Happy National Leave the Office Early Day! Will you be observing the holiday this year?
Years ago, working in the corporate world and early on as a business owner, my days were long and the work seemed endless. I started coming in earlier and earlier. Then I started staying later and later.
I was trying to create more time in my day. But, no matter how early I started or how late I stayed, I never caught up on all the work that needed to be done.
Looking back now, I have to admit I was exhausted and overwhelmed.
In the spirit of complete honesty, I also have to admit I wore my overwhelm and exhaustion as a badge of honor back then. I believed working longer and harder than anyone else was how you get ahead.
The more overwhelmed I felt, the more I doubled down on my strategy of coming in earlier and staying later than everyone else. I truly believed I would leave the others in my dust as I zoomed down the road to pats on the back and success.
The problem was that I wasn’t really getting anywhere.
Why? Because work is a lot like laundry. It is never truly done.
All that extra time and energy I was putting in was just me spinning my wheels – and burning out in the process.
In the years since, I have learned so much. The most important things I have learned center around more effectively using my time. It’s not about how much time you spend, it’s about getting more done, in less time, with less stress. It’s about being productive with the time you have.
These days, I really can leave the office early and enjoy life outside of work on a gorgeous afternoon, and it doesn’t even have to be National Leave the Office Early Day!
The best part is that I can slip out early after a productive day with a lot accomplished. That means not feeling any guilt about taking that time for myself, or being able to be present for events that are important in my personal life.
So how can you celebrate National Leave the Office Early Day AND make leaving work early something you can enjoy regularly?
It’s simple really, and it starts with planning. Think about ways you can plan and streamline your time and energy.
Is it hiring someone to do the tasks you don’t like doing or that take up a lot of your time because you don’t do them well?
What about delegation? Are you trying to do it all and be everything to everybody? What could you delegate to free up precious time?
Could it be that you are having trouble staying focused on the tasks that need to be done? Or are you focusing your time and energy on tasks that aren’t really important to the future of your business?
Whatever the issue might be, I encourage you to be curious, do a little inventory of what might be keeping you from claiming more personal time, and start putting strategies in place that will free up some time. You will thank yourself in the future for taking the time to do that now!
I can tell you that there is no reward for being the long-suffering, hardest worker who comes in before everyone else and stays the latest. The reward comes from working smarter and getting results.
When you are able to do that, it’s a win-win.
So, Happy National Leave the Office Early Day!
Now, let’s make this a regular thing.
Wondering how you can streamline your time and energy to get more done, in less time, with less stress?
Schedule a complimentary strategy session with Cathy to discuss how you can streamline your business. Just click the button below to choose a time.
