Evolution of work - why do we work the hours we do?

What is the point - why do we work the hours we do, when it is no longer necessary? Look inside for the connection of work with our values and purpose.

This week I got a chance to catch up with Rob Drummond on his podcast The Story Copywriter where we talked about life balance when running a business, a comparison of days compared to when we were in corporate, and juggling it all with parenthood.

I shared with him that last year, Cristina Castro and I sat down and reviewed our 5 year plan… with the conclusion that we wanted to build a business that would allow us to make the money we want, working 14-15 hours a week. Allowing us the time and flexibility to spend with our families and other projects outside of our core business.

And we have achieved that largely this past year - and even taking 2 months off to spend with family in Australia. And it continues to serve as a firm compass on the continuing build of our business.?

Parenting is the ultimate adulting. But becoming an adult doesn’t make the balancing of all of it any easier! Add in a business, and that pressure cooker continues building.

Enter the grind.

The grind reassures our fight or flight response during moments we feel uncertain or unsafe.?

This includes when our businesses are not in the place we hoped.

Or serving as an escape when we don’t know how to deal with things right now.

It makes us feel like we are making progress, rather than addressing what is really going on.

But the problem is when the focus and areas you are working on aren’t right, no amount of “grind” will get things better.

So why do we work the hours we do??

I find that many of the answers to fundamental questions like why we do what we do, and what we should be doing, goes back to the depths of understanding how our lives have evolved.

In Work: A Deep History by anthropologist James Suzman -?he shares that the hard work mentality originated from the agricultural age.

The grind and hard work concept was something that was borne out of survival from the period of the agricultural age, when the land was not yet ready to fully support the population, and a single disaster could literally wipe things out.

It was when we first started working long hours.

Which then exploded during the industrial revolution, where 14-15 hour days became the norm.

A fact that makes our typical 40 hour week now seem like luxury. But is it??

According to James, for 95% of human history, our earliest ancestors worked 14-15 hours a week! The rest of the time was spent on other purposeful activities such as making music, exploration, beautifying themselves and surroundings and socialising.

All the things arguably that makes us more human and contributes to the #1 factor driving lifetime happiness - the quality of our relationships.?

Yes, there is the argument on progress.?

But in an age of automation, AI, digitisation and different ways of how we can provide ‘value’ (beyond manual ‘effort’), I would argue whether progress still really requires us to work those hours - or if it’s actually more valuable to create the “space” for freedom and creative thinking.?

COVID and other movements in the last couple of years are starting to slowly add shock to that system of belief and change perceptions on this.

Creating time

The opportunity today is to create time. And as business owners, it is 100% in our hands to shape it as such.

Time allows to think, and creates space for creativity to flourish, and us to show up as the best version of ourselves as leaders, coaches, advisors and business owners.

But to do so requires firstly a clear vision of the life you want to have, and will enjoy living. The shape of the business then needs to fit within those parameters for you to continue loving what you do.

For us, that realisation of the life we wanted was the big anchor ??. The decision around business offerings and products... and the business model to support all that was then created around that.

Less time available = more things done! True story.

Let’s talk relationships post baby and business.

Human children are naturally built only to wean themselves naturally between 5-7 years old. Yet the society with work-driven culture places the pressure (and we ourselves) to get back onto things within a matter of months.?

And one partner entering into entrepreneurship and getting a baby are probably two of the biggest shocks to the dynamic of a relationship or marriage that need to be weathered.

Streamlining and simplifying our commitments, and personally for me - how I use my time in business and social events - has been our way to balance that.

Though still a daily work in progress! Life and relationships are about compromise.

Limiting social events and everything else that can cram the agenda makes sure that we can really look forward to the things we do plan and say yes to - while showing up in the best way possible in all those other crucial areas (business, family, parenting).

So if working long hours was historically something born out of human survival, why do we still do it?

The grind is our safety net. It is our escape.?

But is it what truly makes you happy??

And is it truly necessary towards helping you make progress towards your goals and the life and purpose you want to live?

And how does it impact our ability to live, and care for ourselves and those we love most?

Two pieces I wanted to leave you to help you get out of the grind and gain perspective, taking from the coaching homework I gave to a client recently -?

1. In your current business, think about the direction you’d like to go, and the specific opportunities you are currently considering - balancing those factors I spoke of above: level of joy; alignment with where you want to go long term, is the time you will spend worth it in terms of reward (benefit).
2. Take time to pause and reflect away from having a “goal”. Practice using LinkedIn as a journaling exercise, taking away the pressure of having to “have” something to say or a perfect offer. A part of the exploration is through sharing and letting others into your journey. This will also keep you top of mind for when the relevant opportunities come up.?

If you have been figuring out how to properly package, position and effectively sell your products and services? All the while making money doing what you love - make sure to sign up to our Q2 2023 edition workshop.

Offer Training: Package What You Do & Make Money Doing What You Love 2023.

Or

If you're wanting to get to a great offer that flies off shelves… check out my free guide?“4 Brutally Honest Reason Your Offer Still Isn’t Flying Off The Shelves… and how to fix it FAST.”

What are your thoughts on the perspectives I share in this article - do you agree/disagree?

#work #business #balance #purpose #makemoneydoingwhatyoulove

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