I’ve been starting work at 10am.
I’ve worked for myself for 15 years.
How often have I actually benefitted from the luxury of managing my own time?
I’ve expensed a few coffees. A few meals. A few work trips. Yet, how much time freedom have I actually enjoyed?
Not loads. Freedom to work on what I want with who I want. Definitely that. But, my time? Not much at all. I’ve travelled and worked remotely, but no matter where I’ve been or what I’ve been working on, I’ve always had typical 9-5 conditioning around my time.
Even though I’ve had loads of independence and autonomy over my time, I’ve always forced myself to work the same hours as everyone else I know, or a lot more.
If I have ever gone for a run in the middle of the day, or taken a Friday afternoon off or had a lie in. It’s not long until I’ve chastised myself for it. Beating myself up with the belief that I’ll never be successful like this.
This year I’ve been coaching and consulting - working a really flexible schedule. Still, I’ve chained myself to my desk from 9-5, or longer. Just like I should.
Breaking the cycle. Experiencing Flow
In the last month, I’ve stopped doing this. I’ve broken the pattern. I realised I’ve been forcing myself into a conditioned working pattern for no reason. I’ve been forcing myself to hum at a high pitched frequency. When really, I want to be on another wavelength.
By forcing myself to work the typical 9-5, or 8-6 - I’ve been disrupting my own flow, to fit into another box designed by someone else. I’ve been putting on my own golden handcuffs. I’ve been chaining myself to my desk. In this sense, freedom is a choice - and I’ve been choosing to fit the handcuffs.
However, in the last few weeks I’ve more naturally followed my own flow. I’ve taken a slow morning and started my working day at 10 or 10.30. Some days I’ve not even done that much. Last night I finished at 4pm and made a celery and potato soup.
The other day I went for a 1 hour walk at 3pm, it was wild.
I’ve been in tune with how and when I want to work.
It’s working.
The weirdest thing is, it’s working. Connections are coming my way. Opportunities seem to be finding me. All when I’m not doing a lot. When I do work, I’m present, connected, grounded. I’m not in a rush. The founders I’m working with are getting a lot of value from my work. I believe it helps that I’m on a different frequency, it’s what they pay me for.
I know why “it’s working”. It’s because I’m aligned. I’m in alignment and I’m on the frequency I want to be on. I’m humming. I’m the walking equivalent of “ommmmmm”. Calm.
I’m feeling the benefit. I’m experiencing flow. One of the many benefits of an entrepreneurial career is flexibility around my time. So if I’m not feeling that benefit, then I’m not experiencing the joy of this work. I may as well get a proper job.
Feeling the benefit is important, because it puts me in touch with why I do this work, with the soul and essence of why do this, why bother? When I enjoy my day, because I’ve been on my schedule. It makes me want to do more. There’s momentum. There’s flow.
So many times I see people start businesses because they want freedom. Instead they chain themselves tighter and tighter to their desk. They take themselves further and further away from the very reason they went on this journey in the first place. They disrupt their own flow and block themselves.
I’d been placing myself in a mental prison, honestly I’ve done it for most of my career so far. I work on “different” things, but I still mould myself to how everyone else works or how it “should be done”.
Whatever the benefit is of an entrepreneurial or creative life to you, you have to live it and experience it now, not later.
For me one of the great benefits is the opportunity to work on and be on a different frequency. Starting at 10am after a mindful morning and not getting in my head about it, not thinking “i’m not working hard enough” - trusting that there’s a different way for me. This is important to me. This is part of my “why”
I’m getting up when I want and I’m starting to work when I want.
I’m not just “in flow” - I’m experiencing it.
What’s the benefit for you? What’s your creative life?
Experience it, now. Not later.
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