A friend recently told me that I have: “the most flexible schedule of any full time employee he has ever seen”. At first I was taken aback. I felt the need to defend myself. To tell him that I actually do work. For many hours. My initial reaction and desire to defend my hours is insightful in its own way and leads to bigger questions about how we view work and status. More about that later. But as I settled in after the initial shock of the statement, I felt more of a sense of pride. Yes, I do have flexibility. Yes I do have time for other things in my life. That was my goal and I’ve achieved it, somewhat.

Why I decided to pursue a flexible work schedule

In 2017 I decided that I was tired of the office. I felt that my productivity was being hindered rather than helped by my constant presence there. I also knew that I was missing out on so much of my life. My time with loved ones was limited and I knew that at the end of my life I didn’t want to look back and feel that I wasted my time staring at cubicle partitions. I knew I was wasting time daily. Time in travelling and time being constantly distracted in the office. I grew increasingly frustrated knowing that I could do the same work (if not better) with a hybrid-remote schedule and flexible hours. However, company policy simply did not allow for this. That all changed in 2020. Since then I have been hybrid and remote to various degrees, depending on my position and the phase of my projects.

Measuring my real work hours

I decided to actually measure the amount of hours I work. This would probably be quite eye-opening for me. I wondered if I would be happy/sad/surprised at the results. So for three weeks I wrote down every time I did work. I kept track of the time of day, the length of the work session and the location. Here is what I learned:

• I did most of my deep work early in the morning and late in the evening. I did most of my collaborative work (including meetings) in the middle of the day. I also did much of my admin at odd hours and in short bursts. I replied to 80% of my emails within a 60 minute window each day.

• I spent about 35-40 hours per week actively working. However this was spread over 7 days and not 5. Overall, my total weekly hours were in line with the common expectations of 40 hours per week. I spent an average of 6-7 hours working per weekday and 3 hours working per weekend day. Importantly, 2-3 hours of my weekday work took place before 6am and after 8pm. My daylight hours during the week were therefore quite open.

• I work in sprints. I knew this would be a key result of my short study. Because I design my life that way. Several years ago I read the collected wisdom of Naval Ravikant in a short book called The Almanack of Naval Ravikant. In it he advocated for “working like an athlete”. Sprint and rest. Sprint and rest. His assertion was that it created a higher quality output and limited time wasting. It was at that time that I decided to work in short bursts. I’ve kept it up ever since.

• My measurement showed that I was working for periods of not longer than 50-60 minutes, unless engaged in a particularly absorbing task, or participating in a meeting. I was taking breaks of 15-30 minutes after these sprints, and at least one daily break of 1-2 hours. These longer breaks were often mid-morning, after an early session of work.

Is hustle culture a status game?

Hustle culture, often referred to as grind culture, is a societal trend that emphasizes hard work, long hours, and relentless pursuit of professional success, often at the expense of personal well-being, leisure, relationships and rest. It glorifies being constantly busy and productive, valuing work above all else. Key characteristics include:

1. Overworking: Long hours and minimal rest are seen as a badge of honor.

2. Productivity Obsession: Constant focus on achieving more and optimizing time.

3. Sacrificing Personal Life: Prioritizing work over personal relationships and self-care.

4. Glorification of Busyness: Being busy is equated with being important or successful.

5. Social Media Influence: Platforms often showcase and celebrate nonstop work and success stories, contributing to the pressure to keep up.

While hustle culture can drive ambition and achievement, it is also criticized for promoting burnout, stress, and neglect of mental and physical health.

When I examined my initial reaction to defend my hours, I realized it was perhaps tied to these societal expectations about work and productivity. We often equate long hours with dedication and success. Hours are far easier to understand than the more intangible outputs of our work. There is an underlying assumption that if you're not working long hours, you're not working hard enough or you lack ambition.

So perhaps I was concerned that my flexible schedule would be seen as a sign that I don't work hard enough. And thus not be worthy of praise or admiration. This is a knee-jerk mindset that I needed to shift. I suspect that many of us have the same ingrained perspective.

Why is flexible working a good idea?

I have a few thoughts about why I believe it is a good method for most people.

• It allows you to spend more of your waking hours with people that you care about. This may be your family, friends or others. It may even be your colleagues. Many people see their colleagues as close friends. Being tied to a desk in an office all day means that you spend very little time with those close to you, who may be similarly chained to a desk elsewhere. For me, time with my young children and with my friends daily is something I wouldn’t trade for all the money in the world.

• You get to spend a lot of time thinking. Working in bursts with intermittent breaks gives you plenty of time to think. Working in somewhat random locations around your town also stimulates creative thinking. There are several studies showing the link between novel environments and creative thinking. There are also links between a relaxed state and new idea generation. That is why so many people have their best ideas in the shower. When you live a more relaxed life, you are able to think more deeply. As a knowledge worker, clear thinking and pin-point accurate decision making are 90% of your job. Famous thinkers such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are known to take time for thinking. Gates takes weeks alone with no distractions. Buffet makes time every day for silent reading and thinking.

• You are able to be effective when working to your own particular rhythms. Some people are early morning energetics. Some are night owls. You should be able to work at a time when you feel most vibrant.

• You aren’t limited to a 5 day work week. In theory, you could work 7 days per week. I personally have no issue with working on weekends. I find that I can get work done in short bursts on the weekend without feeling like I am disrupting my downtime or affecting my rest and still feeling rejuvenated. If you prefer not to work on weekends, that is fine too.

• There is time for life admin. Some admin tasks are simply better done during the week. Visiting government departments, doctors appointments, meeting the roofer or returning that broken toaster.

The downsides of flexibility

• Less pay. I could likely earn more if I worked a more rigid, high pressure job.

• Human contact is limited. Although that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I am an introvert anyway and generally dislike chit-chat.

• You have to be self directed and driven. When you are a free agent, there is nobody to tell you what to do. You are responsible for your own output.

• It can be very difficult to convince others that you are being productive. It can also be difficult to sync up your schedule with those working more traditional hours. In both cases there can be much frustration. Your colleagues may feel that you are working less than them and thus not “earning your salary”. Management may feel that your flexible schedule doesn’t agree with their own ideas about work. Especially if they are of an older generation more accustomed to fixed office work. They may also think that if they allow you to work flexibly they will need to allow all staff to do the same. And all staff members may not be well suited to this type of arrangement because of their role, demeanour or experience level. These are valid concerns.

Conclusion

The question which sparked this investigation was eye-opening for me. It forced me to examine my own psychology and to consider whether my own conscious decision to have an abnormal work schedule was the right one. By running a long-overdue experiment and thinking carefully about the results, I felt more assured that my decisions were correct. Consider creating an adaptable schedule of your own and perhaps you will find some benefit. Chances are that you will.