We do it to ourselves. We are our own taskmasters and sometimes work ourselves harder than any boss would ever dare to do. It begins with our out-dated thought process that we have to get all our work done before we can play. Here’s the first clue – we will never get all our work done. There will always be more.
It starts with a DECISION. A decision that we set boundaries on our time, boundaries for when others can contact us, boundaries on when we start and stop work each day and how we want to live our daily life.
I live in the Pacific Time zone and used to be at the computer by 6am because the East coast was up and working and I didn’t want to miss a sale. The problem was I also worked until 6pm for the West coast folks. I didn’t have time for myself and didn’t have balance because I didn’t have boundaries.
Once I decided to not allow others into my life before 10am, or Monday mornings and Friday afternoons; I found more balance with more boundaries. Instead of moving my schedule around to meet other people’s schedules, I just stated my schedule and allowed them to meet my criteria for connecting.
I now have “Me Monday”s – I can do anything I darn well please that morning so I can ease into my week. It can be personal or professional development or a pedicure.
Often it’s when I create my content, create and send greeting cards to connect with others via mail (it puts me in a good mood to send positive energy to others), dream my big dreams and visualize what I want to do with my work to serve others better. My mornings are my creative time and I need to honor my own biorhythms to capture that most important time of the day. Otherwise I’m too brain-dead in the evening to be creative and the dreaming and creating won’t get done. What works best for you? When are you most creative and when are you brain dead? Work around those boundaries for more balance.
Fun Fridays are currently just the afternoon, but it will be moving into a full-blown day to reconnect and socialize with friends or just have fun and be creative.
We cannot be Energized Entrepreneurs, if our energy tank is on E. We must fill up our tanks before we can have it to give out. Guard your energy as fiercely as you would an appointment with anybody else. You can’t give what you don’t have.
Guest entrepreneur Gail Hahn, MA, CSP: an Energy Expert and Certified Speaking Professional revitalizing work, wealth and well-being. For our readers she is offering a free Special Report on Energizing Your Work, Wealth, Workplace & Well-being. To receive your free report send an email to Gail@GailHahn.com and put Special Report in your subject. Grab other free articles at www.Funcilitators.com.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Gail,
Let me be the first to thank you for this post! This is such an important topic. As you know, it took me years to realize it was OK to be firm about my time, my schedule and my availability.
As entrepreneurs we find ourselves working many hours outside the 9-5 typical work day — yet it is not uncommon to struggle with justifying time off or time outs during a business day. I now have a regularly scheduled round of golf on Friday afternoons with my Mom and I usually manage to set no appointments on Monday which allows me to get 3 days work done in one day!
The work gets done, I keep my sanity and I can enjoy, guilt free, the benefits of being an entrepreneur. That’s what it’s about, right?
I’m grateful to you for the article and I truly hope others are enriched by it!
Theresa
Theresa,
Thanks for sharing this! I agree wholeheartedly!
Ron
Gail thanks for sharing this powerful insight into how to create balance. I second all you say. I especially like your approach to Monday mornings and Friday afternoons. To your health and wealth!