Working Less and Living More

Small business owners today are developing a different perspective around how much and how often they need to work. They are working less and living more - working four-day weeks, and taking the weeks and days off that they want for vacations, summers, and holidays.

Things were different when I entered the working world. It was a badge of honor to have no boundaries around how much you worked. In fact, working your butt off for an organization was a highly encouraged work culture. I’ve been witness to the pendulum swinging from “be proud of working yourself into the ground” to “I’m working less and proud to be able to do it.”

My first big job was at an ad agency that was bustling from 8:00 in the morning until 8:00 at night. Yes, you read that right – 12-hour days. We bragged to each other at the ends of days and weeks about how many hours we racked up, how many meals we missed, and how few hours we slept. How cool we thought we were with our feisty, competitive, hustle culture mentality.

At first it didn’t bother me, except for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The same ad agency always shut down that week, which was status quo in that industry. I would guess it wasn’t out of generosity, but instead because it was cheaper than giving everyone a year-end bonus. Either way, I loved it.

Then later on I worked in the corporate office of a retail company. I watched as the executives took off whenever they wanted around the holidays while the rest of us were not privy to that flexibility. We were often expected to work more, which was someone else’s choice for someone else’s benefit.

I left corporate so that I could be the one to decide if I worked on a Saturday for a deadline, or the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas. I wanted to control what I did with my time, and how I got my work done.

Now a few decades later, business owners I know are taking off as much time as possible while still maintaining and growing their businesses. I often get emails that say, “I’ll be out of the office from the 15th to the…” or, “I’ll be back in the office on the 8th.” 

Where is This Coming From?

I’m curious about what has fueled this change, and I think many different things play into it. Of course, we have to start with Covid. 

People were forced to reassess their lives, what they were doing with their time, and where they were spending it. They thought about their values and if the same ones were still serving them. 

The sudden need for remote work has resulted in seeing how pleasant and productive remote work could be for both employers and employees.

There was the great resignation and quiet quitting that challenged the pressure to go above and beyond.

So we are not at a loss for motivators here. But this is also not “I Dream of Jeannie” where you blink, wiggle your nose, and shake your ponytail to get a lamp to okay your flex time.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

And maybe it’s age - a change in priorities can be influencing each of the generations in the work force. Mid-life professionals are looking to slow down, and younger generations are hoping to work more moderately than their parents or grandparents did.

To get to a place where you can downsize your work schedule, requires a number of implemented elements.

Time

You have to make time matter by improving productivity, knowing your priorities, delegating what you can’t get done.

Strategy 

A plan with clear systems and processes is how I’m helping my clients take back their time.

Finances

Your revenue has to cover the cost of hiring people, and cover your salary for the time you take off.

Clarity

You need to understand when you do and don’t want to work, and the best time for you to get the most done.

Delegation

You can delegate to someone like a virtual assistant, and you can automate with technology.

I help many of my clients improve their productivity to gain not only time, but flexibility with that time. They often come to me saying, “please help me find a better way, all I do is work.” My passion is showing them how to make the changes that get them to four-day work weeks and beyond, with time built in to work ON their own business, too.

For me, entrepreneurship has meant flexibility first and foremost, but also having control, developing creativity, and strengthening relationships with friends and family. In my last and final corporate role, I was left to keep an eye on things while my VP bosses took the days off. But now in my own world of Kathleen Lawson Consulting, those days off are marked in my calendar with ink, along with any other days I want. 

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? If your mouth is watering, get a napkin, then hit the button below to schedule a call to see how you can maximize your time to work less and live more.