Work Hours ≠ Availability

Office hours are not the same as availability. 

Just because you are at your desk doesn't mean you are available.

Maybe that’s an unpopular opinion, but it’s an adopted Motto that has proven beneficial.

You do NOT need to take calls whenever you’re at your desk.

Or leave your inbox open all day so you can immediately reply.

Or even answer texts while you’re trying to get work done.

I know this is hard to swallow. Especially in a world where we as women are taught that our role is to help, be available to solve all problems; or as moms to know where everything is in our house at any given moment. We are trained from childhood for a boundaryless role that is to focus on others. 

This is incredibly unhealthy as individuals, but it is also incredibly damaging to our businesses. Without boundaries we become burnt out, we are spread thin, and the quality of our work suffers, which ultimately means we are damaging client relations. 

Answering emails, texts, calls, even knowingly pausing to hop on zoom calls is disruptive to your flow. The University of California found that it takes individuals aprox 23 minutes to get back on track after a disruption. 23 MINUTES! If you take even 4 interruptions that is at minimum an hour lost in your work day. 

Even the best multi-taskers among us have to admit that disruptions are in fact distracting! 

As a business owner, it’s up to you to set and maintain boundaries around your time so that you can deliver quality content. 

So how do you do that?

You're saying to yourself...

• But if I don't respond to clients they will think i'm ignoring them.
• If I don't answer that email now I will forget. 
• What if it is an emergency?
• They need my answer for things to move forward, I don't want to be the bottleneck. 

Here is what I have learned in life as both a mother, doula, and a Fractional COO, there is very little in life that is of true emergency. 

I know it is hard to wrap your brain around, we all have a sense of urgency, and have found ourselves needing things to be done this minute. I catch myself falling into that trap all the time. But it is just not true. There are real emergencies in the world, but 90% (give or take) of what we deal with in a normal day is not an emergency. With good strategies and systems in place we can calm our hurried nervous systems so they stop seeing it all as such. 

Hiring my team and I to help you manage your operations, is a great start. We will help you create systems that create time buffers so we aren't working in the 11th hour, and we take things off your plate as the business owner that you just don't need to do. 

BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH

The number one thing I help my retainer and consulting clients do is create healthy work boundaries.

We help build you a flexible rhythm to your week so you have dedicated time for work, time for emails, time for calls, and most important time for you and your family.

We help you create healthy boundaries around who needs access to you and when they need access to you. Secret not ever person needs unfiltered direct access to you the CEO of your business. Is the CEO of Target helping you find the exact perfect birthday present you need for that party tonight? NO! 

Are you interested in setting healthy work boundaries?

Reply right here for a FREE 20 minute strategy session. You will walk away with knowing the next right step for you and your business!