I Work 100 Hours a Week – And I Love It
Anurag Yadava
Building Nutra Dale || Ex Keva | Murugappa | Danone | Nestle || CEO | Business Leader | Mentor | Advisor || On a journey to build something meaningful!
There’s been a lot of debate lately about working long hours in the office. Narayan Murthy spoke about working 70 hours a week. Let me share my perspective: I work an average of 15 hours a day. Does it matter if it is within or outside the office? A large part of that time is spent outside the home at my workplace, and when I’m home, I focus on studying, learning, or engaging in something creative and constructive, most of which is for my own success and for the organization I work for.
Let me break this down: I wake up at 6:30 a.m., go through the news, respond to personal emails, and answer LinkedIn messages from young people seeking career advice or other guidance. Daily rituals of grooming and freshening up do not take long, and I’m usually out for work by around 9 a.m., where I work diligently for at least 10 hours. No, I do not waste time gossiping and loitering around. My lunchtime does not exceed 15-20 minutes.
In the evening, I may go for a walk, handle important tasks like banking, answer more emails, or call up friends. A lot of time goes into reading magazines or books, browsing the internet, and studying topics that help me professionally (I should count that too as time spent on work, isn’t it?). Even on holidays, while more relaxed, I never sit idle. I do household chores, cook, clean, shop for groceries, dine out with family, and play with our dog, Nikka. The list of tasks feels endless, but I enjoy all of this. I experienced such a routine in my childhood, and it was a part of my upbringing.
I often think back to my childhood in Shimla, where I’d walk kilometers to the vegetable market on Sundays, carrying bags full of weekly groceries. I even maintained the garden myself. Weekdays were packed with school, helping my mother with her kitchen work, and almost daily trips uphill to get bread and other routine essentials. I still remember being woken up early in the morning by my father, in my teens, to walk 6-7 kilometers uphill to reach the ice skating rink on time, at 8 a.m. in the peak of winter, in the freezing cold. Was it stressful at that age? Perhaps I considered it stress back then, but now I realize it taught me to stretch beyond my limits.
The issue today is that we don’t teach our kids to go the extra mile. When they’re asked to do more, it shocks them. I’m not saying organizations should exploit their employees, but let me share my experience: I’ve treated my organization like family. There will be good and tough times. Many times, I have worked until 12:30 a.m. in the office and was back again at work by 6 a.m., or made sales calls late at night, or even worked out of town on holidays without a compensatory leave because the situation demanded it and it was necessary for me and my company to succeed. However, it never became a routine, but whenever required, I stretched myself for days. I understand one has to know their limits to avoid letting it become stress; at the same time, the more one stretches, step by step, the more capable one becomes of handling stress. I strongly believe that work and life must go hand in hand. We can’t simply switch off after 6 p.m. or refuse to do anything for the organization. Work hours can’t be measured solely by time spent in the office.
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Today, most urban kids live in a very protective bubble, without seeing the real world, the real struggle, or the real effort required to survive in a demanding environment. When they ultimately face it, they’re often shocked. When have we taught our kids to be independent in the real world? From an early age, they need to become self-reliant, exposed to the less privileged in society, and witness the daily struggles people face. This will make them emotionally strong.
So, when someone talks about working 70 hours a week, there’s nothing wrong; in fact, to me, it is less! We need to see all of this holistically. One should forget about any success coming easy. You have to slog to be successful. You have to outwork your competition. Even Olympic medals or World Cups don’t come easily. I do not follow Bollywood much, but what I know is that people have not become Big B and King Khan just like that and they work like hell to retain their status. Look at the hard work Tiger Shroff puts in to maintain himself, and that too with discipline. We tend to only see the glossy achievements, but it’s up to us to recognize the hard work behind success, which means pushing beyond our limits.
We can’t simply blame the system or organizations for creating stress. It’s up to individuals to decide whether to see it as stress or as an opportunity to stretch themselves. I’ve never served in the armed forces, but I saw the reality growing up, watching my father stretch himself to ensure Khardung La remained open even in the peak of winter or that the riskiest parts of the Hindustan-Tibet road were built as scheduled. He didn’t see it as stress. It was a duty executed with passion.
My message to youngsters is to understand the difference between stress and stretching. You need to find a mentor, someone without selfish motives, preferably outside your organization, who will understand you well. Learn how to push yourself beyond your limits, but not at the cost of your well-being, certainly! Stay positive, think positive, and surround yourself with positive minds who guide you well. Try to enjoy life; it is beautiful but full of ups and downs. You won’t fully appreciate the ups without facing the downs.
Think about it, and stay happy!
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New Energy @ Reliance Industries Ltd.
2 个月Sorry for digressing, but is that Mini in the second photo??
Zonal Sales Manager - Cavinkare
2 个月I was thinking about our time during iKNOW launch days ?? Or during manpower planning for the whole night in the office or during multiple launch pogroms!! And at the same time getting scolded from you "why didn't you taken leave"!! Still trying to follow same principles - when you love what you do, times is just a number..