The day I decided to no longer work on the weekend
Somewhere about halfway or more into my 12 years at Google I made a groundbreaking decision... I was no longer going to work on the weekends.
I can’t remember the exact circumstances that led to this point but after a year of grueling work with one of our acquisitions I distinctly remember stating and committing to myself that I was simply not going to be on my email, on chat, on anything during the weekend. I did enough of that during the week - including every evening when I got home - I needed time away.
I was reclaiming my weekends back.
This felt radical.
Reflecting back, I have thought that it was silly and such a strange decision to have to make. I even ask myself, did I really have to actively decide to not work on the weekends?
And the answer is yes, I did. I was so sucked into the whirlwind of external expectations, pressures, and fear of my inbox. I had no boundaries so therefore I felt out of control and as though I was being walked all over.
Something clicked, or maybe snapped is more accurate, and I was no longer willing to follow the trend and do as everyone around me did in being connected and available all the time. The desire to live my own life, for at least a day here and there, finally out weighed the expectations and pressure felt from the Google vortex. I just couldn’t do it anymore.
I didn’t want to and I finally realized I didn’t have to. I wanted my own standards.
In this single decision to stop working on the weekends I was
Setting a boundary in order to orient energy elsewhere away from work
Creating time and space to disconnect and recharge
Reclaiming my own power and my ability to choose
I like to think that no one needs to make this type of decision anymore. That there’s no longer the pressure (spoken or unspoken) to always be available and to constantly be trying to get one step ahead. Yet, I unfortunately know that’s not true and ‘work life balance’, or whatever spin on the lingo is used, is all too often lip service. Consequently, setting and upholding your own boundaries feels impossible.
So whatever your decision point is, whether it’s about weekend work emails or another area that’s draining and pulling you from where you want to be, know that it is possible to set a new standard. A standard for yourself based on your own boundaries, desire for space, and personal power. This is one of the key steps to beginning to live a life of your own design.
I invite you to consider how and where you can make shifts, large or small, to set new boundaries, create space, and reclaim your own power. Bring awareness to moments when you find yourself irritated, exhausted, or just not feeling it. Take a pause and ask ‘is there a boundary I could set here that would better serve me?’ or ‘what would support me in this moment?’.
It may feel radical or it may feel ridiculous, either way get curious and see how you feel. The smallest of steps to creating a new boundary will have ripple effects across your life.
As an example, I no longer sleep with my phone in my bedroom. This is my screen and social media boundary. The phone goes into silent mode on the charger in the kitchen before I go to sleep and I don’t see it until after I’m up and have brushed my teeth in the morning. No more mindless scrolling or emails in bed. This simple shift that initially felt ridiculous has been a game changer.
Get curious, give it a try!