When I had a full time job I wasted a lot of time.
- 75% of all administrative work and reporting was unnecessary.
- Every job included some kind of CYA bullshit.
- “Make-work” was the worst. Every business had useless meetings, mandatory trainings, or some other outdated process that was a complete time suck.
As a sales manager, I learned that as long as my team hit the number, I could skip meetings, eliminate unnecessary reports, and ignore most of my email.
These helped a lot. But other times, I had to suck it up and just “check the box” to satisfy some arbitrary regulation, rule or practice.
As a result, about a third of my time at work was spent doing meaningless tasks.
Had I been able to eliminate this, I could have worked 4-6 hours a day and been just as productive.
Imagine that.
Now that I’m self-employed, it seems “natural” to work part-time.
I work in bursts. Somedays I’ll work a few hours in the morning and a few in the evening. Other days I’ll put in one long session. It depends on what I need to do, my energy levels, the “flow” and what else is happening in my life.
I drive slower. I smile more. I get fewer headaches. I spend more time being present with my wife, my son and my pets. I exercise more. I have time to think. I’m a better (or at least more present) husband, father and neighbor.
I accomplish less work than when I was a full-time employee. But the work I do is more meaningful.
I read that in hunter-gatherer societies, people worked an average of 3-4 hours a day. The rest of their time was spent in leisure, games, sports, art, socializing and play.
What if that’s what humans were meant to do?
I used to think that work had to be all consuming.
My life revolved around work. I gave it my all. Anything thing less was slacking off.
Now I’m seeing that work is more fulfilling if it makes space for a life that includes creativity, free thinking, and exploring.
The only way I have room for this is by working part-time.
It’s a good deal.