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Hi Reader,

From the blog archives:

• ​The Real Reason Why You're Exhausted: Plus a quick solopreneur productivity assessment!
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Last week I had a dentist appointment in the middle of the day (I always schedule personal appointments during the day on weekdays), and the dentist asked, “Do you have the day off?”

Me: “Nope — well, kind of? I have my own business and work from home.”

…Here’s what’s wrong with my answer: It assumes a premise that because I have my own business and work from home, it MUST mean I set my own hours to build flexibility into my schedule.

But that’s a false assumption!

That assumption is NOT always true for many home-based business owners.

Time freedom is not always normalized, even when you’re your own boss.

Many home-based business owners still find themselves trapped in a traditional 9 to 5 schedule. Many home-based business owners technically create their own schedule and set their own hours… yet they’re unable to take personal appointments in the middle of the day or make spontaneous changes to their plans; they haven’t created a schedule that makes sense for their unique lifestyle, goals, personality, brain, hobbies, family, etc.

And that is NOT time freedom.

(Disclaimer: There’s nothing wrong with a traditional 9 to 5 schedule IF that’s what works for you! In my experience, however, five days a week of 9 to 5 isn’t the ideal schedule for the vast majority of people.)

I think that this gives us a wonderful opportunity to challenge assumptions we’re making — of ALL kinds — and explore all the possibilities that might be available to us…

For example:

1. Why do you work the schedule that you do? (Ask this question without judgment! What went into your decisions around this schedule? Was there any intentionality to it?)
2. Is this your ideal version of a schedule? (Remove your current reality from the equation, e.g. if you have specific obligations that are cutting into your ideal schedule. What would that ideal version look like, if you didn’t *need to* worry about XYZ?)
3. Even if you feel like you are unable to experience your ideal schedule *right now*, what are all of your options for getting closer to it? (This is where you’re grounding that ideal into your current reality!)

I encourage EVERYONE to ask these questions on a regular basis, e.g. a couple times a year — I routinely check in on this for my own schedule, because seasons of life/business change and it’s important to adapt accordingly.

Asking yourself that very first question above is so powerful, even though it can be a bit jarring. It can be surprising to realize that you made choices because “that’s what everyone does” or because that’s what USED TO work for you, even if it no longer entirely makes sense.

This can pave the way for you to think outside the box. A great example I love is that one of my clients takes Wednesdays off work — it’s such an innovative approach and it works beautifully for her! Most people think of a 4-day workweek as Monday - Thursday, but she works 2 days, gets a day off, works another 2 days, and gets weekends off. How cool is that?

Question #2 can be sticky when you’re too focused on your current reality — but unless you allow yourself to take a step back and imagine a dream version of your schedule and life, you won’t have the space to then pull (at least a small piece of) that into your current reality.

(FYI we can absolutely work on this together in 1:1 coaching sessions)

Question #3 can be challenging when you’re uncomfortable about making things easier on yourself (which is very common! Our society rewards martyrship and unnecessary self-sacrifice). But it can also be incredibly beautiful to witness — sometimes you can bring the tiniest piece of your ideal schedule into your current reality, and it paves the way for you to make more and more and more changes over time.

For example:

• IDEAL schedule: Four-day workweek.
• REALITY: Five-day workweeks, usually with evenings and weekends thrown in.
• SMALL SHIFT *could* look like: Start giving yourself a single 2.5-day weekend every month (which can then become one 3-day weekend each month… then two 3-day weekends each month… then no work in the evenings… etc)

Now, it's not QUITE that easy. There’s a WHOLE LOT that goes into this, such as:

• Understanding the root reasons for why you want this vs that (so you work toward the RIGHT-for-you goals),
• Getting your mindset into a good place for this (so you don’t feel guilt or shame or stress about it),
• Strategy to prepare for it (so your business can handle this change without being negatively affected by it),
• Logistics around what makes the most sense (given your unique lifestyle, obligations, etc),
• Taking into account your personality and how your brain works and your productivity style (so it’s fully customized to your needs and feels awesome for you),
• Setting in place audits as you make small shifts (so you’re checking in with how it’s all feeling and to make adjustments as needed),
• Etc.

This is an art ♥

And it starts with asking yourself those 3 questions I posed to you earlier in this email. Reflect on them this weekend and see what comes up for you!

By the way — Challenging assumptions, exploring new options, and integrating your ideal life into your current reality is one of my favourite things that happens for you in the Productivity Powerhouse e-course. Doors are currently OPEN for the first-ever live round of this program! Click HERE for details and to join now.

(Psst… When you sign up before midnight tonight, you’ll even get the Unlearning Perfectionism masterclass as a bonus!)

As always, I love hearing from you…

Hit reply and let me know what comes up for you in all of this!

Have a great weekend,
Sagan (she/her)

Personal Fulfillment & Solopreneur Success Coach
​SaganMorrow.com

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