Love this Ben! Really hammers home that 9-5 workers need to think of themselves as "mini businesses", and think about resource allocation just like business owners... and time is one of their core resources. It made me think: How can someone in a high-pressure job with unpredictable hours transition effectively to a Fixed-Time mode?
Thanks Zan. I think for someone in a high pressure Job they need to be crystal clear on the actual time restrictions they have vs the ones they create in their minds... Some jobs, the constraints are unavoidable. My friend is an ER doctor, and he regularly works 12-hour overnight shifts. Not much to be done about that while working that that job. But he also is smart that he maximizes time at home: he pays for a weekly maid service, landscaping, snow shovelling etc. He has a hectic work environment but spends his money to free up more time when he’s not working.
Time mode for me. There is something incredibly freeing about “doing my 8, and hitting the gate.” I don’t check my work email after hours, or answer the phone. The people that need to find me know how to do it. I like my job, and when I need to stay due to irregular operations, I gladly will. But I have those guardrails up for a reason.
I used to do crazy hours when I was a Ph.D. candidate because I was obsessed with research. The money was good but I didn't think of it. Now that I'm 37, I don't want to give away my time to a project the outcome of which isn't certain. At this age, it's better to focus on what makes you money (while being interesting).
Love this Ben! Really hammers home that 9-5 workers need to think of themselves as "mini businesses", and think about resource allocation just like business owners... and time is one of their core resources. It made me think: How can someone in a high-pressure job with unpredictable hours transition effectively to a Fixed-Time mode?
Thanks Zan. I think for someone in a high pressure Job they need to be crystal clear on the actual time restrictions they have vs the ones they create in their minds... Some jobs, the constraints are unavoidable. My friend is an ER doctor, and he regularly works 12-hour overnight shifts. Not much to be done about that while working that that job. But he also is smart that he maximizes time at home: he pays for a weekly maid service, landscaping, snow shovelling etc. He has a hectic work environment but spends his money to free up more time when he’s not working.
Makes sense - so be a capital allocator with your time in work, and out of work too (for the administrative bits at least!)
Time mode for me. There is something incredibly freeing about “doing my 8, and hitting the gate.” I don’t check my work email after hours, or answer the phone. The people that need to find me know how to do it. I like my job, and when I need to stay due to irregular operations, I gladly will. But I have those guardrails up for a reason.
This is the way.
I used to do crazy hours when I was a Ph.D. candidate because I was obsessed with research. The money was good but I didn't think of it. Now that I'm 37, I don't want to give away my time to a project the outcome of which isn't certain. At this age, it's better to focus on what makes you money (while being interesting).
Thanks Denis. Sounds like we had similar trajectories on slowly moving to a time mode.
I believe I am on the continuum between fixed time and fixed money. I work a 9 to 5 , but I also side hustle.