Day 16 (2008-07-16): Clocking out

Today I discussed with a client the importance of “clocking out.” How there is a freedom in defining a clear boundary for personal time.

Clocking out can be literal, i.e. when you clock out from work at the end of the day. Or it can be figurative, especially for people like myself who are self-employed and set their own hours.

This is something I’ve been experiencing in these 100 Days of Peaceful Productivity. When I schedule a time to “clock out” for the day, I notice two things:

1. After I clock out, I feel free to relax. There are less feelings of “I should be doing this” and I can be present in whatever it is I am doing. There is no guilt about not working.
2. I’m actually more productive during the day before I clock out than I am on days I do not set a time to clock out. When I know that I will have “me time” at the end of the day, I can be fully present in the work that I am doing. There’s less procrastination, less getting distracted.

And I’ve actually noticed a third important effect. It almost doesn’t matter when I clock out. It could be 5 PM or 9 PM. The power for me is in the setting of the boundary. Knowing that there is a time dedicated to rest and rejuvenation. Taking myself seriously enough. It’s self-respect, self-love.

I intend to set a clock out time each day during the remainder of these 100 Days.

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Day 2 (2008-07-02): Working 9 to 5

Relying on the 9 to 5 work-day structure was effective for me today. The first thing I realized is that 8 hours is not a lot of time. Throw in a couple of appointments, some phone calls, a lunch hour…that doesn’t leave much time for project-related work.

Makes the issue of boundaries that much more important. Boundaries is something I will be exploring in depth.

The second thing I realized is that I really, REALLY like clocking out and going to do something social. Today I played tennis. And it was guilt-free, in part because I knew I worked pretty consistently up until that point.

The third thing I realized is that my personal morning rituals actually take some time. Things like meditation and exercise are rituals I don’t like to rush. Completing them in time to sit down to work at 9 means being disciplined about getting up by a certain time. Which for me means being disciplined about getting to sleep by a certain time the night before (it’s almost midnight as I write this, so you can see that I will need to focus some attention in this area, too).

And in the spirit of full disclosure, I didn’t totally clock out at 5. I started working again at around 10 tonight. Important work that I’m happy I gave more time to. It was a conscious choice I made. And again, I could make it happily because I did take time to have some fun after 5. A nice harmony.

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Day 1 (2008-07-01): Peaceful Productivity

My new 100 days will explore peaceful productivity. Some ideas and insights, in no particular order:

• I don’t think I actually clock very many productive work hours in a given day. I’d like to measure and track this.
• I didn’t think I was, but I’m starting to notice that I’m a total sleaze when it comes to setting boundaries with people (to “protect” my time). I’m slightly less sleazy when it comes to setting boundaries with myself.
• I tend to achieve productivity more effectively from fear (deadlines, etc.) than from inspiration.
• I can create a powerful synergy when working with other people (we feed on each other’s energy).

Tomorrow, I’m going to play with the structure of working a 9-to-5 day to see what I can accomplish and how it feels. I typically “work” from when I get up to when I go to sleep, though it’s broken up with non-work stuff interspersed. I’d like to experience a contrast to see what I learn from it.

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Day 72 (2008-02-06): Boundaries

I’m conscious of a question: Where in my life do I not set boundaries and why?

Another question: What parts of myself and my life do I give away or sell, and what’s the price? Being loved, being liked, not rocking the boat, instant gratification?

Another question: What am I afraid to say no to, and why?

Oh, and another (!): What am I afraid to say yes to, and why?

This issue comes up for me as I see my calendar filling up while feeling like I’m not getting to some very important things each week.

Much of what’s on my calendar is stuff I want to be doing. I wonder, though, if I’m saying yes to all of it out of a feeling of scarcity. “I might miss my chance!”

It also creates a perverse resistance to doing some things that I really want to do. For example, I was invited to go skiing this coming Saturday and the only cost I will bear is the rental price for skis and boots; no lift ticket, no travel expenses. Pretty cool, right? Yet I manage to turn it into an “Oh no, that’s a whole day I have to give up.”

Fortunately, I was able to screw my head on straight, and I’m very happy and excited to be going skiing on Saturday. But what leads me to a place where that becomes work–to get excited about going skiing?

This boundaries question is ultimately about inner boundaries. It’s about me respecting myself. No one forces me to say yes to anything.

I’ll explore those questions I set forth at the beginning.

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