So, you’re out there job hunting, and every opportunity that comes your way demands the infamous 40-hour work week. Following Matthew Dicks’s understanding of time in his enlightening book Someday is Today, this is a weekly commitment of 2,400 minutes, or 144,000 precious seconds. Seconds of your life that you’ll never get back. Tim Ferris, the entrepreneurial guru, bluntly states there’s nothing fulfilling enough to justify spending the rest of your life on it.

Ask yourself, do you really need 40 hours a week to sustain the life you want? Is it worth committing such a significant chunk of your time to a job you might like, but will inevitably dislike at times, just to earn more money than you need?

Factor in Time

Matthew Dicks has an interesting take. In Someday is Today, he emphasizes factoring in time when choosing your career. He avoided becoming an attorney and chose teaching instead, because it gave him more control over his time. Even within teaching, he chose elementary school over high school, since the latter demands extra hours grading tests and essays. Another dent in your precious time budget.

What Should You Do?

If an important goal in life for you is to excel at work and find fulfillment in that, the time factor might not bother you. But if you’re like me, where happiness and fulfilment come from creative endeavors, learning, and socializing, then you need to: Factor. In. Time.

When considering career options, don’t just think about the paycheck, prestige or what is expected. Factor in time. Decide upfront how many hours you want to work each week. Be realistic about your time budget and how you want to spend it.

Remember, you’re not just looking for a job. You’re looking for a life. Make sure it’s one worth living.

Banner Photo by: Annie Spratt