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If you asked me what was the best decision I made in 2022, I would tell you that it was to start creating pockets space by doing less better. Space that allowed me to rest, embrace boredom, get creative, connect with friends, and deal with the unexpected with relative ease. Creating this space was a messy endeavour that requires us to let go of an all or nothing definition of successful change. It all started with a noble intention, no structured plan, and the calendar was my scoreboard. You see, my dear friend, and rebel marketing strategist, Mickey Anderson was (and still is) a champ at holding boundaries with her time. I was in constant awe of her magic-like ability to hold to protect her time off while managing a growing business and her incredible little family. I was not so much a champ with my time but Mickey made it seem possible. At the beginning of last year it was a constant juggling act with work, side hustle, and writing bleeding into personal time. My noble intention was to stop allowing these demands to be the driver of how my time is spent. The goal was deceptively straightforward; to have evenings and weekends free from work and external demands. The Golden RuleThe one golden rule was centered around capability management. If I couldn’t get it done within 10 hours during the work day (8 hr workday and 2 hr other) then it’s not getting done and is taken off the to-do list. That was the line in the sand. Getting the one rule to work meant that I needed to start doing ‘less, better’ during those 10 hours. The Path I TookSo how did I get to having free evenings and weekends by the end of the year? How could I possible manage the demands of life in only 10 hours a day during the work week? By doing less better and being intentional with my focus. Blocked time in the work calendar for working on deliverables, research, responding to emails/chats, collaborative team efforts, meetings. Used a timer for book writing and marketing tasks. Declined all extra projects that either did not align with goals or weren’t able to fit reasonably into the workday. Scheduled meetings and appointments on the same day as much as possible to be less disruptive to the bulk of workdays. Stopped accepting social requests that disrupted the work day, and moved them to evenings and Saturdays. Instead of expanding my side hustle, focused on improving one product only and liquidating the rest. Deleted business social media accounts that were a struggle to maintain, focusing on the few instead that I can thrive on.
The HiccupsAmazing, progress includes set-backs and pockets of imperfection (thank goodness). We are human after all! The ResultsThe mental game that I play with myself is that it is the ultimate marshmallow test, if I am consistent and purposeful during those 10 hours, then I can relish in rebellious freedom outside of that time frame. Sundays quickly became my favourite day of the week with easy quiet mornings, free time to be creative, read, get outdoors or all three. Sundays are usually screen free and sometimes I turn the phone off completely….I know, what a rebel. How You Can Do Less, BetterHow are you going to do less, better going forward? What aspect of life are you going to apply this to? Consider applying the concept to one of The Eight Dimensions of Wellness - vocational, environmental, emotional, social, physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual well-being. Applying ‘do less, better’ to my calendar is just one example, if you want to apply the concept to other aspects of well-being, read more at the link below.
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