Episode 226: How Work-Free Days Became My Norm

Did you know work-free days can exist in your business? They’re actually built into my work week every single week! In today’s episode, I’m sharing why I started doing this, how you can define the success or goals you’re after, and how you can start incorporating work-free days in your business! Defining What Success Looks Like for You I think it’s important to highlight that I have been able to build this flexible schedule without sacrificing the profit and revenue goals that I’ve set for myself. Of course, if I were to work a traditional 40 hour work week, I could be making more money, revenue, and profit, but that’ doesn’t align with the goals and success I’ve defined for myself. That’s the power of knowing how I define success. I don’t need to hit a certain income number. I don’t need to be clocking a number of hours in my business in order to reach a certain point. I get to have the freedom to choose what serves me well. Creating Flexibility in Your Small Business As I mentioned before, there is power in knowing how you define success, but there is also power in being your own boss. You have the power to shift focus, let’s say for the summer you want to adjust your hours, you have the flexibility to do that as a business owner. If the opportunity is there, your business can bend and flex a little bit to support you in that journey. Whether you are a solopreneur or you have a team, whether you have a family, a partner, whether you and your fur baby are live the dream together, whatever your unique situation looks like, you deserve to have a schedule that makes you happy. I’ve been on this entrepreneurship journey for ten years, it was only in the last three years that I’ve been able to accept that I have the permission from myself to build a schedule that works well for me. We’re scared of labels that our industry gives us if we’re not hustling 24/7 for our businesses—gut check, you don’t have to fall into those lies. Finding Your Ideal Schedule Once you get over the misinformation that you have to always be hustling in order to succeed, you’ll realize that you can define and outline your ideal schedule. If you’re struggling with the 40+ hour work weeks, wanting to find more flexibility and time off in your business, and are heading into burnout—stop—I want you to do something right now. Change your schedule and define the days based on how you’re feeling. If that means adjusting your Mondays to arrive late to extend your weekend, do it. Then, look at your calendar to see what days and times you’re most productive or when clients are scheduling calls with you—make those your working days. For me, I wanted an extra day off through the week, so I take Fridays off! As you build your schedule, you’ll find that you may go through an adjustment period or your schedule will look very different from mine, but what’s important is that you’re focused on what works best for you. For my own business, I’ve gotten to a place where I’m comfortable working three days a week at times. I know that this is a privilege and not every business can get here immediately (if they even want to), but it did take me nearly ten years to build my work to support this. How to Set Your Business Up to Support Your Dream Now, if you’re sitting here questioning, “Well,