Assumptions:

  1. You work on average 2,000 hours/year.

  2. You make $70,000/year.

    • Or $35/hour.

  3. A new skill requires 500 hours to acquire.

    1. And that skill will increase your earnings by a 25%:
      • $8.75/hour
      • $17,500/year

  4. This skill will remain valid for 10 years.

  5. It’s all or nothing.

    • Meaning 499 hours = 0% increase in earnings.

There are 168 hours in a week.

  • 50 hours go toward work
  • 56 hours go toward sleep/rest
  • 62 hours for you to allocate

Argument:

  1. The skill value is $175,000 over ten years.
    • $175,000 / 500 hours and you get expected value of $350/hour.

Or put another way, you’ll earn 10X per hour invested in the skill (assuming you finish) compared to your work hour.

  1. Apply that same logic a second time, only this skill requires 800 hours:
    1. New base salary $87,500, or $43.75/hour
    2. New yearly salary $109,375 or $54.69/hour
    3. New Skill value = $218,750 or $273/hour

Less per hour True. In absolute terms:

  • It’s still a 25% increase.
  • Or a 56% increase over the starting salary.
    • That 6.25% compounded increase is the real magic!

  1. 500 hours across 6 months:

    • 83.33/hours per month
    • 19.23/hours per week
    • 2.74/hours per day

  2. 800 hours across 12 months:

    • 66.66/hours per month
    • 15.38/hours per week
    • 2.19/hours per day

Conclusion:

You have at least 60 hours per week to use for:

  • Relationships
  • Entertainment
  • Self-Mastery

Split them evenly, and you have 20 hours per week for Self-Mastery.

What skill will you master next?