Is it best to work no more than 40-50 hours per week to succeed in you career?

[Hardkill]

Guys, people like Leo have said that you should not be working more than about 40-50 hours per week on your career; however, guys like Elon Musk and Jon Sonmez have mentioned have mentioned how if you want to become highly successful at whatever career you pursue, then you will have to work for 12-16 hours a day everyday for at least a few years towards your career goals. However, Leo had said in another thread pertaining to burning out that,

"It's definitely possible to burn out, even if you're doing the greatest thing in the world. Life purpose is best achieved with a steady consistent pace, rather than at break-neck pace. Consistency is the key! You gotta pace yourself like for a double-marathon, not a sprint.

If you're working more than 40 hours per week, you're probably doing it wrong. And you will be LESS productive in the end.

Create downtime to meditate, introspect, read, listen to music, hang with friends, cook, go outdoors, relax, etc.

Creativity is maximized when you are relaxed, not frenzied and overwhelmed with work."

Yet, Leo said in another thread that he works on average about 50-70 hours per week. I am very confused by all of this and I would greatly appreciated if Leo and the moderators to could help clarify this issue I have here. Thanks.

[R-Type]

Hours shouldn't be treated like a guaranteed recipe for financial success. Like work x hours per week for x years and you'll see success. There are hundreds of thousands of people who work as much and hard if not harder as the tech billionaires, but remain at a regular income level. 

[Hardkill]

On 7/26/2019 at 10:34 PM, R-Type said:

Hours shouldn't be treated like a guaranteed recipe for financial success. Like work x hours per week for x years and you'll see success. There are hundreds of thousands of people who work as much and hard if not harder as the tech billionaires, but remain at a regular income level. 

That's true; however, what about knowing how to recover mentally from work? How does one know when to back off or to just keep going despite feeling burned out, while wanting to achieve great success?

[Forestluv]

42 minutes ago, Hardkill said:

How does one know when to back off or to just keep going despite feeling burned out, while wanting to achieve great success?

How are you defining “success”?

[Aeris]

33 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said:

How are you defining “success”?

living happy and without any egoic authority telling you how to think and live at all.

having the power to live fully of my creativity.

 

[abrakamowse]

@Hardkill  I didn't read this book but it is on my "to read list"... maybe you can be interested in reading it too...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_4-Hour_Workweek 

 

I don't think is healthy to work 40 hours per week.

[BjarkeT]

I don't think the hours matter that much what really matters is the type of work you do that's why there are straight a students who study maybe for 3-4 hours or less and students who study a lot more than that and yet get lower grades. The straight a student do the work that matters. 

[Hardkill]

22 hours ago, Serotoninluv said:

How are you defining “success”?

I am defining success as becoming at least a millionaire in overall net worth through one's own hard work and becoming either a high ranking professional at your job or becoming a successful entrepreneur. How does one go about taking that journey to such success without paying an unnecessary price of one's own health and well-being?