How many hours do you work a day typically, and how do you divide up your spare time? Do you plan how you spend it or just let it unfold however? Do you use it all on leisure, or allow for time for furthering your career by learning new skills etc? And if you could choose one thing you would do less of, and one thing you would do more of, what would they be? (For me less YouTube, more reading).
Work/life balance
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Easy_C
Peacock
For me it's highly project dependent.
I think one huge mistake people make though is looking at it just in terms of hours. Speaking from personal experience, 40 hours a week in a job you absolutely despise and see no future in can be worse than 60-70 hours in a job you like. The first is a slog you just survive, while the other feels like a worthwhile investment in your skills. It also isn't often a matter of just "time for other things" because if you have to spend a couple of hours trying to recover from a demoralizing day it shoots down any benefits you may have from less hours.
I think one huge mistake people make though is looking at it just in terms of hours. Speaking from personal experience, 40 hours a week in a job you absolutely despise and see no future in can be worse than 60-70 hours in a job you like. The first is a slog you just survive, while the other feels like a worthwhile investment in your skills. It also isn't often a matter of just "time for other things" because if you have to spend a couple of hours trying to recover from a demoralizing day it shoots down any benefits you may have from less hours.
kel
Ostrich
I am, unfortunately, sorta always in "work mode". That means I'm half there but half distracted when it's actually work time, and in my personal time I'm kinda half distracted still thinking about work and might open up my computer and do a little coding before I forget. I'm working on setting better boundaries.
monsquid
Kingfisher
I've always worked more than 40 hours because I want to excel at what I do. In today's corporate environments most of the day is filled with waste of time meetings. This means that you need to come in earlier or stay later to complete tasks that require uninterrupted focus. As I get older though, it's tiresome to have to deal with the same problems over and over again. My company uses subcontractors to fill lower level support jobs and it's painful to have random people on my team rotate to different roles or leave the company. I feel like I am constantly training people to help their career ladder without getting much back in return.
Bitter End
Woodpecker
I have a very simple but well paid corporate job in a growing office with plans for future expansion. I could gain a few levels in the future, but deep down I know the time is now to push myself to the limit. I will look into ways to improve my passive income and once I have enough savings I will be open to start a small business. I know plenty of capable people but we do not have the financial backing to start taking risks yet.
Work / Life balance. A topic I love to discuss.
So I am of the opinion that every individual person has different ratios based on their energy level, personality and some socialing engineering from upbringing and/or influences from others (friends/family/culture etc.). Work, play and rest are the 3 ratios.
1) Work: I would equate to both one's day job from what a person earns a living and also any self improvement, helping others or chores that one needs to take responsibility for (but not considered really fun/entertaining to an individual).
2) Play is anything you do that somewhat physically active that also entertains you (any form of sport or phyiscal activity you do for fun, traveling and staying on the move, going out to be entertained in some form etc.
3) Rest: Pretty much anything you are doing to recover or unwind from alot of work or play and/or not expending much mental or phyiscal energy at all.
Everyone is wired differently as to what ratios each person prefers to be happy and comfortable with the existence from day to day. Try to find your 3 ratios and then see what you can control in your life to get to that balance to be happy. Of course there is a give & take, you can't sit around and do nothing all day and expect to become filthy rich unless you are a trust fund kid living off interest or something.
So I am of the opinion that every individual person has different ratios based on their energy level, personality and some socialing engineering from upbringing and/or influences from others (friends/family/culture etc.). Work, play and rest are the 3 ratios.
1) Work: I would equate to both one's day job from what a person earns a living and also any self improvement, helping others or chores that one needs to take responsibility for (but not considered really fun/entertaining to an individual).
2) Play is anything you do that somewhat physically active that also entertains you (any form of sport or phyiscal activity you do for fun, traveling and staying on the move, going out to be entertained in some form etc.
3) Rest: Pretty much anything you are doing to recover or unwind from alot of work or play and/or not expending much mental or phyiscal energy at all.
Everyone is wired differently as to what ratios each person prefers to be happy and comfortable with the existence from day to day. Try to find your 3 ratios and then see what you can control in your life to get to that balance to be happy. Of course there is a give & take, you can't sit around and do nothing all day and expect to become filthy rich unless you are a trust fund kid living off interest or something.
Agree its so frustrating (corporate /organizational meetings). Small working groups to solve a work problem are highly productive. Any meetings with multiple members of leadership involved and larger groups seem to end up being either (a) a way for leaders to try to one-up the other somehow and/or demonstrate they are in charge, by delegating work to others whether useful or non-essential "nice to have" work on people or b) corporate suck-ups trying to show off to leaders. It ends up being a 1/2 hr. or hour lost time playing office politics and then you have to make up for it by working overtime later on. Sucks if you are on salary and don't get 1.5x pay for hours over 40 in a week.