According to a study conducted by the NAFI analytical center, 60% of Russians would prefer to relax less, work more, and earn more. Only 26% are willing to sacrifice some income to have more time for themselves. Another 14% found it difficult to answer.
We also decided to ask ourselves: what is more important – money or time? And at the same time, we looked at how many hours Russians spend working compared to residents of other countries and what salary could make us happy.
For Money
Olga Prikhodko, Khabarovsk
I believe that if you cannot afford to buy what you need, you are either foolish or lazy. And do not say that some people are not meant to earn. In my apartment building, there is a guy who has been blind since childhood. Nevertheless, he graduated from medical school and works as a massage therapist at the clinic.
I was born in a taiga settlement, which could only be reached by helicopter. I was raised by my grandmother who instilled in me the idea that a smart woman will never be a kept woman; she must be self-sufficient to survive in any circumstances and raise children. At 15, I left to study at a vocational school attached to a radio equipment plant in the regional center. The field did not interest me much, but there were new people and other opportunities in the city. I got involved in sports and public work, which allowed me to build a career. At 35, I headed the press service of the regional government. The work was exhausting, leaving no time for parties, lazing in front of the TV, or just an extra hour of sleep. But the experience I gained was invaluable! And any extra penny was always invested in education. In three years, I will retire, and I bought a course on managing neural networks.
Now I lead three projects: healthcare, regional policy, and private entrepreneurship. I am exhausted, there is no time to lie in bed or leisurely stroll through the stores as I did in my youth. But I am happy because I can drive an expensive car, buy my son an apartment. I am respected and self-sufficient. I have done everything as my grandmother advised.
I also had periods when I counted every penny in my wallet. But life is full of opportunities, look for them, grasp them, so that later, when you are jobless and don’t know how to spend the day, you don’t regret making the wrong choice.
For Time
Anna Shkvorneva, Kazan
Two years ago, I turned 40. And on that day, I realized that most of the active years allotted to a person had passed, yet I hadn’t really lived. Education, work, career, mortgage… Where is the joy of the day lived? Pleasant memories?
I am a doctor. I worked at two places to feel financially secure. The main income was from night shifts at the hospital, and the second job was at the clinic. After eight years of this intensity, I turned into a dried-up lemon husk. My main desire was to get enough sleep. My eldest son’s childhood passed by me. But I decided not to miss out on my youngest son’s childhood.
Realizing that I was psychologically and physically burnt out, I quit everywhere. Then I asked myself: what from what brings me joy can I make money from? And unexpectedly realized: making clothes for dolls! I sold the first set – hats, dresses, coats, fur coats for Barbie – online for 1.2 thousand rubles. One set – four chickens from the supermarket. You can survive! And how much pleasure I started to derive from my work!
Now I have time to go to museums and parks with my children, prepare a proper lunch, work in the greenhouse at the dacha, meet up with friends. Yes, you cannot earn much from handicrafts, so I also give paid workshops in the craft store. But the main thing is, I finally felt like the master of my time. I can manage it without fearing reprimands or dismissal. I can plan life, rather than disrupt all plans because I suddenly have to cover a weekend shift for a colleague. Joy, freedom, happiness cannot be earned. There are no wages high enough to buy them.
Learn to spend both money and time
Family psychologist, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor Ilya Slobodchikov :
– The desire to earn a lot of money is completely natural. It’s not that human greed knows no bounds. It’s different here: the more we have, the more we spend. And sometimes not on things that are truly necessary. Many of us have not yet fully learned to manage our finances wisely. Although time has already taught us the skill of saving a little for a rainy day, which might turn out to be worse than today.
And the concept of living for pleasure is also something we have yet to master. To enjoy this pleasure, you need not only free time but also a certain attitude towards yourself. You must love yourself, respect yourself, and know how to take care of yourself.
The desire to do as much as possible and as well as possible is not only in spinning like a squirrel on a wheel all your life. It also comes through the opportunity to give yourself proper rest, to look at yourself not just as a cog in a mechanism. This is a special self-perception. Just as you need to learn how to manage money wisely, not mindlessly or flashy flaunting it, you need to learn this as well. And teach it to your children.
Then perhaps this conflict between time and money will not arise.