“We all have the same 24 hours in a day” is a redundant, morally short-sighted, and frankly, derogatory phrase borne of privilege with no real place in modern society let alone motivational speech.
Disclaimer: This is currently a very topical issue due to the very reason that inspired the writing of this article. This article only serves to highlight a key issue in the context of an overused but morally stunted phrase in relation to my work in the NHS. The article does not aim to devalue or diminish the character traits or individual success of Molly Mae Hague.
I’ve recently been thinking a lot about success and what this exactly entails. Success on social media, success in a career, success with family and/or friends. What does success mean to the average person and how feasible is it to achieve for every single one of us?
I suppose a starting point is to define our inherent metric for success. Is it Instagram followers? Is it podcast listeners? Is it surgical complication rates? Is it a happy household? Perhaps it’s all of these things. In any case, success in each of these domains relies heavily on lifestyle factors. With the lifestyle led by the average person, how possible is it to actually succeed in each/all of these areas within a particular timeframe?
For me, I already have my definitions of personal success laid out. Health, wealth, and a happy, cohesive family unit. Yet, the interaction between these domains is a dynamic and constantly shifting equilibrium. Too much wealth can tip the balance away from a cohesive family unit; likewise, an intensive familial commitment may impact health. It’s a real challenge to master all the factors at play. In all honesty, I cannot say I’ve even come close to cracking it.
I recently ventured over to Steven Bartlett’s podcast: Diary of a CEO to learn from the stories of some of the most well-known entrepreneurs and leaders who are unanimously recognised as successful individuals. It was during one of these episodes, which featured Molly Mae Hague, that I heard an interesting quote. Something that has ostensibly sparked a widespread, vehement debate about success, feminism, and social inequality.
“We all have the same 24 hours in a day”
This phrase was accompanied by a rudimentary comparison with the lifestyle led by Beyoncé and how we all have the same opportunities as she does if we put our mind to it. Now, had I heard this phrase 5 years ago, I would have been excited and enthused by it. Yes, why don’t we use all 24 hours in the day! What’s everyone’s excuse? I’ll tell you what, there is no excuse. Everyone has the same chance of success as the other, it’s all down to personal choice. If I can achieve it, anybody can. My mind worked linearly and everything was a simple matter of choice, period.
Perhaps this was youthful naivety. 5 years on, at the age of 28, I contemplate this phrase very differently and with far more nuance. To put it simply, everybody’s chance of success is not equal. The phrase, as Molly stated during the podcast, is technically correct (yes, we all do have the same 24 hours in a day, if looking at time alone). Yet, this is a top-tier demonstration of primitive and indolent lexical semantics that removes all logic and context from the phrase. There is not even a shred of rational truth behind the quote when applied to success and productivity. See below.
Let’s consider the example of someone less privileged than the average person. Somebody who is perhaps a non-white immigrant. New to the country, young children, just about navigating the language barrier, trying their best to gain employment. What are their options? How do we envisage their 24 hours to be maximised? Buy the latest iPhone (with next to no money), purchase an expensive phone contract with adequate data, create an Instagram account, start posting their outfits of the day?
Probably not.
Their priorities are likely to be something along the lines of: “Oh shit, what will I feed my children today whilst fending off eviction from this mould-ridden halfway house”. Not so glamorous. To get political for a moment, do they harbour the exact same opportunities as someone who has enjoyed the privilege of a white, middle-class upbringing?
No.
So then, how can I feasibly achieve all of my personally defined domains of success as someone who works in the NHS? My 24 hours run very differently from the next person I walk past in the street and vice versa. I work hard with long hours, but so might they. An average non-on-call day in surgical training involves 9-10 hours of full, non-negotiable contact time at work. This comprises looking after patients on the ward, training in the operating theatre, or seeing patients in the clinic. In addition to that, there are at least 2-4 hours of additional mandatory “portfolio-based” work that I must complete in order to ensure my continuous professional development and progression. This can consist of anything from exam revision, to research, to teaching medical students and junior doctors. Mostly, this is done in the evening, in my own time. And, the icing on the cake is that I only get paid for 8 of those hours; everything else is deemed voluntary. Part of the greater good, let’s say.
An average non-on-call day in surgical training involves 9-10 hours of full, non-negotiable contact time at work.
So, that’s roughly 14 hours of my day spent on purely work-oriented tasks. Outside of this, I must make provisions for my physical and mental health, as well as make time for friends and loved ones. And that’s not even including on-call shifts which can obliterate up to 15 hours of your day or night, depending on which side of the clock I’m scheduled to work. Sleep? What is this mythical term? I’m not convinced that my lack of a million-pound publicity contract is due to gross underuse of my 24 hours.
For others, their definition of hard work may differ from mine and will likely heavily depend on their priorities, such as children or an unwell family member for whom they provide care. They may utilise all 24 hours in their day just to make ends meet because that’s what they must do to afford a living. Does that make them less hardworking, and moreover, does it justify their poverty?
My story and work ethic are personal to me. I enjoy my job and can wholeheartedly acknowledge that as an NHS worker (which, granted, I have chosen to be) I am immensely privileged to have a job with decent pay, status, significance, and the satisfaction derived from helping members of the general public get better regardless of race or creed. Equally, my other half has an incredibly inspirational story with challenges that I could not imagine myself overcoming to achieve the success she has.
The principal issue here is the glaring fallacy that reverberates with George Orwell’s infamous quote: “all animals are equal but some are more equal than others”.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day” is a redundant, morally short-sighted, and frankly, derogatory phrase borne of privilege with no real place in modern society, let alone motivational speech.
Vasudev Zaver 