A YouTube video featuring former employees of Elon Musk popped up on my phone. Elon Musk sleeps on floors or whatever else is available, and I have done that previously, too, like some Japanese do, as sleeping on the floor is healthy for the back. So, I can keep up with Elon. The Stoics advise us to endure more hardships, like the cold showers I take every morning, which feel more energizing than hot showers. In sum, the more hardships we undergo, the more we thrive.
Elon also texts or phones employees at 6 a.m., has an over 80-hour workweek, rapidly promotes employees who show technical innovation and is on fire with vision. Many are excited about Elon’s visionary mindset: a space colony on Mars. His employees give up hobbies and pastimes to focus exclusively on the vision. So, if we want to climb the ranks of any corporation, find a corporation with a giant vision that speaks to our souls—or better still, set the vision.
Like Elon, my brother worked 70 hours or more a week, which brought him to a global director role; he is retiring soon to travel the world. My dad also lived like Elon, working whenever required, often receiving phone calls nonstop past three in the morning, and that was his lifestyle. I also wish to be like Elon, Papa, and my brother, working a career until I die, ideally in my 90s or later. That’s because I underwent unemployment due to disabilities for the first two decades of my life, and now that I’ve turned my health around, I want the joy of a meaningful career. If we give our careers our all, we will have the resources to overcome many obstacles. And if we love everyone and every experience, regardless of worldly success, we have reached the pinnacle of success.
Also, I might secure a course-creation position on evenings and weekends. If so, I’ll potentially have four jobs: one with The Voice, another creating courses, another emceeing events, and soon, I hope, a full-time leadership career. I notice I can’t state a salary lower than $90,000 with HR interviewers, as they pay at least that much. Recently, I went lower, which was a red flag for the interviewer. So, at least, I’m learning the game of getting hired–the parameters, the metrics, and the expected skills and replies. Given my passions, I’m also learning which career niches would be ideal and for which I get interviewed: director and vice president roles and managerial roles involving content creation. When we get sprung into the job applicant environment, we see patterns arise, and they tell us a lot about what we do well, how far we can go, and what is possible, which I’d argue is unlimited.
I’m also learning that many employers don’t want a hard work ethic. They want me to work eight hours daily at most, and when I suggest I like to work continuously, it disinclines them to hire me. They often envision being the best or possessing a leading-edge product, but I wonder if they’ll maintain their competitive advantage over time if they keep the work hours low. There is no way Elon Musk would have become a multi-billionaire calling it quits after 5 p.m. ChatGPT said I’d work well in a culture that lets me work independently and flexibly. The four-hour workweek is not for those who want to grow constantly. Instead, the 80-plus workweek is a much better fit for dream fulfillment, primarily if our dreams involve rising to the pinnacle of success, which is, contradictorily, not wealth or status but unconditional love for all.
