work work work....how many hours?

A leading business tycoon recently said that young Indians should work 70 hours a week to ensure India's progress.

There was a mix of support and criticism and the debate continues.

So what is ideal hours to work in a week? How do you achieve the elusive work - life balance? 

I don't believe there is a 'one size fits all' solution. It comes down to ethics, personal preferences and perceptions.

What do I mean by ethics? Ethics works both ways. If your work constantly demands you to put in more than 48 hours a week or the legal norm is, then it is only fair that compensation should be structured accordingly. Employees have an obligation to discuss their pay structure if they are consistently putting in more hours than required.

Most people do work 60 hours or more. They do this either through their side business or part time job to earn extra income or because they want their passion to become the mainstream in their life.

Work life balance is not a set rule like the 80:20 rule. Work life balance is about perception. If I want a promotion at work, I will work hard to show that I am the ideal candidate for the role. It is better than sitting, doing nothing and hoping for it. 

What are your dreams, aspirations, goals? Do you think Michael Jordan became who he was because he restricted how many hours he put in? We love success stories and idolize movie stars, industrialists, sportsmen because they shine in their brilliance and illuminate the way for us to achieve our dreams. If only we were not afraid of our own light and it's brilliance.

What is the required hours of work per week, what is your compensation and your own ambition should determine if 70 hours of work is required or not.