What is Your End Time? Tips for (Re)Gaining Work Boundaries and Your Creativity
Are you stifling out your creativity by working beyond your quitting time? Watch my video below where I share how this happens and provide leadership coaching on how to gain boundaries and creativity in your work back.
Some quick tips for regaining your work boundaries (or setting them) so you can leave on time, reduce burnout, and regain creativity:
We all know when we start our days, but do we know our end time? Establish your “log off time.”
Time block your calendar with an appointment for the last 30 mins of your day to “power down” so you can do your end of day routine. This might look like reviewing what you’ve accomplished today, what needs to be done tomorrow, looking ahead to tomorrow’s schedule and changing it as needed, and reflecting on how the day felt. You can ask yourself, “Was I present with my team?” “Did I stay focused?” “What can I do better tomorrow?” “What did I do well that I should carry over to tomorrow?”
Actually log off and do not respond to emails or notifications after your start time. This helps others know and respect your boundaries. And it shows you respect you and your time!
Start by leaving on time at least one day a week, and then add another day until you’re consistently leaving on time. This allows you to adjust how you work during the day so you can be efficient during the normal work day. Over time, you won’t need to regularly work longer hours.
For me, I have my end time at 3:30 PM (which is an 8 hour day), but I do give myself “wiggle” until 4PM in case there are extra things to tidy. I tell myself that if I need to go to 4 some days, I can, but not beyond that unless it’s an emergency or something really out of the norm needs handling. My staff and leaders know to contact me by phone if it’s urgent after hours — this is very rare.
What is your end time?
