Since being a freelancer I’ve learned that sometimes it’s more lucrative to go for a walk than work another hour.
It’s a simple arithmetic.
As in any business, tracking my time is important. Especially billable vs. non-billable hours.
One morning this week I had no meetings, and nothing billable or urgent to do.
Normally such a vacuum would immediately be filled with busywork. Our to-do lists are endless, and there’s always something else we could be doing.
But this carries a financial penalty. Keeping myself busy with non-billable work reduces my average pay per hour.
Do I want a pay cut? No. Do I want time to think and enjoy nature when the sun is shining? Yes.
So I went for a walk. (photo)
As a coach, I work with leaders to be more deliberate and strategic with their time. Nobody becomes a better leader by just doing more and more. And I had better lead by example and not fall into the same trap myself.
Besides, I strongly believe that life happens right now – not next week or next year. Some people live for the weekend, the upcoming holiday, or their retirement. But what if we worked in a way that enabled us to live in the here and now?
We can only spend our time once. And then it’s gone.
Forever.
True Horizon Coaching 