Thought for the day: Find some space for work in your life, not the other way around
Before you start reading, you need to get yourself into a certain mindset, to get the most out of the article:
the article has a certain goal in sight, the goal is not for everyone, but the journey to get there, is
take what you need from the article, and make it yours - you can apply 20%, 50%, or 10% of what is said here and it will still improve your life
With that mindset, let’s get into it:
We tend to give most of our time to our work and then try to squeeze in the things we like to do around it.
Sounds silly when written like this, right? Of course, you know that. I know that. Everyone does.
Yet we still spend all our time working, traveling to and from work, and only a little time doing the things we love.
The problem isn’t just with the time-spent inequality.
The problem is also with our mental energy - doing whatever makes you happy on the fringes of your time degrades your enjoyment and what you get from it, because you are either tired after work, or you do it early in the morning, half asleep.
It goes something like this:
(The time is there just to illustrate a full day - some will get up earlier, others later, some will stay up earlier - you get the gist. This is a simplification, everyone’s day is different, and the key here is the time spent working and time spent doing what you like. By “work” I mean whatever you do to bring the money in, that isn’t what you would do if you didn’t have to earn money anymore.)
7:00 morning routine, tired, half asleep - gym, book, meditation
8:00 travel
9:00 work
10:00 work
11:00 work
12:00 quick lunch, maybe gym for some
13:00 work
14:00 work
15:00 work
16:00 work
17:00 travel
18:00 do what you like
19:00 do what you like
20:00 do what you like
21:00 do something relaxing as it’s already late (TV, book, friends, chill)
22:00 sleep
That’s 9 hours of work + travel and 5 hours of your time. And one hour for lunch, maybe a quick gym. Not balanced.
Turn it around.
I know, it’s not easy, but the sooner you set your mind to it, the sooner it will happen.
It doesn’t have to happen completely, i.e. a complete reversal, where you spend most of your time doing what you like and only a few hours of work. It is possible, but less realistic for most of us.
What is realistic is setting your mind on the right path - reducing the amount of time spent doing work and increasing the time spent doing the things you like.
This is easier if you work for yourself - freelance or have your own business - no matter how small - it’s enough if it earns you what you need for a good, balanced life, plus you’ll be able to use your time much more positively towards yourself. But some employers are more flexible, it’s easier now to work from home (save the 2hrs travel). Check out ebizfacts.com for plenty of ways of earning your living whilst working for yourself.
For example:
7:00 get up at a time that suits your goals
8:00 enjoy your morning routine unrushed, breakfast, book, planning, meditation, yoga
9:00 work efficiently
10:00 work efficiently
11:00 enjoy a gym session or whatever you like - run/walk in a forest, read a book
12:00 eat well, without rushing, and maybe watch something that takes your mind off things
13:00 relax after a good session in the gym or a run - a power nap, a book
14:00 work efficiently
15:00 work efficiently
16:00 do what you like - friends, family, books, read the news, cook dinner
17:00 do what you like - friends, family, books, read the news, cook dinner
18:00 do what you like - friends, family, books, read the news, cook dinner
19:00 do what you like - friends, family, books, read the news, cook dinner
20:00 relax, cool down
21:00 relax, cool down
22:00 sleep
That’s 4 hours of efficient work and 11 hours of YOU time - do what you like.
You can also jiggle things around here - do more of what you want in the morning and do all 4 hours of work later.
You can work 8 hours one day, then take a day off the next day, or just work 2 hours.
The key here is flexibility - you decide when it’s work time and when you do all the fun/healthy/relaxing/fulfilling stuff you actually want to do.
You could do all the fun stuff first - relax, family, sport, quiet YOU time - and only then start working. Because that is the real priority, not work.
Yeah, I know, it’s the work-life balance discussion, nothing new.
But if it’s nothing new, how come the majority of people live to work, not work to live, still?
This is another reminder.
Work to live. Live first, then work only as much, as is needed for you to live a happy, balanced life.
The inspiration for this thought comes from Sensimism & the Nature - look at anything in nature - no creature, big or small, does more work than it needs for a balanced life. Under normal conditions, animals graze only as much as they need, then they rest or spend time with family. They hunt only when needed, and then they lie around and play most of the time.