There are certain expectations for "face time" in corporate America. Let's assume for a moment that the "normal" hours are 9-6. Now, fortunately, my last job was flexible and there were no strict guidelines. As long as you got your work done, it wasn't really an issue - some of the folks got there earlier and left earlier to be with their kids, some got there earlier and left later, and so on. We could go to the gym in the middle of the day or take a long lunch or whatever.
Now, given my tendency to color outside of the lines, I definitely tended to test the limits of that structure. I would either show up around 7am or 10am... and I would usually leave at either 4:30pm or at 9pm. I guess I just don't like being "normal".
As I've found out, though, the important thing was that there was a was a framework of expectations in place that I could defy.
It's hard to rebel when you have nothing to rebel against
So, on one hand, I was thrilled when I left to work on Notches full-time. I would no longer have anyone imposing these expectations on me, forcing me to work at certain times and even when I wasn't being productive. I could work on my terms when and where I wanted.
For the first month, I naturally rebelled from the corporate structure. I worked from home for 2-3 days at a time, holed up trying to implement some piece of functionality. When I went to the office, I showed up around 11-11:30 and stayed until at least 8pm (and often past 10 or 11pm). Either way, I would go home and work until 4am. Like I'm guessing many of you, I'm a night owl. (What is it about geeks that like late hours and shun the morning?). Ironically, even though I had more time and flexibility, I went to the gym less often.
I was happy, but I didn't find myself being particularly more or less productive - I had just shifted my schedule. This was especially tough given that Tara has a "normal" schedule, and she was usually going to bed as I get home and I was never up when she left.
Looking back at that first month, I think the fundamental problem was that there was no structure to defy. Those of us who fancied ourselves as rebellious need something to rebel against... and so, in a way, taking away the rules didn't have the intended effect.
I've written in the past about a related social phenomenon, where taking away rules made things less chaotic instead of more. I think the real lesson here is that we don't operate well with no rules OR with draconian rules. The important thing is to have a framework that models what we're trying to achieve and to come up with sensible rules within that framework.
Before we get started, let's get one thing clear: there is no such thing as work/life balance (via Rob). "It’s grammatically absurd, for one thing, implying that work and life are two equal sides of a coin [...] - work is part of life, not its opposite number." Starting a business is hard work. I didn't choose this life because it would be somehow easier or because I didn't want to get up at 7am - I chose it because I find it more rewarding in the short term and, hopefully, in the long term as well. The flexibility is a nice side effect. A common refrain is you'll hear from me these days that "I'm always working but I'm never working". In general, the lines are blurring between "work" and "not work", and that's especially true for those us of who don't really have anyone to answer to.
The purpose of this exercise is not to figure out how to work less or find more balance... it's just an attempt to figure out the best way to structure that work to be the most productive, and to live the "best" possible life in doing so.
General things I'm trying out
Find more regular hours. Like I said, there's clearly a lot of work to be done and I'm still often up until 2 or 3 in the morning. But, I've been trying to get out of my house by 9am to get there by 9:30 or so. Instead of getting up and just checking e-mail and the like, I make it a point to get ready and come in. I also try to leave by 6:30-7pm to have dinner with my wife. We used to be really into restaurants, and even when I was in school we managed to have a regular weekly or bi-weekly night out. Even if we're not going to expensive restaurants, ultimately it's the routine that's important.
Work from home 1 day a week. I'm doing this for a few reasons. Aside from the 2 extra hours I get back not having to commute back and forth to the office, there's also the many little of blocks of time from not being interrupted. Plus, as I will talk about more in the future, context switches are expensive. And, at the same time, the occasional change of scenery does help keep things fresh and feel less monotonous. I've been doing this recently on Wed, and I'm thinking of making this a set thing unless there's an event or some other reason I need to be in the office.
Going to the gym. I went to the gym religiously at least 4 times a week when I was at Goldman. I usually went at noon and would be back in the office with my lunch by 1:30. I've really come to enjoy working out mid-day - I've found it a great way to break up the day and rest my mind and step away from everything for a few minutes. I didn't sign up for the NYSC Passport program at first, so unless I want to spend an additional $150, I can only work out at the SoHo club between basically 2-4pm. At first, my schedule didn't work out well for this time period and I skipped more days than I wanted to. I'm starting to use this limitation as a way to start finding more structure, and put in a daily reminder at 3pm to go over to the gym.
Tips and tricks
I was recently talking to Alex and Charlie of Path101 about how they're handling this, and perhaps unsurprisingly given the nature of the work they are doing, they each had different answers. Alex echoed what I was doing before, in terms of making sure he goes home at 7pm to have dinner with his wife. Charlie always makes it a point to go to the gym first thing in the morning.
Nothing here is prescriptive, but I'd to hear how from fellow entrepreneurs and freelancers and the like how you're tackling this problem.
For example, Brandon said that freelancers should always shower first thing in the morning. He says the morning shower provides consistency and a transition to work - a great tip and something I definitely started doing on those days I work from home. (Brandon, by the way, is one of the guys behind Microrevie.ws and I'm hoping we can work with them in the future).
So, what are your tricks for finding structure and balance when you don't have anyone to answer to?