You know, I once wrote a piece that really got under people’s skin. It was all about how folks who work 40 hours a week or less are always wondering why they can’t get ahead. I guess I came off as a bit harsh, but I was just tired. Back in 2011, I was stuck in a finance job that had me working around 60 hours a week, doing the same old thing since 2009.
Every time I heard someone moaning about their short workday, it really got to me. I would’ve killed for a 9 to 5 job. But no, I had to be at work by 6:30 AM and stay connected until 9 PM because I had to keep up with my colleagues in New York and Asia.
I get it, we all want the good life without the hard work. Now that I’m older, I totally understand if you want a perfect body while eating donuts all day. But let’s be real, if you want to get ahead, you’ve got to be rational.
There are some really smart people out there who are also working their butts off. If you’re just an average Joe like me, it’s tough to succeed by working regular hours.
I’ve learned a few things from some Census Bureau data. First, working 40 hours a week is enough to get ahead if you’re actually working those 40 hours. Second, it’s easier to get ahead than we think because the average American worker only works about 34.2 hours a week! Lastly, more of us are tired since the pandemic started because the average work week has increased by an hour.
Over the years, the average work week has been decreasing. In 1979, it was 35.5 hours, and by 2022, it was down to 34.2 hours.
As technology and productivity have improved, we’ve been able to work less and still make the same amount of money, adjusted for inflation. Plus, with the bull market since 2009, there’s less need to work as much. Some folks are making more money from their investments than their day jobs.
Once the pandemic is over, I think the average work week will start to decrease again. By 2030, we might only be working around 32-33 hours a week.
Personally, I love working 20-25 hours a week. Working three to four hours a day is perfect for me. It leaves enough time to exercise, socialize, and spend time with family.
After about four hours of work, it starts to feel like a chore. Work is a lot more fun when you don’t need the money. That’s why I encourage those of you who are financially independent to do some consulting or start your own business.
In the end, it all makes sense. If we want to get paid more and get promoted, we’ll work more. If we’re happy with our career and our money, we won’t work as hard.
When I was still trying to reach my financial goals, I told people to stop complaining and work harder. I wanted us all to reach our goals! But now, I’m in a different place.
I’m burned out again after two years of working online, writing a book, and being a stay-at-home dad. But we’ve got enough passive income to cover our lifestyle, so any burnout I feel is self-inflicted. I plan to take it easy this year.
If you want to work less, go for it! Sleep in, go to a ball game during work hours, or get a mouse-jiggler so you can work 2-hours a day like some work-from-home tech employees. Just be okay with the results.
I’ve got my financial safety net now, so I’m less interested in debating what’s good for you. Do what you want!
As a parent, I used to worry about my kids’ future. I thought they’d have to cure cancer or be from a wealthy family to get into a top university. I also worried about the fierce competition for meaningful work.
But now, I see that the average work week in America is so low, I’m hopeful everything will be okay. All our kids have to do is work a little longer than the average, and over time, they’ll get far ahead.
Working 34.2 hours a week isn’t hard if you’re able-bodied and not doing heavy physical labor. If our kids work just 36.2 hours a week on average, they might be able to build an empire! That’s just two hours more than the average a week, which adds up to 104 more hours of work a year.
If we can teach our kids to work hard and manage their money well, they’ll probably do great in life.
Finally, instead of working longer hours to get ahead, another strategy might be to convince others to work less. This way, you widen the productivity gap even further.
If you don’t want to be average, don’t do average work. The bar has gotten so low, I trust most of us will do great.
Who’s with me for slacking off? The YOLO economy is here to stay!
So, are you surprised how low the average work week in America is? Has life actually gotten easier, rather than harder?
Is the U.S. turning into France? We’re working less, getting more benefits, and have more flexibility. Let’s appreciate how good we’ve got it!
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