If you’re like most business leaders, work is all you know. The idea of a 9-5 is a thing of the past, as you work from morning to evening, seven days a week.
While you may think this is just part of running a successful business, many people in your position are finding that they’re having happier, more successful lives by scheduling in time off.
As well as having weekends for yourself, Million Dollar Business Club recommends that its staff and Members take Mondays off as well.
Why are you working so much?
Business
leaders and managers often feel like they have to work hard to get
ahead. You might do this because you think that if you put in more
hours, you’ll get more out. And you’re not alone in this thinking. But
while it sounds good on paper, it can actually be bad for business (and
for your personal life).
By spending so much time at work,
you’ll likely find yourself getting stressed, tired and overrun. While
it’s possible to work like this in short bursts, it’s not ideal. Working
tired often means you’re not working optimally. Things can be sloppy,
or they can take longer than they should. A study by the University of
Warwick in the UK found that happy people are 12% more productive than the average person.
It
also means there’s less time for the important things in life. Instead
of being at work, you could be learning new skills, spending time with
your partner and being there for your kids as they grow up.
We
all have limited hours in the week and we won’t live forever. At the end
of it all, would you rather look back at the time you spent in meetings
or the hours you spent doing what you loved?
How to reduce work hours
The idea of only working four days a week may sound scary, but if you think of it as giving yourself three days a week for you, it can become a lot more appealing.
You may, however, need a bit of help getting to the stage where you can decrease work hours so drastically. Here are a few tips to increase productivity.
How do we show that we care?
According to acclaimed author Dr Gary Chapman, there are five love languages – ways that we can express our love for others. These are:
- Receiving gifts
- Spending quality time with others
- Giving words of affirmation
- Acts of service or devotion
- Physical touch
What this says is that people communicate their love in different ways, and although you may feel like you’re working for the benefit of others (doing an act of service or buying gifts), they may feel you’re not showing love because you’re not spending quality time with them.
The importance of a strong work-life balance
We have just 168 hours in a week, and a good portion of those are spent sleeping. If you add in a 40-hour work week (or more!), plus commuting time, you’re looking at a small window for hobbies, family, education and socialising.
Million Dollar Business Club understands the importance of work and money, but also recognises that there’s more to life than work. We have developed the LEEDA Priority Management System that helps Members find more time in their week while also growing their businesses.
To find out more about this system and connect, learn and adventure with some of Australia’s brightest entrepreneurs, as well as unleash more balance and fulfilment in your life, you can learn more and apply here.
