How to Work 6.5 Fewer Weeks per Year

Originally published on Advisor Perspectives

What if I told you that I found a way to schedule my work so that I could do everything – without sacrificing quality – and get an extra six and a half weeks of vacation every year? Don’t believe me? Read on.

One of the great things about being an advisor is that you are in total control of your time management. You can implement my recommendations below.

I’m busy every day. I can’t remember the last time I had excess time during a business day, and often on the weekend as well. I’m fine with that because I really enjoy my work.

I’m working on a new book. Writing a book is an arduous process, involving many drafts and extensive coordination with an editor. It can take me six months to write a first draft, and another three to six months to edit it so that it’s ready for publication.

I’m working with a very talented editor. It’s my first self-help book for the general public. He’s a specialist in this genre. I worked with him on the book proposal and was very impressed.

When we finished the proposal (and before we lined up a publisher or a literary agent) he told me he had a 60-day window when he could devote the time to edit a first draft. I had to start writing immediately.

I accepted that challenge and am on target to meet that deadline. Before doing so, I reflected on the fact that I was already fully booked. How could I add another full-time job to my existing work?

I found a productivity hack that helped me. I want to share it with you.

Parkinson’s law

“Parkinson’s law” states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. It caused me to look at my other activities and to consider whether I could complete the manuscript in a shorter time period than my previous estimates and be more efficient with the balance of my tasks.

Initially, I felt like my glass was full and writing a manuscript would be like pouring more water into it. How could this work?

I reorganized my day so that I would have four uninterrupted hours to write (from 8 am until noon). I seem to write better first thing in the morning. In the afternoon, I attend to my other work. It has worked perfectly, which tells me I was an example of Parkinson’s law.

Once I understood that all non-manuscript work needed to be accomplished in half the time, I became more efficient.

A productivity hack

Here’s an example of how you can use Parkinson’s law as a productivity hack. You can adjust the goal to make it one that works for you.

Let’s assume your typical work day is from 9 to 5. Here’s a way to get 6.5 weeks off from work every year, without sacrificing productivity. In fact, it will make you more efficient.

Adopt a new rule for yourself. Work from 9-4 pm, but you have to accomplish the same tasks. For every day you work after 4 pm, you have to donate $100 to the charity of your choice.

One trick I used was to configure my calendar scheduling program so that my coaching appointments would start after 2 pm, insuring the morning was free for writing. You can do something similar, by scheduling meetings and calls so that they end by 4 pm.

I’m confident your experience will mirror mine. Your productivity will increase. So will your free time. Saving one hour a day equals 260 hours a year, or 6.5 weeks, based on a 40-hour week.