I recently left a job I had enjoyed for many years in order to start my own consulting practice. I’d spent more than 10 years working your average 9-5 hours, plus all the evening receptions and such that go on in Washington. I was always amazed at how sometimes I could go an entire day spinning my wheels or catching up on paperwork, then spend a couple of hours at a reception and make more headway with my “actual” job than I had in days. Often this was how things worked. Some of my most productive work happened in the three hours between 6 and 9pm, but I still had a full 9 to 5 day waiting for me the next morning.
Now I work from a home office. I set my schedule, choosing how, when and where to get things done. Despite how pleasant it sounds, this has been an unusually difficult transition. Old habits die hard, especially ones that are such an ingrained part of professional expectations. It has taken a while, but I’ve allowed myself to figure out how and when I am the most productive. Guess what? I can accomplish more in a fraction of the time by working this way. Read the rest of this entry »
