Let's Get To Work

Now that we’ve established a routine of rest and play in our lives, we can take a look at work. I’m calling for a new balance that involves not work and then life but work within the context of a life that includes regular rest and play. This is the work – rest – play balance we all need to be well.

Before we look at work, let’s define our terms. The schedule I propose works well for a solopreneur with a micro business. That to me means an annual income of $60,000 to $250,000. If you’re looking to build a multimillion-dollar business, I honestly don’t know how much you’ll have to work, but that seems exhausting so I don’t go there. Also, if you’re committed to climbing the corporate ladder, the expectations of work may or may not match the time available. I also don’t go there. Many people, however, work for a company that has an ever-increasing understanding of how quality of life contributes to productivity and employee satisfaction, which leads to greater retention. If this is you, or you have an autonomous revenue stream, you’ll have the best chance of creating and maintaining this balance in life.

In the last few posts, I’ve outlined the importance of both rest and play and how they contribute to a higher quality of life and a higher quality of work as well. With rest and play cushioning your work hours, work becomes a source of inspiration.

For this segment of the life schedule, it’s important to learn your own work rhythms. Some people are naturally early risers and are most focused and productive in the morning. Others may find themselves in the creative zone at midnight. Working when you’re not at your peak takes more time. You’ll have to work longer hours and will get less done. Create healthy boundaries around your preferred work times.

Schedule time for focused work. In his book, Deep Work, Cal Newport suggests 1 to 4 hours of deep, focused work at a time. It can take 20 to 30 minutes to settle into deep work and most people start to feel mental fatigue after 4 hours of this type of work. Expecting yourself to produce more or filling the days with inconsequential busy-work can lead to burnout.

Getting to a place where you can accomplish as little as one hour of truly focused work may have more value than six hours of chasing paper. You’ll feel better about your work and freer to truly rest and to go out and have some fun! 90 minutes is a good length of time for focused work. Then, stand up and stretch, make a cup of tea, lean back and close your eyes. Or, dance around the house, practice your juggling, play with the dog. This will contribute to the next 90 minutes being more effective.

Some companies emulate this by giving their employees personal time. Google famously lets employees spend 20% of their work hours pursuing their own personal projects. This contributes to innovation. They understand that rest and play lead to better work.

Work smarter, not longer. Rather than checking email throughout the day, schedule a time to check it once in the morning and once at the end of the day. This will also require healthy boundaries. Set up expectations of when you’re available. Others will get used to your schedule. It’s also easier to avoid drifting into the bottomless pit of emails when you know you have a mini golf tee time at 4pm. Reduce meetings from one hour to 30 minutes and batch work. When you’re writing, write. When you’re doing admin, stick to admin. The brain loves this. It’s like putting that precious three pounds of gray matter through a paper shredder to constantly switch context. This alone can reduce overwhelm, save time and get you out to the playground of life sooner.

Before long, rest and play will seep into work. You’ll take a deep breath and stretch after you’ve written a few paragraphs. You’ll crack a few jokes with a colleague. Your brain will be so happy and relaxed it will start to blur the boundaries of this work – rest – play balance. And this is when the magic happens. Life is flowing beautifully. When you do hit a bump in the road, you’re resilient and can handle the stress because you’re not at your wit’s end.

A couple more layers of cultural programming to unpack are that identity may be tied to work. There can also be a glorification of relentless hard work and constant productivity. “I’m so busy!” is at once a badge of honor and a cry for help. It can leave people with questions like, “Who am I when I’m not working?”  And, “Am I worthy when I’m not working?”

As a highly sensitive woman in mid-life, deeper questions about who we are and why we work come into sharp focus. There’s a tendency for people pleasing, being a “good girl” and doing the right thing – which in this culture may mean working your fingers to the bone. This is a time in life when you may find yourself saying, “No more. I’m not buying into the lie.” Focusing more on the rest and play portions of life can promote clarity towards a new path, a new purpose. If you do find yourself feeling lost or just done with what’s been, take a few days off to wander in the woods. Your natural joy and inspiration will bubble back up and guide you on the next step in your journey. Or, it can help you recognize what you love about what you do and you’ll have some fresh energy to dive back into it, keeping this work – rest – play balance in mind when you do.

How close are you currently to this work-rest-play balance? Begin with baby steps. Add 15 minutes of rest each day, schedule a fun activity with friends this week and notice your attitude towards your work. Does it light you up or fill you with dread?

When you enjoy your work, you don’t need to escape it to go live your life.