Who wouldn’t want a 3-day workweek, right?
It offers you plenty of time for family, friends, travel, self-care and to simply enjoy life! Hello, 4-day weekends, need I say more?!...
But, despite desiring a more fulfilling work-life balance, few women successfully find a way to work LESS, make MORE and live BETTER.
So, that got me wondering...what’s holding us back?
I surveyed my community (you!), and here’s what I found…
#1 MONEY
The number one reason women in my community gave for not working just 3 days a week was money (which is totally understandable). When we subscribe to the idea that we need to trade hours for dollars, working more hours means more dollars in the bank. Pretty simple math, right?
But, the problem is that this is an antiquated belief, and one that I strongly believe we’re ready to move beyond. There are countless ways to leverage our time, energy and creativity to make MORE while working LESS especially in the entrepreneurial world.
This also stems from the idea that more money automatically equals more happiness, but time and again in study after study it’s been shown that once our basic needs are met our happiness only increases incrementally when we make more money. The truth is, when we work ourselves ragged in the pursuit of money we’re putting our lives and our happiness on HOLD.
To reframe, I offer you this simple question: what is the value of your TIME?
Time for family and friends, simple pleasures, afternoon walks, weekday lunchdates, long weekends, morning yoga. Time for doing the things you love most right NOW. Time for living.
To me time is priceless.
So, with that way of thinking a 3-day workweek makes you more abundant and successful than anything else possibly could because you get to enjoy the immeasurable value of your time.
#2 MINDSET
This block presented itself in a few different ways in the women I surveyed…
Some women felt that they had to hustle (especially in the early phases of their business) in order to “earn” success.
Others felt guilty when they weren’t working.
Still others doubted their ability to be able to make more money and serve more people while working fewer hours.
All totally valid. Yet, all -- at their core -- are just self-imposed limitations.
Here are the facts:
- :: A recent study found that when subjects worked over 25 hours/week cognitive performance decreased as fatigue and stress took over
- :: The 40-hour workweek is an antiquated model designed by the unions for industrial workers who have “8 good hours a day” (not for gorgeous women entrepreneurs like you!)
- :: Longer hours are often more about “proving yourself” than about productivity
- :: You fill whatever hours you have -- more hours means more time to waste (boy, I know this one is all-too-true…)
- :: When you work just 3 days a week, you can save money on things like childcare, healthcare (because you aren’t working yourself ragged and chronically stressed), take-out dinners, house cleaning services, etc. and have more time for yourself, your family and the things you love most!
The reality is you can build your business and your life any way YOU want, because there’s no ONE path to success.
If you choose to believe that you can work fewer hours and still be wildly successful, you can be.
Your mind is the most powerful business-building tool you’ve got!
#3 DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO
Another factor that came up again and again was not knowing what to do. Women desire a 3-day workweek, but then have no clue how to implement it.
I get it. When you’re an entrepreneur running the show and still have responsibilities outside of your business like a family or full- or part-time job, it can feel impossible to think about getting everything done.
But, lucky for you, I’ve already walked the path from full-time hustle to 3-day workweek flow, and it’s something that I know you can do, too.
When we get caught in overwhelm or find ourselves analyzing our ideas and options to the point of total paralysis, here are two things that I find helpful mentally, emotionally and productively :-)
Just do ONE THING. Any one thing that would feel good to get accomplished, and then bask in the good feeling of its doneness. It could be anything from writing an email, scheduling your weekly social media content, getting a proposal out to a prospective client, outlining a new program or offer or booking a massage (because you totally deserve it!).
Take something OFF your to-do list. This is a very liberating exercise. Look at your to-do list (or evaluate the mental to-dos you’ve been carrying around) and land on a task that you’ve been putting off again and again and again. And ask yourself, would anyone notice or care if I didn’t do this? 99% of the time the answer is NO. No one would notice. No one would really care. So, perhaps give yourself permission to simply remove it from your to-do list all together!!! Ahhh….sigh of relief! (If you truly feel that you can’t remove it, see #1 and do ONE THING to move it toward completion. Or, see if there’s somebody in your life who could handle it for you!)
I guarantee that if you apply these two exercises to your daily to-do list, you’ll immediately begin moving through your day more efficiently and productively. And that feels pretty darn good.
One last thing! As you reflect upon the “myths” mentioned above, I invite you to share what’s coming up for you. Head on over to our private Facebook Group and tag me with a question or comment there!
I want to make sure everything I’m sharing is super useful!
P.P.S. Don’t worry, The Clarity Confessions aren’t going anywhere! I’ll still be bringing you amazing interviews every other week, but these Dose of Clarity episodes will give you a chance to learn more about my personal (never-ending) journey towards Clarity :-)
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