Leave at Five Without Guilt

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Leave at Five Without Guilt

As Kevin Kruse, Author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know about Time Management, explains, to leave the office at five without guilt is more about setting your priorities than actually leaving work. There will always be more to do.

This was especially true when working at the Pentagon. I was there for three different assignments. The work never stops. There is always something brewing, something changing, and something to fix. I was very lucky my last assignment to have a boss that told me if I missed a big event for one of my daughters, I would have to answer to him. He understood the grind and was taking care of his people.

Think about it: Is that slide show you are creating more important than time with your family? Which event has a longer lasting affect? What would happen if you didn’t complete (fill in the blank) tonight? It would still be there in the morning. Yes, there are times that call for cramming, but you shouldn’t schedule your days that way. What I found is that if I stayed “just to finish up,” it didn’t save me time the next day, because I found something else to fill that time slot.

You need to take time for you, whether it be exercising, reading, or doing art. I work out of my home, so it’s especially hard to leave the office at five. I try to make it a point to get away from the computer when my daughter gets home from school. After a family dinner, instead of jumping back on my computer, I go to my sewing room. I love to quilt and craft, and there are always unfinished projects I can work on. Lately I have added time at the gym back into my schedule. That gets me out of the house and active.

If it helps, put time for yourself on the calendar and stick to it! You’re in it for the long haul. You have to set your priorities. Without you, and probably the support of your family, there is no productivity.

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