New year, new goals. Milestones reached, proclamations announced. Changes afoot, changes made. All this points to an update to the hours I’ll be working. In an effort to cut down on my average of 54 hours per week, I’m changing the hours I’m expecting myself to work. JKDC, now working 10–4 PM CST.
This is the time in my day I’m setting aside for work to happen, Monday thru Friday. Not 8–6, or 9–5, but 10–4. The new standard operating procedure. Of course, special circumstances will arise and some projects will call for work outside of this new range. But as a general rule, this is when you can expect me to be around.
And what will happen to that time I’m no longer working? More reading, writing, experimenting, and making statements. Something along those lines, I suspect. But more importantly, setting aside extra time for not working will help protect against burnout and allow me to focus on the projects I’m most excited about. At the end of the day, being extra selective has always led me to doing better work.
We’re not put on this Earth to work. While I love the job I’m able to do, I’m much more interested these days in the life outside of it. After 15 years of being a designer, I’m very excited to cut back on the common trope of “Oh man I am SO busy with work! Just busy busy busy!” You know the one. It’s always been lame, and now I’m just over it.
