A number of years ago, my husband & I were discussing our “Ideal Lifestyle”… amidst the hustle & bustle of {at the time} 2 teenage daughters, both in hockey… our lives were very different than it is now {but that’s another story!}.
Although we’re known for thinking outside the box {compared to our family anyway!}, we ran the gamut of ideas from selling our house & business, buying a 5th Wheel & traveling the country with our daughters before they were grown & gone…. to living on a sailboat… working remotely… living anywhere… etc.
While we did end up taking a 2 month working family roadtrip from Minne~snow~ta down the eastern side of Florida… down to the Keys {where this awesome pic was taken! Yup, that’s a dolphin, swimming playfully in the wake of the boat we were on in the Everglades!}… then up the western side, before heading “back up north”… this proved to be the perfect “Test” for us regarding our mobility & everything that went along with it.
When it comes down to it, I {we} believe that life can be pretty stressful & that waiting until we’re in our 60s to take any sort of “break” from working, other than the odd, typically “weekend vacation” just simply doesn’t sound appealing to us. {Does it to you?!}
Because of this, my husband & I said, “What if we could create a lifestyle where we only worked 30, then 20 hrs a week?” How would we feel, mentally, emotionally, physically? So…. why would we “stop” working at a certain age… assuming we were physically, mentally, & emotionally able to continue?
So… we have PLENTY of WHYs to only work 30 hours a week… but let’s take a closer look at my favorites…
1. Better Emotional Health
I don’t know of anybody {well, except perhaps my dad who has “no stress”… it’s actually a joke with us} who wouldn’t be better equipped to deal with life’s curve balls if given more time off, right?!
2. More Creative Flow
Especially true for us Highly Sensitives, how wonderful would it be to have SO Much More unscheduled time that would empower our brains to process & seemingly “like magic” come up with wonderfully creative ideas & solutions?! How fun!
3. Better Physical Health
So, one of our goals is to get outside so much more than we used to. How much fun would it be to hike, snowshoe, climb, paddleboard, bike, kayak, ski, snowboard, body board, etc AND then realize that by doing these “fun” outdoor activities, we were becoming physically healthier at the same time?! #Priceless
4. More Career Focus
If your goal was to only work 20-30 hrs a week, do you think it would help to be more focused, thus productive during the times you WERE working?! You Bet! I believe we’d be “forced” to really scrutinize how we’re using our time & what we could then delegate, right?!
5. More Fulfilling Life
Whether we spend time being proactive with important relationships or the ability to Give Back in a way that’s meaningful to us {mentor, volunteer, donate, etc}, or the time & space to learn a new skill…. the effects would be staggering!
So, there’s my short list! I LOVE this topic, am very passionate about it, & could go on, but my intention with these is to plant a seed & get the creative juices flowing for how this could be applied to you & your life…. should this resonate with you as well!
So, what do you think? Any “A-Ha” moments?
What would be critical that you’d add? Please let me know in the comments below!
Until next time…
I Believe in You! & We Got This!
Let’s Rock Your #PositiveImpact,
Crystal 🙂
