The 4 Day Work Week

I’ve always felt like my generation got ripped off. At some point the wool was pulled over our eyes and they slipped an extra hour into the work day. What was once a 9-5 job with an hour for lunch became 8-5 with an hour for lunch, if your lucky. Today’s offices are also more connected than ever. Even when I’m at home I can feel that “tug” when projects don’t get done and deadlines are coming up fast.

Over the years I’ve tried to modify my way of thinking and I limit my work to work hours: 8-5. Period. I’m happy to handle any emergencies, of course. But as long as the office isn’t on “fire”, I’m in and out on the button. People ask me how I can be so cold about it and the answer is simple: 1 more minute won’t make a difference in how much work I can do, nor will 8 more hours. There’s always going to be more work. Always. The more work we do the more work there seems to be. So when I read the new issue of A List Apart I found an article that really struck a cord with me.

The Four-Day Week Challenge is right in line with my way of thinking. The article gives some good productivity tips, but my favorite is the 4 day work week. In evaluating what’s important in my life, quality of life always comes up first. I want freedom, flexibility and low stress. In short, I want a life. I work to live, I do not live to work. So my goal is to get my boss to let us work 4 days a week or get my own business going well enough that I can do it myself!