2 Hours a Day Can Change Your Life Forever While Working 9–5

Gain an extra 2 hours each day and transform your life

Nnamdi Samuel
ILLUMINATION
4 min readNov 17, 2023

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Photo by Lucas Suárez: https://www.pexels.com/photo/contemplando-18869171/

Throughout my adult life, especially during my university days, I’ve always been conscious of time.

“Oh no! I’ve just spent the last hour in vain.”

“How did I waste such an ample amount of time?”

“Sitting here for such an extended period, what have I accomplished through this reading session?”

I gave an account of every bit of time I spent, paying close attention to how effective I was each time I was set to carry out a task.

As students, we never had enough time! We always wanted more time, even when given forever, to carry out an assignment or project.

In our human experience, the reality remains that time will forever elude us, and the desire for more will persist.

You have enough time to change your world

Frequently, we find ourselves swept away by the “no time” syndrome wave. But the truth is, we have just enough time to build the life of our dreams if we can become good time managers and be consistent.

At the university, I was engaged in other activities outside of academics.
While striving for outstanding results, my extracurricular activities were inevitable. I knew I had to give enough time to my studies if I were to maintain balance.

Here’s what I came up with:

I resolved to add the early hours of the day to my usual study time. Although it took a while to maintain balance and consistency, it helped me achieve more, and no area suffered.

By closely examining your daily routine, you may find out that you waste as much as 4 hours each day. There might be instances of unproductive discussions and unnecessary visits, making your work more challenging. By minimizing these distractions, you could streamline your tasks, finish work sooner, and attend to personal matters upon returning home.

Until you cut down on these irrelevant activities and get some time for personal development, you may be stuck at the status quo for eternity.

You have the time to start building the life you want if you decide to create it.

Be intentional and change your life forever

I need you to always realize that making a revolutionary change in your life will be challenging.

A considerable number of people choose to embrace complacency and mediocrity—that shouldn’t be you!

During my undergraduate days, I had the opportunity to work for a brewing company as an intern. Before this time, I had begun my journey in data analysis, and I worked on projects during my free time at the company.

Aware of the potential of data analysis as a promising profession, my boss, who had heard about it, was surprised to learn that I was actively involved in the field.

Recognizing the lucrative prospects associated with data analysis, he realized the value it could bring and expressed interest in pursuing opportunities within the profession.

He wanted more time for his family and wanted to earn more, but he wasn’t sure how to begin.

He spoke to me about it, and I offered to guide him in data analysis. He began the journey, was consistent for about a week, and gave up. His reasons were that he came back too late from work and would feel too tired to carry on with the lessons.

When I got my first job offer, I told him of both the offer itself and the corresponding salary, and this prompted a notable reaction from him.

He brainstormed and thought of ways to continue with his lessons despite his 9–5 job. According to him, he made out 2 hours each day for his lessons.

What did he do? His strategy involved making the most of his lunchtime by reducing visits to the canteen and opting to have his food delivered to his office. This approach not only minimized the time spent on the to-and-fro journey to the canteen but also helped him steer clear of unnecessary conversations with friends. He also made effective use of his work-free days.

He was consistent with this for four months, every day, and got an offer that paid him three times more than what he was paid at the brewery.

Final thoughts

For real, you can change your world. The transformative potential of dedicating just two hours a day to personal development amidst a traditional 9-to-5 work schedule is undeniable.

By strategically cutting down on irrelevant activities and creating time for personal development, you can cultivate meaningful change in their lives.

Whether it’s acquiring new skills, nurturing creativity, or enhancing overall well-being, the key lies in recognizing the value of these dedicated hours and using them as a catalyst for lifelong positive change. So, seize those two hours, make them count, and watch how they shape a future filled with growth, fulfillment, and success.

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Nnamdi Samuel
ILLUMINATION

Lifelong learner || Productivity Enthusiast || Engineer