I Chose my work hours for 2 years and still ended up with a typical work week

For the past 2-years I've experimented with every variation of work week I could conceive of; mornings, evenings, 10+ hours a day, only a few hours a day, every other day, more one week and less the next, and after all that experimentation I still unexpectedly found my way back to an almost typical 5 days a week, working from 7 am to 3 pm (with a lunch break). So why? Why not a 4-day work week or 3-days of hustle and 4-days off?

Balance. Balance is important and somehow the tried and tested push and pull of corporate management and trade unions has reached a balance that is oddly perfect for maximum productivity and time-off for everything else. But there's a key reason why my new balance feels so much better than work schedules I've previously held.

It's my choice. I'm choosing to optimize for this balance because it is necessary to achieving my goals. To that end, half of my work-time is actually now dedicated to my personal creativity; to the videos I create and this newsletter. As of now, these hours do not produce financial gain. In fact, they reduce my potential earnings from the paid work I could be doing in their place; so much so that it necessitates me dipping into my invested savings occasionally.

However, working for myself has intrinsic value. It's work I love. It's an investment in my own potential, in my sense of purpose in the world and it feels a lot better than if I were to dedicate all my hours to working for someone else. This is the balance that brings me a sense of joy and enthusiasm. It's an 8-hour work day, 5 days a week, but it's also an investment in my creativity, time for fitness, mental health, togetherness with my partner, and for exploring the world as we travel.

I'm grateful for this better balance and wish for us all greater balance in dedicating the hours of our lives in ways that serve us best.

Naser