Do you live to work or work to live? I personally work to live, as I think we all should. In places around the world, such as France and Germany, the work week is limited by the national government to 35 hours per week. Here in the United States, many non-hourly workers are encouraged to put in well over 40 hours per week.
I used to work at a bank. Bankers hours are not what they used to be. I can verify that one. I used to work roughly 7:00am to 7:00pm. Banks now compete for customers, and a big selling point is more hours. We were open from 9:00am-6:00pm with a drive through opening at 7:30am. I was the first one in and the last one out. 7 to 7. That is 12 hours per day. 60 hours per week. Nearly fifty percent of my life was spent in that bank branch for the time I worked there.
I now have a much better job. I work 9:00am-5:00pm. I usually eat at my desk and work through lunch. That is 40 hours per week. However, my boss lets me leave early for school (could not have done at the bank) as long as I get everything done. I am happy to put in extra time in the evening after class as long as I can do well in both work and school.
If you are in a job that requires you to work so much you are miserable, think about what you are getting out of your job and life. What good is money if you can’t spend time with your family and friends? What good is a nice house if you don’t spend any time there. Today might not be the day to just pack up and quit, but it is something you should consider if you are not happy. After all, what is the point if you are not happy with your life. I am, so I plan to stick around for a while.
