Newly entering the world of work, I sometimes feel overwhelmed with what I must do as opposed to what I want to do. In an ideal world, what you must do is what you want to do, and sometimes a bit of a crossover exists even when you are not (yet) working in your perfect job.

What should never be underrated is the power of free time. This summer I worked for a brand, which helped me expand my experience and knowledge in a subject I love, but each day before work and every evening after, I diligently devoted my free time to building my brand. And, who was that guy who approached his boss about an amazing new project he was working on? The one whose boss said, “Sure, go ahead and work on that in your spare time after you’ve completed the other tasks.” Oh yeah, that guy invented the Internet.

My stepfather gave me some words of wisdom on this subject. He said, “when you first start out you may have to give 60 percent of your time, energy and thoughts to the company you work for and pay the bills. But the other 40 percent is all for you and how you want to build your life.” I think these words could not have come at a better time. I know many people are working out of willpower with a bigger dream bubbling inside them. We might be in an economic place where we have to be rational and responsible, but as long as you use that spare 40 percent to build your vision you are on your way to creating the life and self you envision.