Have you been daydreaming about what it would be like to work fewer hours?

Or wondered how people actually make time for themselves and their family without sacrificing their work performance?

You might have the best intentions to end work on time so you can enjoy your evening with your family and personal time.

But something else always comes up, am I right?

Someone has one more thing for you to do or there’s an urgent meeting. And what happens next?

You end up either working late or sacrificing a few hours in the evening to catch up on emails or the work that piled up.

And you then feel guilty for missing out on supper or playing outside with your kids.

But here’s the catch . . .

You see everyone else working long hours and worry that if you don’t do the same thing, they’ll think you are lazy or not a team player.

Sound about right?

It sure did for me! A few years ago this was me trying to juggle a sometimes 80-hour workweek while being there for my family and everything else in life.

Here’s what totally changed the game for me . . .

You might think that if you just get caught up or could be more productive during the day, THEN you can have more time for the things you love.

But the truth is there will ALWAYS be more to do.

Especially if you’re the go-to person who always has all the answers and knows how to get things done, the demands will keep coming and the to-do list will never end.

And it’s been well-proven that when you work more than 40-50 hours in a week, your productivity significantly declines.

So this isn’t just costing you your happiness, your ability to be present and connected with your family, and enjoying your life the way you want.

When you work so much, it keeps you from performing at your best and being the best leader you can be.

What you really need to do is give yourself permission to be present and have space for ALL the important areas of your life – including time for yourself!

You will lead even stronger and perform even better when you do.

I experienced this going from working 60 to 80-hour work weeks to regular business hours DURING the most demanding time of my corporate career, and many of my clients have been able to make this same shift.

You can work less and achieve more.

You can have the time and energy for what really matters to you at work AND at home without feeling guilty about it.

You can confidently show up as the balanced leader you want to be (even when the doubts and fears pop up . . . which is 100% normal btw).

So, what would working fewer hours mean for you? Who else will benefit? What have you been daydreaming about? See what comes up for you!

You can have it all when you stop doing it all!

All my best,

Stacey Olson, CPPC is a speaker, leadership coach, and author of Your Balanced and Bold Life: Work Less, Live More, and Be Your Best. She helps busy professionals create more balance, stress less, and be their best both at work and at home—even with the constant demands and messy everyday life. Learn more and get the book here.