Weekly Budget of Time

published: 2008-06-01

Hourglass

Hourglass How much time do we really have each week? Photo courtesy of bogenfreund

Everyone complains about not having enough time, but usually the problem is that we are utilizing our time ineffectively. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that you should spend all your time working. In fact, I think being a workaholic is a big mistake in most circumstances. But using our time effectively might mean knowing how to have some good old fun too. Working a full-time job might seem to hinder your freedom to choose effective uses for your time, but realistically it probably only restricts about half of your available time. I found a free audiobook on Librivox.org called "How to Live on 24 Hours a Day" that discusses this issue. I think it was perhaps a bit too optimistic, but its central point was interesting. It tries to convince you that a 40-hour-per-week job should not be enough to prevent you from pursuing your own endeavors. It's pretty short, so its probably worth checking out.

This book inspired me to consider how much time I actually have available on a weekly basis.

In seven days there are 168 hours.
Eight hours of sleep per day leaves 112 waking hours.
Eating requires about an hour a day, leaving 105 hours.
Hygiene might take almost an hour a day, leaving 98 hours.
Household chores take about 3 hours a week, leaving 95 hours.
Commuting usually requires between 0-2 hours 5 days a week, leaving 85-95 hours.

So the 40 hours of work only adds up to less than half of your available time, after accounting for the basic needs of life. Of course you will spend more time eating if you decide to go to restaurants or do some elaborate cooking, but that is how you decide to spend your time, and not a part of your basic needs. Realizing that there are 85-95 disposable hours a week makes you realize that a full time job constitutes less than half of your job of living. Your job of living involves knowing when to relax and how to enjoy your friends and family, but it also suggests time for personal development and even some long-term productive endeavors outside of your day job.