40-hour weeks are made of 8-hour days. And 8 hours is actually a long time. It takes about 8 hours to fly direct from Chicago to London. Ever been on a transatlantic flight like that? It's a long flight! You think it's almost over, but you check the time and there's still 3 hours left. Every day your workday is like flying from Chicago to London. But why does the flight feel longer than your time in the office? It's because the flight is uninterrupted, continuous time. It feels long because it is long!
In "It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work," author Jason Fried contrasts the structure of a typical workday with the experience of a long flight. He points out that a standard 40-hour work week consists of eight-hour days, which can feel just as lengthy as a transatlantic flight from Chicago to London. Despite both lasting the same amount of time, our perception of them can differ significantly.
The reason behind this discrepancy is rooted in the uninterrupted nature of a flight. During a long trip, there’s no distraction or change in activity, making the passage of time seem longer. In the office, however, the lack of continuous focus and the interruptions of everyday work can create a sense of fragmented time, often making the hours feel shorter than they truly are. Fried suggests that recognizing this can lead to a more mindful approach to work.
