Not work...just life

“Persistence. Perfection. Patience. Power. Prioritize your passion. It keeps you sane.”
― Criss Jami

It's almost June.  Schools are getting out for the summer.  Office-bound adults are trying to figure out how many times they can swing getting out of work at 3 instead of 5.  Freelancers are waking up early and squeezing as much work out of their morning so that they can order a noon margarita from their local wi-fi engaged restaurant while they work from the patio just an hour or two longer.  Sound like you?  No?  Well why not?

In the summer months (mid-May through mid-October here in Michigan!), I prefer to wake up early (5 - 5:30), get in as much work as I can before 7:30, have a leisurely family breakfast, do some yoga or a HIIT workout, then get back to work around 9:30/10am.  I'll do meetings or correspondence until 11:30/12, then have another leisurely meal.  Between 1 and 3, I turn off email alerts, phones, and any distractions and get a couple more hours of work done.

What does this have to do with life?

What does this have to do with balance?

Well, the way I see it, knowing your own energy and how it flows throughout the day can set you up for success...or failure.  Getting enough work done at peak time allows us to work fewer hours in the day in the most efficient way, allowing us plenty of playtime.  Does this happen every day?  No, but it does happen more often than not.

http://www.key-dynamics.com/blog/bid/271857/10-questions-for-you-and-your-life-balance-coach

Here's a concept that I've noticed most businesses miss: scheduling meetings first thing in the morning, especially on Mondays, is a waste of time.  Sure, once in a while it's nice to come into work and grab a coffee and bagel, then idly sit in a meeting for 2 hours before actually starting your work day, but it's highly unproductive.  How about planning your first 10 minutes around the water cooler, then getting to work?  No, not answering emails and checking your voicemail.  The other things.  Those productive ones.  The things that you get paid to do.

Most days, I don't respond to or answer emails or voicemails until mid-morning.  By then, I've had a few actually productive hours of my day, so I can sit in meetings or make phone calls or play back-and-forth on the email.  And then I can shut it down and get back to actual work.  Our corporate society makes it impossible to actually work.  According to this Forbes article, more than 50% of employees waste  up to 2 hours of their work day on just social media.  That doesn't count how often Susie over the cubicle wall distracts you, or how long it takes to get back on task after babysitting your outgoing fax for 10 minutes.  I would wager a bet that the average office worker has 4 or fewer hours of productive time a day.

So back to life and balance -

Imagine a world where you had a 4-6 hour work day, spread throughout the day to benefit your energy schedule.  Imagine that you weren't tied to your desk, and you could work from that restaurant at lunchtime with a drink and no one would mind.  Imagine that you could end your work day at 3pm every day, not just Fridays, and not just in the summer.  

What would you do with that time?  

How would you live?

Nicole
The Restless Entrepreneur