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I think most highly successful people sacrifice time with their young families for more time later, assuming it works out. For many, they don't want to sacrifi

I think most highly successful people sacrifice time with their young families for more time later, assuming it works out. For many, they don't want to sacrifice this. For example, I won't, even if I _really_ want to. So if I want to succeed, I need to optimize the heck out of the free time I _do_ have. Bill Gates famously took weeks away in a cabin to get work done. Ruth Bader Ginsburg would work like crazy during the week while spending some time with her young child during that time, only to sleep the entire weekend to catch up.

ZephyrBlu 6y ago
> So if I want to succeed, I need to optimize the heck out of the free time I _do_ have I'm kind of the opinion that there is no such thing as optimizing your time, only the way you distribute your energy and focus. Allocating time to do something is meaningless if you've already spent all your mental energy on other tasks. For most people, free time = a break. So if you're already using 100% of your energy on other things and also expect to be productive in your free time... I'm don't think it adds up.
- luxurytent 6y ago
  Right, I agree with your point. If you are dying from death by a thousand cuts, no amount of time optimization will help. Need to cut, outsource, distribute.
- ksec 6y ago
  >I'm kind of the opinion that there is no such thing as optimizing your time, only the way you distribute your energy and focus. This. People constantly say they only have 24 hours, I felt I have ample of time. But my energy doesn't replenish as quickly. Human are not machine, you have to optimise your energy usage. Try to play a game of Go for hours and you have absolutely zero energy left for the rest of the day to think about anything. May be their are super human that can do that. I certainly cant. My guess is that it is similar to that some people are very good at long distance running. While I prefer to sprint, walk, run, and sprint again. Where walk = resting.
bergstromm466 6y ago
> Bill Gates famously took weeks away in a cabin to get work done. Ruth Bader Ginsburg would work like crazy during the week while spending some time with her young child during that time, only to sleep the entire weekend to catch up. To me stories like that just play into the dangerous idea of magical voluntarism in our current culture
- ineedasername 6y ago
  My interpretation is that magical voluntarism is just a newer name for "prosperity gospel". The same criticisms apply- that individuals are somehow fully in charge of their circumstances, that a strong will and focus are all that matter, and if you fail it's because of you, nothing else. In the prosperity gospel it tells people they'll be successful if they are devout and earn God's love, and if they are not successful it is because they haven't earned it from God. As with magical voluntarism, if can and is used to justify all manner of things, including disdain for the poor or sick, because they must have done something wrong to get there.
- Robotbeat 6y ago
  I honestly think extra hard work actually makes a significant difference for rising above, even though it's probably a bad idea to expect it of everyone. Necessary but not sufficient for rising above.
  - zhengiszen 6y ago
    Bill Gates was born in an environment of rich people, his father then himself was friend with Warren Buffet... Maybe there is a myth...
    - Robotbeat 6y ago
      As I said, necessary but not sufficient. There are a lot more failsons descended from rich folk than there are Bill Gateses out there. If it was just pure hard work alone that determined success, the women of Subsaharan Africa would all be billionaires. Necessary but not sufficient. (Side note: Africa will become rich by the end of the century.)
watwut 6y ago
> I think most highly successful people sacrifice time with their young families for more time later, assuming it works out. That means either divorce or alienated wife that is with you solely for money/livestyle long before the have time part happens. And even if not, if you spent all the time in work for years, adjusting to something different is hard.

ZephyrBlu 6y ago

> So if I want to succeed, I need to optimize the heck out of the free time I _do_ have I'm kind of the opinion that there is no such thing as optimizing your time, only the way you distribute your energy and focus. Allocating time to do something is meaningless if you've already spent all your mental energy on other tasks. For most people, free time = a break. So if you're already using 100% of your energy on other things and also expect to be productive in your free time... I'm don't think it adds up.

luxurytent 6y ago
Right, I agree with your point. If you are dying from death by a thousand cuts, no amount of time optimization will help. Need to cut, outsource, distribute.
ksec 6y ago
>I'm kind of the opinion that there is no such thing as optimizing your time, only the way you distribute your energy and focus. This. People constantly say they only have 24 hours, I felt I have ample of time. But my energy doesn't replenish as quickly. Human are not machine, you have to optimise your energy usage. Try to play a game of Go for hours and you have absolutely zero energy left for the rest of the day to think about anything. May be their are super human that can do that. I certainly cant. My guess is that it is similar to that some people are very good at long distance running. While I prefer to sprint, walk, run, and sprint again. Where walk = resting.

bergstromm466 6y ago

> Bill Gates famously took weeks away in a cabin to get work done. Ruth Bader Ginsburg would work like crazy during the week while spending some time with her young child during that time, only to sleep the entire weekend to catch up. To me stories like that just play into the dangerous idea of magical voluntarism in our current culture

ineedasername 6y ago
My interpretation is that magical voluntarism is just a newer name for "prosperity gospel". The same criticisms apply- that individuals are somehow fully in charge of their circumstances, that a strong will and focus are all that matter, and if you fail it's because of you, nothing else. In the prosperity gospel it tells people they'll be successful if they are devout and earn God's love, and if they are not successful it is because they haven't earned it from God. As with magical voluntarism, if can and is used to justify all manner of things, including disdain for the poor or sick, because they must have done something wrong to get there.
Robotbeat 6y ago
I honestly think extra hard work actually makes a significant difference for rising above, even though it's probably a bad idea to expect it of everyone. Necessary but not sufficient for rising above.
- zhengiszen 6y ago
  Bill Gates was born in an environment of rich people, his father then himself was friend with Warren Buffet... Maybe there is a myth...
  - Robotbeat 6y ago
    As I said, necessary but not sufficient. There are a lot more failsons descended from rich folk than there are Bill Gateses out there. If it was just pure hard work alone that determined success, the women of Subsaharan Africa would all be billionaires. Necessary but not sufficient. (Side note: Africa will become rich by the end of the century.)

watwut 6y ago

> I think most highly successful people sacrifice time with their young families for more time later, assuming it works out. That means either divorce or alienated wife that is with you solely for money/livestyle long before the have time part happens. And even if not, if you spent all the time in work for years, adjusting to something different is hard.