3 Reasons To Abandon The Conventional 9-5 Now

When I was 12 years old I read a book that I found in my Dad’s office during the summer holidays. He suggested I read it. At the time, it was just any old book. From that book, I learned about the concept of making money work for you, passive income and selling value not time.

The book, as it so happens, ranks as the longest-running bestseller on The New York Times, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. It is called Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki). Since then, long before I ever entered the world of work, I’ve been fully convinced that the conventional Monday to Friday 9-5 is outdated and a fool’s game. That being said, I am in full time employment. However my belief holds firm. And I continue to strive for that life.

The interesting thing is ever since then it has become more and more possible to make this kind of life a reality. In 2022 it is entirely possible to abandon the conventional 9-5 and here is why I think now is the perfect time to do it;

#1 Outdated Model

Have you ever stopped to think about why most of us accept without question, that we work five days per week and get two days to ourselves? We work forty eight weeks per year, only to have to ask for permission to take time off? And that we spend more time with our colleagues than we do with our family and friends? It is well documented that the concept first arose when Henry Ford needed assembly line workers for production in the 1920s. It’s 2022. Let that sink in.

Apart from the fact that it is 100 years old, this was created for an industry where people physically needed to be present in order for work to get done. This is still the case for some industries for sure, but not for all of them. In fact most ‘office jobs’ follow the 9-5 model (or worse still 8.30 – 5.30) and yet most ‘office jobs’ can be done from anywhere in the world now. Therefore, this is an incredibly outdated model in many industries and it just doesn’t make sense anymore. It is high time we as employees abandon this outdated, unproductive model.

#2 Pandemic Proved It Is Possible

So we all know we are working in an outdated and unproductive manner. How are we going to convince the higher ups of the same? If only there was some unprecedented global crisis that forced the majority of the workforce to stay out of the office. That way, we’d be able to prove that we actually can be trusted to do good work in our own time and in our own way. And still produce results. Oh, hey there COVID 19!

There were many downsides to the pandemic. But one positive was that it allowed us all to prove that we don’t need the conventional 9 – 5. In fact there was a surge in productivity amongst workers during the pandemic. Therefore, this is the perfect time to broach this subject with your superiors. There is a lot of fear around trusting employees but we are coming out of a really good spell in terms of employee brownie points. I know it sounds a bit terrifying but there has never been a better time to ask.

# 3 Infinite Opportunity

Continuing to trade time for money is a sure way to limit your earning potential. Why? Because there are only 24 hours in a day. We are getting paid for our time, and time is limited, therefore the amount we can earn is limited. Instead, we can trade value for money. The amount of value we can deliver is infinite. In this case, our earning potential is infinite. This is also not a new concept, I know. The difference is, it is easier than ever to find a way to trade value for money.

There is infinite opportunity now and very low barriers for entry. This is partly to do with the recent move to remote working. And partly to do with the age of digitalisation along with the internet. The cost of starting a business is lower than ever. In fact, you can start a business for free. Whilst the term ‘Side Hustle’ is painful, the opportunity is very real. Never before have we had the opportunity, time, freedom and resources to start trading value for money with little to no cost or risk.

I am not suggesting you quit your 9-5 tomorrow and then start your business from scratch. However if you do want to abandon the conventional 9-5 you can definitely take the first step toward doing that right now

BONUS: #4 You Can Do It Your Way

Abandoning the conventional 9-5 can also mean different things to different people. For me it could be anything from working more flexible hours all the way to starting your own business. Maybe you don’t want to start a business. Keep your job. The world in general is more open to doing business online without requiring your physical presence. It is easier than ever to do it your way which make this the perfect time to abandon the conventional 9-5.

If you don’t believe me, check out this post, 5 Reasons To Quit Your Job And Become A Digital Nomad. Amber talks about how she was willing to quit her job to abandon the conventional 9-5. As it turned out she managed to abandon the conventional 9-5 whilst keeping her job!

In Truth..

In truth there are many reasons why now is the perfect time to abandon the conventional 9-5. And there are even more benefits to doing so.

More balanced lifestyle, our lives don’t revolve around work.
Live our lives and spend time doing and experiencing things that bring us joy.
Spend more time with friends and family.
Work the way we work best which means we are able to do better quality work

I do accept that this is not possible for every job in every industry and I also accept that doing so would not be for everyone. But if you are someone who likes the sound of it, hopefully this post encourages you to give it serious consideration. And if you are in the process of doing so, please share your story in the comments and let us know how you are doing so far.