The best way to be good at your job might be to stop doing it

And why I’m here for cute colleague coffee dates.

I get stuck in a circuit of working all the hours available to me.

I tell myself that self-employment gives me “flexibility” - so I can make up the hours whenever I want. But really, I’m not making up for lost time at all. I’m just overworking and justifying it to myself.

Workaholism realisation

It escalates quickly. A few extra hours here and there turn into late nights and an always-on approach. Workaholics - not so anonymous. But what I always realise when I break that cycle (usually when I take a holiday and refuse to be unavailable around my children, or when I’m with my friends who aren’t remotely interested in my work) is this: I’m much better at my job when I return from the break.

I’ve just come back from a few days in Ibiza, and it reminded me of that exact thing. The older you get, the fewer chances there are to fully switch off - especially with your best friends - this trip allowed my brain to disengage and it was good for me.

Self-induced busyness

Look, there are times when you're genuinely busy and have to go the extra mile. But sometimes, I wonder – can your busyness become a self-induced issue? I think mine can.

The more you do, the more people expect. And who’s putting that barometer into effect anyway?! For me, it’s usually... me. Yes, sometimes, occasionally, there are exceptions - workloads that need to be tackled beyond what’s reasonable and stints until midnight required – events or deadlines that cannot be met without a late-night graft. But when I’m habitually working 10, 11, 12-hour days and I break away from it, I remember: the world does not revolve around me. Nor does it stop when I work less.

With the experience I have now, I should be able to do some things faster and still do them well. So why do I feel guilty for doing a solid six-hour day? Who says that doesn’t constitute “a good day’s work”?

If we all just did the necessary – I mean work hard – but kept to time, then we might all feel a little less pressure. And maybe if we measured success by what we accomplished, celebrated the small wins – finishing strategies, good client calls, creating a team that feels valued – then we might feel a greater sense of satisfaction in our working week.

Maybe the real secret to productivity is doing less. Steve Jobs seemed to think so - and he did alright for himself.

Cute colleague coffee dates

I got asked out on my first colleague coffee date – and honestly? I’m smitten.

We’ve got some new hires starting at my agency. We’ve merged with another company, have new clients, and now the team’s growing. One future team member - who hasn’t started yet - asked to have a coffee date before their first day. And I think that’s genius. Maybe others do this often, but no one’s ever done it with me, and I’m struck by what a great move it was.

Why am I so enamoured by a coffee catch up you might wonder? A few reasons…

It's flattering. Thinking that someone wants to take the time to get to know you - it doesn’t matter if you’re the boss or starting out in your career – it’s a nice touch.

It saves on first day awkwardness. Starting a new job is clunky – you don’t know what you’re doing, who to approach for what - taking some relaxed, informal time to ask about the team and set up before you join allows you to feel more at ease before you even walk through the door.

It could help you stand out. Rightly or wrongly so, if you go under the radar, you might get overlooked – especially in bigger teams. But taking the initiative? Making an effort early on? That sets a great tone and could give you an edge later.

Thanks for reading as ever, I so appreciate it. Who’s had a first coffee date, or agrees it’s a strong move? Give me a ❤️ below.