About a month ago, I blocked off my calendar for this entire week. I was up to my ears in meetings, social events, and travel. I was having a blast but felt like I was swimming upstream as it related to recharging and getting deep work done.
So I created a week for myself.
The weekends on each side of this week have been pretty much work-free (which is atypical for me since I arrange my schedule differently), and the weekdays of this week have had minimal meetings and lots of focused work time.
It has been a game-changing week for me.
While I recognize that this is unsustainable for my business to do too frequently, it will be a practice that I work in about quarterly. Sometimes, we need to declutter and recharge. Here’s what I’ve gained from this week that you may be able to put into practice too.
LinkedIn Leave
Last weekend, for the first time in a long time, I went about 3 days without interacting much on LinkedIn. I’ll admit that I checked notifications here and there, but by and large, I wasn’t active on the platform.
Normally, I post multiple times throughout the week, respond to comments, engage with other folks, work to keep up on my messages. I really do enjoy the connection that LinkedIn provides and hyping others up. I needed a break, though.
While I hadn’t necessarily planned to be off LinkedIn, it happened naturally. I was back on campus at Notre Dame with family for the first time in a while. We were attending the first home football game of the season. We had a blast, and the need to keep up with LinkedIn pulled me out of the moment. So I stopped worrying about it. I stayed present with my family, my friends I met up with, and the beauty around me.
It was a great time to recharge. While I was worried about losing momentum, I was able to jump back in on Monday.
Limited Meetings
The whole goal of this week was to only take a limited number of meetings. I took the opportunity to plan this in advance so no one would be inconvenienced. I prioritized meetings with existing clients and meetings where I was the client. Otherwise, letting something wait until the following week wouldn’t be the end of the world. Burning out would be worse.
I’m still working this week, and I’ve gotten to take an immense amount of deep work time. This has left me feeling energized, caught up, and free to do other activities I love. It also helps me to get fired up for jumping back into meetings because I don’t feel I’m being pulled in too many directions.
As a writer, I’d love to have unlimited writing time. As a business owner, I recognize the need to participate in a variety of types of meetings. Taking a scheduled week that I can look forward to where I only have a few meetings helps me to balance that.
Minimal Plans
During the actual week, I’ve had minimal social plans. I love getting to hang out with people in real life, and I value time with friends and family. After a busy summer and heading into a busy fall, I knew I needed to take time for a social recharge as well.
I’ve taken time to just relax. To not be on the go. To even be a little bored at times. It’s left me feeling more ready than ever to get back into the mix of having plans and entertaining and being able to bring my full energy and enthusiasm to the table.
While this week has been excellent, it’s great to look for ways to take things off our plate in a more sustainable way. As a ghostwriter, I can help give you the ability to recharge by removing the need to use a calendar block for daily writing time.
If you want an excellent book crafted by an expert while also gaining some free time back, I’ve got you covered.
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences with those who may find them relatable and helpful.