Time Well Spent

‘Tis the time that many of us pause and consider some of the larger questions in life. What is my purpose? What’s important to me? Am I doing what I love? If not, why not? Etc.

I’ve been doing the same. My thinking often gravitates back to productivity, how I approach the work that I do, how I balance work and family, etc.

Interestingly, I read an article today in the December 2006 Harvard Business Review (HBR) titled “Extreme Jobs: The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek.” Despite the authors’ best efforts, and with all due respect, I didn’t find much within the article that was surprising.

They touched upon the pressures that people feel, but also the fact that many people work long hours and love their jobs. They noted some of the standard dangers – poor relationships, poor health, burn-out.

What I really found interesting were some of the anecdotes in the article, describing real people (identities hidden) and their experiences. Such as the fellow that works upwards of 120 hours per week! Or the gent that works six days per week, and gets home, to Connecticut, to see his wife and children, only on Sundays.

And I thought I logged a few hours!

As I’ve posted on previously, I work longer hours now, than I really want to, because I’m building a business. Eventually, according to plan, the business will operate very successfully with less time from me. But during this building phase, my time is very much in demand.

I’m actually currently challenging – or rethinking – my entire schedule, the way I organize tasks, track success, etc. I’m not sure I’ll make any grand, sweeping changes. The changes may be minor tweaks. But I’m not sure. I’m early in the process. I expect it to take a lot of this week. I believe it’s time well spent.