In praise of work

Indians have been debating whether people should work 70 hours or 90 hours per week, based on the statements of two corporate leaders. The social media went into a mass epilepsy against their views.

In a corporate career of 52 years, I have yet to meet a person who attained success without working 10 to 12 hours per day.  The people who achieved remarkable success have always slogged even more than 12 hours per day, six to seven days a week.

Successful people, whether businessmen or artists or managers or leaders, work throughout the day and even the night. They do not know rest or sleep. Even when they sleep, they are subconsciously thinking about their work.

Success is a highly elusive mistress. It demands total commitment and dedication. Artists, writers, business leaders, prime ministers do not work 9am to 6pm. Their minds work, literally for 24 hours on their missions and tasks.

Their minds are boiling cauldrons of ideas and thoughts. A brain is not an electric switch that can be switched off or on. It works ceaselessly at the conscious and at the sub-conscious level.

Clock watchers can never succeed. Professionals on the fast-track work with their minds, but also with their hearts.

For instance, a person may be constructing a new factory that is going to create jobs and skills, in a backward area. Then, this is a mission that can inspire additional endeavours. You are benefiting the country, even if it is in a small way.

Rajendra Aneja,

Mumbai, India