We may still be in a pandemic, but the dog days of Summer are just like Friday afternoons—they’re the same the world over. But do you find it hard to back off on your commitments, even when long, sunny days are calling? There are plenty of good reasons to say “no”—you just need to understand how to spot them and what to do next. So, in August, you’ll learn four easy self-care strategies in the series, Reclaim Your Day.
An old boss once joked, “Deals take as long as the time you have. If you don’t have a deadline, they can stretch forever! But it’s a funny thing—when you only have two weeks because the CEO wants to make a public announcement, somehow they get done!” I’ve seen his wisdom played out time and again in the business world. However, here’s an idea—can you apply efficiencies to more than deal-making?
Let me tell you David made that idea real.
My friend David is a minister who loves to hang out with his congregation. After hours, you’ll find him at the local softball game, chowing down at a neighborhood barbecue, or taking a group walk by Lake Washington. He found those activities so meaningful that he announced to the congregation last year that the office would have Summer hours: 9:30 – 4 Monday through Thursday and half-days on Friday.
You might think, Sure—everyone likes to goof off in the Summer! However, a funny thing happened. The staff started applying the soft skill of creativity to their compressed schedule and became even more efficient. Leaders identified parts of the Music or Sunday School program to outsource to capable, enthusiastic volunteers. They cut down on hallway chatter by replacing the weekly staff sync with a 1-hour outdoor lunch, where they spent time socializing after working through the week’s priorities. And team morale improved as everyone beat rush hour traffic and had extra time for activities with the people they loved.
By the end of the Summer, the church staff came to a unanimous decision: Summer hours are our hours. Of course, they make adjustments during the Winter and Spring holidays. But for the most part, they upended “how it’s always been”.
Now think about your calendar—is there a pocket of time you can reclaim? Fire up your creativity and find ways to compress tasks or eliminate them so you can pursue a life you love. Here are three ways to do that:
You can also support yourself with three simple affirmations:
In the past, you may have spent every Friday afternoon in August at your desk. But it’s time to reclaim your day by finding little efficiencies. Say no to “how it’s always been.”