As we joyfully celebrate the remarkable milestone of reaching one million volunteer hours for Brothers Redevelopment’s Paint-A-Thon, it prompts us to deeply reflect on the significance of this achievement.
This incredible feat is a testament to the unwavering dedication and effort of the thousands of volunteers and others who have contributed to the Paint-A-Thon in some type of way over its 46-year history.
But amidst our celebration, it also sparks our curiosity. What else could you achieve in a million hours? Undoubtedly, a million hours represents a vast amount of time (equivalent to over 114 years!). So, we decided to do some good ole research.
Here is a breakdown of other things in life you can do in a million hours’ worth of time.
Train for the Olympics
Olympic athletes don’t just compete in their respective sport — they live it and dedicate most of their life trying to work toward winning a gold Olympic medal. While there isn’t a specific schedule each athlete follows, due to factors based on the sport, there is an average spent on training.
According to a 2008 article in Forbes, it’s common for Olympic athletes to spend four to eight years training in a sport before making an Olympic team. Simone Biles, a decorated American gymnast, trains for 32 hours a week with one day off. Meanwhile, other athletes like former American swimmer Michael Phelps, said he practices every day in the pool for three to six hours and does separate exercises on dry land four to five days a week.
Outside of training, Olympic athletes prepare for competition by getting their bodies enough rest, eating the right food, and mentally preparing for athletic events.
Olympic training is a non-stop job. And with a million hours, you could master multiple sports, become an elite athlete, and maybe. Just maybe. Achieve Olympic glory.
Learn a new language… or several languages
Learning a new language is a difficult task and involves several factors like one’s aptitude and the time spent on practicing and using the language.
Native English speakers may require less time to learn languages like French, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish. But more time is likely needed to learn other languages like Arabic, Japanese, or Korean, according to Language Testing International.
Native English speakers can learn languages like French or Spanish in about 24 to 30 weeks to gain “Professional Working Proficiency,” according to the Foreign Service Institute — the U.S. government’s foreign affairs training provider. Other languages like German or Indonesian require about 900 class hours to achieve professional working proficiency, while languages like Greek, Hindi, and Russian take about 1,100 class hours.
With a million hours, think of all the different languages you could learn!
Explore every country in the world
The United Nations recognizes 195 countries and territories around the world. Think of all the different cultures, people, and food you could experience if you just had the time to travel to each of those places and immerse yourself in the regions.
Only around 250 people have visited each country, according to an article by CNBC. Most recently, Drew Binsky joined that exclusive club by taking 1,458 flights and 1,117 buses and trains to travel to every country in the world.
Binsky said he stayed in each country for about a week. But if you had a million hours to kill, you could extend your visits and really soak in what each country has to offer.
Become a true expert in whatever you want
There’s a popular concept suggesting that it takes 10,000 hours to become a world-class expert in a subject.
Imagine what a million hours unlocks. It’s the difference between playing the piano and performing in concert halls, between coding websites and creating revolutionary software. A million hours would allow you to delve into the intricacies of your chosen field, innovate and become a beacon of knowledge and skill. With that much time, you might even master multiple disciplines, leaving an enduring mark in several areas!
Read an entire library (or two!)
With a million hours, you would have the gift of time to absorb countless stories, ideas, and histories.
The average person reads about 200-400 words per minute. Let’s assume a conservative 250 words per minute… That’s 15,000 words per hour. Even a modest sized library with 50,000 books (and an average of 300 pages per book) suddenly becomes a conquerable challenge.
Now, imagine tackling libraries with hundreds of thousands of volumes, or even the Library of Congress — which is home to 164 million items. You could become a walking encyclopedia and carry the wisdom of generations within you!