Throughout life, we make countless decisions and take countless actions.
However, the time we have in life—the number of days we can live—is limited.
In this short, finite life, are we prioritizing things correctly?
The Priorities of a Salaried Employee’s Life
Many people around the world choose to work as salaried employees.
A salaried employee’s life consists of working about eight hours a day, at fixed times, doing tasks assigned by someone else.
Even when there are more important things in life, they must still follow this routine.
From 9 AM to 5 PM each day, their top priority is work.
They dedicate their time and life to someone else’s business in exchange for a stable salary.
When the workday ends, they finally feel free, but they are often too tired or unmotivated to focus on things that truly matter to them.
This is the life of a salaried employee.
Of course, there are different types of salaried jobs, but for most people, this is the reality.
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The Priorities of an Entrepreneur or Self-Employed Person
For entrepreneurs and the self-employed, work and personal life often blend together.
Even if there are designated work hours and personal hours, there are also many moments that exist in between—where work and life overlap.
This means that prioritization can be based on “my life” rather than just work obligations.
For example, over the course of a week or a month, an entrepreneur might want to:
- Advance their business (earn income, expand operations)
- Go to the gym
- Take a walk
- Meditate
- Play sports
- Read books
- Do nothing and rest
For a salaried employee, “advancing their work” is the first priority. They allocate at least 40 hours per week to their job, with little flexibility to adjust their schedule.
In contrast, an entrepreneur or self-employed person can decide their priorities based on what is most valuable and meaningful in their life.
For example, if they consider health to be more important than anything else, their priorities might look like this:
- Go to the gym
- Meditate
- Advance their business
- Play sports
- Read books
- Take a walk
Moreover, they have control not only over what they do but also how much time they allocate to each activity based on its importance in their life.
For example, instead of saying, “I’m working 10 hours a day and have no time to go to the gym!”, they can adjust their priorities: “I will dedicate 1.5 hours daily to the gym and sports, and fit work around that.”
In other words, a salaried employee’s day feels divided into “work hours (top priority)” and “personal time (lower priority).”
But for an entrepreneur or self-employed person, all 24 hours of the day are used to prioritize what is most valuable and meaningful to them—whether it’s health, family, or work.
Starting today, I am returning to the path of entrepreneurship and self-employment.
From now on, I want to use my 24 hours each day for the things that matter most to me.
Because life is limited. Every day, every hour belongs to my life.
I want to spend my time doing what is important and meaningful.
