When you are consistently doing focused power work, you’re ready for the next level: apply the same principles to your entire workday. Set a time limit for your workday. And don’t just use the arbitrary and archaic 9-5 as your model. Look at what you need to accomplish to reach your goals for the day and estimate how long that will take if you give it your full attention. Imagine how more effective you could be if you didn’t have to answer the phone or constantly check your email. Take that estimate and then add time for batch processing your email and voicemails.
If you’re an employee that is expected to be at the office 9-5 every day, then simply deciding to shorten your workday may pose some problems. Read the excellent book The 4-Hour Workweek
If you’re an entrepreneur then there is nothing stopping you from taking action today to limit the time you spend on work everyday. But how are you going to get “everything done” in a shorter time? By limiting the time you spend on work you will be forced to realize that you cannot continue to do everything. First focus on your most profitable activities - the famous 80/20 rule. Create business processes for all the activities and automate or outsource as much as possible. Tasks that are not profitable and basically just waste your time, should simply be eliminated. You will most likely lose some customer and some income in this process. But wouldn’t you trade more than a few dollars for a 4-hour workweek?
Several people, including James Brausch and Terry Dean, have written about their experiences of shortening their workdays and their workweeks. Go read their blogs and see for yourself if this seems like a successful strategy.
Well isn’t it easy for them to say they’re going to shorten their workday; they have successful multi-million dollar businesses running and they’re financially secure. It’s easy to say, but it requires a lot of discipline - for all of us - to implement. And maybe there is a clue right there in their financial success that they are doing something right.
If you’re not going to start shortening your workday today, then when are you going to start? Sometime next year? As soon as you have reached those elusive, and ever-moving, financial goals? Or just before you retire?
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