How does one work 50+ hours a week?

Haha I work for the government too. We aren't even allowed to exceed 40 hours.

Originally Posted by lee_44106

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+10000 and then some more.

College is but a stepping stool, allowing you to get a few acronyms behind your name, so that you can turn that 4 years of, as you called it, partying and drinking, into something to sustain you for the rest of your life.

College years are fantasies. College students are idealists. When the pressures of paying rent/mortgages hit you, when you realize (hopefully) that to continue to live through handouts from your parents makes you a ******* loser, then you can and will be willing to work >50 hour/week.

Hell, 50 hour/week is NOTHING.

Difference between being a MAN and being a whiny little kid/*****/wimp-ass.

+1

It was asked if I like what I do and the answer is yes. I own both businesses that I work for. The money is pretty good but more importantly I get to do what I want when I want within reason of course. I never defined whether or not I'm successful because of how much money I make. My definition of success has always revolved around getting to the point of owning the place instead of working for someone else. So by my definition I guess I'm successful and have been for the last 15 years. The thing is there is a cost to ownership and basically it means you are at work every waking hour and every single day of the year. Opportunity does not follow a schedule and any decent business owner is always looking for those opportunities.

In any case my work day starts at 5 or 6 in the morning and I am done by no later than 5. Do the math and yes it leaves me enough time left over to live a "balanced" life whatever the hell that is.

Originally Posted by Saucemaster

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Good for you. (I mean that seriously, for once I'm not being snide.)

I have to say, anyone who works 60-80 hour weeks all the time and has more than, say, 100 posts or so on Styleforum either: 1) isn't actually working 60+ hours a week, or 2) really needs to rethink what he does with his down time! If I was consistently working 60+ hour weeks, I would definitely not be spending my free time on internet message boards.
I just don't see the big deal about working 60+ hours. Work through lunch and you're only talking 9 to 9 daily. Each night, this leaves enough time to have dinner with a friend or girlfriend, go to the gym, watch a movie, or work on a side project and still get 7 hours of sleep. And then you still have the whole glorious weekend free.

If you work just 5 hours each Saturday and Sunday you get to 70 hours. Granted, things that aren't too important start to fall by the wayside once you break 70, but its certainly doable.

In China, manual laborers work 12-hour shifts 7-days per week as the norm. We should be so lucky as to get paid to work on interesting problems in luxurious offices for 100 times the pay and less hours...

Originally Posted by Saucemaster

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Good for you. (I mean that seriously, for once I'm not being snide.)

I have to say, anyone who works 60-80 hour weeks all the time and has more than, say, 100 posts or so on Styleforum either: 1) isn't actually working 60+ hours a week, or 2) really needs to rethink what he does with his down time! If I was consistently working 60+ hour weeks, I would definitely not be spending my free time on internet message boards.

Oh? I have more than 100 posts here. I get paid to be here for the most part. LOL! This board is an alternate advertising campaign for us and the bang for the buck is pretty good compared to my adwords campaign. Gee every post I make equals more exposure for Crane's so....

Umm, don't ever dare aspire to owning or running your own company.

100+ hours is mandatory. However, if you love what you're doing, it doesn't matter.
Every day is Friday.

Originally Posted by Saucemaster

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If I was consistently working 60+ hour weeks, I would definitely not be spending my free time on internet message boards.

Nonsense - not even between rounds of solitaire while waiting for your secretary to get your deposits ready for the bank?

I'm still in college and work more hours (taking into consideration the hours I "work" with school) now than I will as a CPA. I also am making more money than I'll make as a CPA as well though.

Originally Posted by lifersfc

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I just don't see the big deal about working 60+ hours. Work through lunch and you're only talking 9 to 9 daily. Each night, this leaves enough time to have dinner with a friend or girlfriend, go to the gym, watch a movie, or work on a side project and still get 7 hours of sleep. And then you still have the whole glorious weekend free.

I've worked my share of 60 hour weeks, and I actually agree with you, though 60 hours is about the most I'd want to work on a regular basis--weekends are much too important to me. But I sympathize with the OP's re-formulated question. If you don't like what you do, I can't imagine doing it 12 hours a day on the regular. On the other hand, if you love what you do, do it as much as you can. The things some (most?) of us love to do don't pay a damn thing.

To answer the op, in the past I've dealt with working long hours mon - fri by doing that schedule for stretches of around 3 or 4 weeks at a time then going back to a normal 40 - 45 hour week. Working 7am to 6 pm, with even a short commute to accommodation doesn't allow for the 8.5 hours sleep I like a night, and I get worn down working those hours for a prolonged period. This was in construction, so probably more physically tiring but less stressful than most jobs discussed. Working the longer hours spread over weekends is less tiring, but I still really missed the recovery days after a few weeks.

My current job is restricted to 36 hours work plus lunches, we are encouraged to work smarter rather than longer.

Explains the amount of acid reflux, insomnia, heart disease, stroke, and general ill will in 'Merica, this does. Do longer hours and not having the time to spend all your money make you cool?

Originally Posted by MCsommerreid

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Explains the amount of acid reflux, insomnia, heart disease, stroke, and general ill will in 'Merica, this does. Do longer hours and not having the time to spend all your money make you cool?
No, that's the despicable diet of most Americans. Long hours are a means to an end. Why not retire wealthy at 40?

Originally Posted by lifersfc

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No, that's the despicable diet of most Americans.

Long hours are a means to an end.

Why not retire wealthy at 40?

Why not retire spiritually satisfied at 60?

Originally Posted by MCsommerreid

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Why not retire spiritually satisfied at 60?

But how do you pay the lease on your new BMW every 2 years, and the $5K mortage on your McMansion?

Originally Posted by lifersfc

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No, that's the despicable diet of most Americans.

Long hours are a means to an end.

Why not retire wealthy at 40?

Early retirement is another ridiculous thing. Who wants to live out half of a lifetime with nothing to do all day?