursued things I was interested in and don't regret it at all.

If you are trying to get better with women, working more than 40 hours is counter-productive.

That extra time could be spent building your identity (practicing sports/cool hobbies/hitting the gym/extended-travel abroad/passionate pursuits/getting your style together) and your skill set (going out, opening chicks, getting them attracted, working logistics, pushing through adversity for the big win). Notice, none of that stuff requires great amounts of material wealth. It can all be done while renting a bedroom in somebodies house and taking the bus, if need be. And travel really doesnt have to be expensive, some of these places in Latin America have an exchange rate that can turn a few bucks into a great night out.

The point is, once you get this stuff worked out and you're pulling pretty chicks on the reg (at least 2 new ones a month for an extended period) then you can work all you want and put that money to much better use because you already know a thing or two about life.

There are too many guys out there, some of them good looking guys, who have a shit load of money and cant get laid off of a cold approach to save their lives. Now they are in their 40's hating the hog that they married because they "thought" had no other choice or living the life of a sexless bachlor. Thats when the "fishing" trips to Costa Rica start and it all goes down hill from there.

So like I said, do yourself a favor and focus on yourself first, then get the money.

All that being said, if you already are smashing 2 or 3 hot chicks a month, by all means, work your self silly, if thats your thing.

I don't think a flat hours per week measure is a good way to look at things. If you're in a "time sheet" services business, like law or investment banking, yeah you're pretty much stuck with that perspective. I recommend against industries like that where all you'll ever sell is your hours. In the businesses where you actually create things, more often people don't operate on "typical" hours per week. It's waves of severe crunch time and long lazier periods. This is how movies and software and records are made. Also, a lot of industries are seasonal.

I'll tear through a few 70 hour weeks, all no-shit nose to the grindstone, to knock out a project. Then I'll work a bunch of leisurely four hour days, with two hours of that easy reading up or research. I like it. Alternating between key-ed up and stressed and then unwinding feels right.

Do not take a job that involves weekly travel. Wasting hours and hours a week getting to and from various office parks is absolutely soul crushing.