The added bonus is I'm billing on that day, which reminds me of my income that's coming in. And as my admin workload has increased, I now outsource some of it - things like writing meeting notes, database updates, creating templates and formatting documents.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are my client contact days and some Friday mornings, and I've learnt not to be afraid to let people know they may have to wait for my availability. Friday afternoons I use to catch up with one or two of the key people in my core network, because I realised quite quickly that a lot of my clients come from social networking with these people.
Another thing is I don't work weekends - unless I have the urge - and I come from the eastern Bay of Plenty so I get home once a month for a long weekend. Because Monday is my admin day I can do that from anywhere as long as I have phone and internet access.
What are some of the other things you do to proactively create a greater work life balance?
The first hour of the day is mine, so I'll read inspirational quotes, watch a TED Talk or other inspirational video, meditate/pray followed by doing some stretching/yoga. It's a routine I know from experience mentally prepares me for the day in a positive way.
I also limit the number of events I personally go to each week and make sure they work for me. And I often get asked to speak at different events or groups so I set aside one speaking engagement slot each month outside my own workshops that I run.
How about any guidelines you have around technology and dealing with the 'always on' phenomenon?
I check my emails two or three times a day and I've changed the setting on my mobile for manual email downloads rather than automatic. If the person sending an email feels it's urgent, they can always call me. My business is focussed on face-to-face interaction, and I find there's nothing worse than people not being fully engaged at appointments and events because they're checking their phones constantly.
Personally I only make and receive calls between 8:30am and 5:30pm, I'll only use text messaging to confirm an appointment and my mobile stays in the living room at night.
Do you have any future goals or plans to create more work life balance?
I'd love to expand my business more into the Bay of Plenty so I can increase the time I have at the beach and away from the city. Ideally that would be 10 days a month. And I guess I just want to incorporate more of these things we've talked about into my business and show other people that work life balance can happen if you're willing to put in the effort initially and reject the urge to take on too much.
Coming up in Your Business: The sharing economy - where people share access to goods or services without actually owning them - is a growing trend. What are some of the companies springing up in this area, and how are they growing markets for their offerings? If you've got a story to share, drop me a note: nzhsmallbusiness@gmail.com