Ask HN: Self Employed and not working hard

[biznerd]

I feel bad because I've worked very hard to get to this point. Worked at a job I hated for years to build my savings and skillset to the level that I can work for myself.

To put it simply, I don't exert myself. My pace of work is really bad. I quit during the day far too early.

I use the "pomodoro" system of productivity and once I hit 8, I start on my long list of hobbies. I know I'm capable of doing 12 or even 16.

I put in a good day yesterday, far more productive than usual. I thought to myself: this is actually what a normal day was like when I was working.

I rarely work until exhaustion.

Any thoughts?

[davismwfl]

Your problem isn't that you are only working 8 hour days, the problem is someone taught and you accepted that it is normal and acceptable to work 12-16 hour days as a standard. I have built more than one successful business now, the first one I killed myself doing 14+ hr days for a few years straight taking only a weekend here or there off, it aged me and destroyed me in ways I didn't realize until much later. The sad part is that business wasn't even the most successful for me. At the time I believed all the hype and BS I had been fed too about working crazy hours etc. What I have learned since is that the number of hours does not in itself equal success, productive hours spent intelligently where you have free time to explore life will make you better and more successful in the end.

I still will work some long days, but I always try to keep my average day around 8-9 hours at most, that way I am sane and can explore and clear my mind. I also believe that people should stop measuring their day by the number of hours they work and instead measure it by the number of milestones reached (even as a percentage completion base) each day. Doing this, you will work more some days than others and that is ok, cause you are focused on the goal not the number of hours.

[mtmail]

You're doing everything right. You could try 12 hours but only work 3 days per week or such a model for a while. I tend to do that depending on weather. Recently read https://ofone.co/ which makes good point on how endless growth shouldn't be a goal.

[photawe]

You should be happy you can do that. Not many of us can. I would say - enjoy!