Set Work Schedule

Are you a business owner, solopreneur, independent contractor, or remote or hybrid worker? If you fall into one of these categories, while the freedom to work whenever you want may seem seductive, you should still have a Set Work Schedule. By deciding not only when you work but also when you don't work, you can unlock increased focus, reduced stress, improved relationships, and heightened productivity in your professional life.

As Jim Rohn said, “When you work, work. When you play, play. Don’t mix the two.” Working without a structured schedule can lead to constant stress and guilt. You feel guilty for not working when you think you should be, and you feel guilty for not being fully present with family and friends during what should be non-working hours. And without clear boundaries, you experience stress from constantly thinking about work even during your supposed "off" hours. With a set schedule, you can draw a clear boundary between work and personal life, alleviating these stressors and allowing you to be fully present in each aspect of your life.

Cal Newport puts it this way in his book, ‘Deep Work’: "Having a set work schedule creates a clear distinction between work and personal time, reducing stress and increasing overall satisfaction with both aspects of life." Shawn Achor reinforces this in his book, ‘The Happiness Advantage’: "Setting a regular work schedule not only improves productivity but also allows for dedicated personal time, which is essential for mental well-being."

How can limiting your work hours lead to increased productivity? When you are “sort of working whenever you’re awake”, you feel like you have unlimited time to complete work tasks. With that perception of unlimited time, you happily work on trivial tasks and indulge in procrastinating activities, because you feel like you can always get to the important stuff later. In contrast, when you have a structured schedule with defined start and end times, you know you have limited time and a fixed deadline at the end of each workday, so you're motivated to make the most of those hours. You're more likely to tackle important tasks instead of procrastinating or working on trivial ones because you know you have limited time to get things done. With a limited workday, you may get fewer things done, but you will get the most important things done instead of putting them off, and you’ll get them done faster.

This is an important concept, so considering an extreme example may help to convince you: Imagine that you magically no longer have to sleep, and have nothing to do but work, so you have 24 hours every day, 7 days a week, to get your work done. Think about your to-do list. No problem getting everything done, right? Including all the trivial stuff that doesn’t matter? After all, you have unlimited time, so if something important doesn’t get done today, you’ll have plenty of time tomorrow. Which usually leads to never actually doing the important things.

Now imagine that you have some bizarre restriction that limits you to only work for 1 hour per day, yet you have to earn enough money to support your family. Now how would you approach that to-do list? You would quickly jettison all the trivial things and focus 100% on only the most important actions. The same effect happens when you go from an attitude of “sort of working whenever you’re awake” to having a Set Work Schedule: imposing a limit forces you to focus on what’s most important.

Another way that a Set Work Schedule helps with productivity is that it enables you to establish a “Time-Block Calendar”, setting up your ideal week. The idea is that you should have a basic recurring schedule in which the same things happen at the same time every day or every week. Without a set start and end to your workday, it is difficult to get the maximum benefit from the Time-Block Calendar. (We go into detail on the Time-Block Calendar in the full Be Happiful Course.)

In addition to having a set start and end time to your workday, you should choose which holidays you’ll take off and when you’ll go on vacation. By planning these ahead of time for the entire year, you can ensure that you actually take these well-deserved breaks to recharge and rejuvenate instead of continuing to work because you’re “just too busy right now”. And when those days off happen, knowing that these breaks are part of your planned schedule allows you to enjoy them guilt-free.

Like many things we cover in the Happiful program, if you find yourself coming up with reasons why this doesn’t apply to you, realize that you are likely just instinctively resisting change. Instead, just give it a try and see how your life improves.