Do You Even Work???????

The title of this week’s newsletter was the question I recently got from my mom.?

Although I am a full-grown adult with kids of my own, a mother can never stop being a mother.

So when she asked me this question I didn't take any offence.

It is not my mom's fault for being misinformed about what qualifies as work.

My mom, like a lot of people, has had the idea of what counts as work drilled into their heads since they were kids.

They were taught that work is 9 to 5.

There are a few reasons why this became a common perception:

1. Historical work practices: In the past, many industrial and office jobs followed a standard schedule from 9 am to 5 pm, with an hour-long lunch break. This schedule was established during the Industrial Revolution and became a widely adopted.
2. Union movements: Labor unions played a significant role in advocating for standardized working hours and improved working conditions. In the early 20th century, many unions fought for the eight-hour workday, which translated to the 9-to-5 schedule.
3. Ford's influence: Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, is often credited with popularizing the 9-to-5 workday. In 1926, Ford implemented a five-day workweek and reduced the workday to eight hours, which became a model for many other industries.
4. Cultural influence: The portrayal of the 9-to-5 work schedule in popular culture, such as movies, TV shows, and songs, further reinforced the perception that this is the standard work schedule. This cultural representation contributed to the widespread acceptance and expectation of a 9-to-5 workday.

So again, my mom is not wrong nor are you wrong if you believe work only counts as work if you work a 9 to 5.

But if you can accept that we are no longer in the industrial revolution then perhaps that belief can begin to shift.

However, that alone will not shift many people's beliefs of what counts as work.

Work to many is believed to involve:

• A paycheck with benefits.??
• A Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 grind. ?
• Working for someone else. ????

For each of those beliefs above, I want to share my counterpoint to why you might want to at least question those preconceived notions.

• A paycheck with benefits.??

??Counterpoint: Yes a traditional job gives you a biweekly or monthly paycheck with benefits. It is a great paycheck because you get it like clockwork regardless of whether you really worked at all or just sat at your desk and played solitaire all day. But what do you do if your “loyal” employer comes to you one day and says, “Thanks for all your service, but our company is going in a different direction and need to let you go.” Is that a stable job? Are you really such a key asset to your company, your firm, or your practice's success? If you are then congrats you are lucky, if you are not then think twice about believing that your 9-5 is as stable as you might think.?

• A Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 grind. ?

??Counterpoint: We hit on this earlier the idea of the 9 to 5 started in the industrial revolution. The birth of the internet has allowed for business to be done across the world from the comfort of your living room 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The more recent Covid epidemic showed that workers could in fact fulfill their work responsibilities by working from home vs in the office. Many times these workers, who were parents, were given flexible work arrangements to be teachers for their kids during the day and workers at night. Their output was found across many businesses as not just being good but actually better than what they were getting in the traditional environment. If we are capable of doing everything we need from our laptop and cell phone no matter where we are in the world then why do we think we have to be working the traditional 9 to 5 to be WORKING?

• Working for someone else. ??

??Counterpoint: Work does involve working for someone else, but that someone else is defined a bit differently. In the corporate world you are working for your boss and your boss is working for her boss and her boss is working for the board. My boss is my customer or my investor and I am trying to provide a service. There are no multiple layers of separation between the purpose of what you do and who you serve. Every day you are reminded of why you are working and if you lose the reason for that why, then I have got news for you, you won’t have an income stream.???

In closing, mindset is everything.

What you believe will ultimately be what you do.

Don't limit yourself.

About the Author:

Dan Cosgrove is a partner at Anthem Capital.

Dan is a native of Cincinnati and is based out of Boston with his wonderful wife, cute baby, and a dumb dog named Waffles.?

He is an entrepreneur and real estate investor that would love?to connect?to see how he can add value and joy to your life