I used to think that the 40-hour work week was the dream.

You show up at 8 or 9, clock out at 5, and then have your entire nights and weekends to spend how you’d like.

But as I spent some time living this lifestyle, I quickly grew tired of it.

Sure, I’m a big proponent of work/life balance, and I acknowledge that there’s much more to my life than what I do at work. But as I got in the habit of judging my days based on the time I spent in the office, I realized that this behavior had other effects on me.

When we start thinking about work, or anything, in terms of the time we put in, we stop thinking about the contribution that we make. We focus on getting through the day rather enjoying the day. And we focus on simply showing up rather than making an impact.

I’m sure that’s just fine for some people, but not for me.

I work for more than a paycheck. I want to make a difference and make a positive contribution to the world. I want to feel like I’m growing and being challenged.

If that occasionally means helping a client with an urgent need in the evening or being there for a coworker who needs me on the weekend, so be it.

I appreciate the importance of disconnecting, and I don’t want to get in the habit of using long hours as an excuse to be less productive during standard working hours.

But I’d gladly take those chances rather than accept an empty job watching the clock every day.

-Brandon