Let’s imagine that this year, you made a major resolution to improve the quality of your life. You’ve read all about the benefits of leaving work on time, so you hunker down and say, “Okay, I’m gonna leave the office by 6pm every day, no matter what!”
I tried that last year, and here’s how it panned out:
- Day 1: Work like crazy, leave work at 6.01pm. Still have 50 emails left unread but that’s ok
- Day 2: Try to deal with the 50 emails I didn’t get through yesterday. My to-do list is rapidly snowballing. Leave work at 6.30pm with plenty of tasks undone.
- Day 3: Boss drops a bombshell on my lap. There’s no freakin’ way I can leave on time. Leave work at 9pm.
At this point, I’ve given up all hope of leaving the office by 6pm, ...
...