Can we change how we work?

Since my change in career path last summer, I vowed to ensure I adjust my work life balance. Ok so in reality for lots of people that has meant hustling their way through this pandemic to make sure bills can be paid, but looking back to a year ago when I was in three countries in 10 days and travelling almost 4 out of every 7, I wanted to flip that on its head and have more adventures with my fam.

So, do we work too hard?

This past week I’ve seen numerous posts about checking in on the mental health of eventprofs (and everyone really). I’m not sure why particularly this week and I’m no mental health expert (maybe it’s blue Monday?!), but I have seen an increased number of posts filling my feeds as well as those with pals who are fighting their own demons. It’s been a hell of a year...

But, as I continue down my path on training for another ridiculous endurance event later this year, I wondered how training for said endurance event can relate to our work life balance.

Many of you know I enjoy endurance sports. I love them because not only do I get to play with how far I can push the boundaries in terms of my physical health and strength, but I also get to see how far my mental state can push me to get me “over the line”. In one particular insanity marathon I completed over the South Downs a few years ago, with 8k to go, I could barely walk. The cramp in my leg was so bad at one point I was drilling a rock into the muscles to help try to relax them a little… then the other calf went. Then the quad in the top of my leg went… I could barely walk, but I couldn’t stop, I had to finish. It was 100% mind over matter to help me to the end.

I could talk for ages about the positive benefits of exercise for the state of mind, but that’s not the point of my ramblings today. That little anecdote just goes to show what “training” helps us achieve.

My musings today go down a slightly different path about the comparison of the training for an endurance event and that of working in the events industry. I’ve often wondered why we don’t think more like endurance athletes when it comes to our work life balance, after all they aren’t actually that different from each other; the training plan for something like an Ironman affects as much of your home/family life, your physical health and mental well-being in preparing you to be out in the water, on the bike and on your feet for 13 odd hours. Much like an exhibition (hopefully without the sweat). The toll of balancing multiple roles, building shows (weather physical or virtual), working all-nighters making sure your content is ready... can also take a serious toll on your mental and physical health right? If you don’t look after yourself, there’s only one way that’s going to go. Do we need to do more (or is that less...?) to help ourselves through the crazy?

Don’t get me wrong, I miss those early starts, late finishes and maybe a cheeky drink or two in the bar afterwards before finally hitting the hay, I’m not really talking about those parts, it’s more the 10 month lead up to your big event or in today’s case, the evolving hustle to deliver communities or events on a regular basis.

“Multiple studies reveal runners, triathletes, and other endurance athletes improve the most when they consistently do 80 percent of their training at low intensity and the other 20 percent at moderate to high intensity.” This is from the 8020 training book I’ve been reading and following (link at the bottom).

For the last year I’ve been following the 80/20 method for my training plans and I’ve been trying to figure out how to weave this into my work world. If we are running the hamster wheel at full tilt for months on end, you’re going to be flying off the rails at some point right? So we need to take back control.

For me, it looks a little bit like this.

Don’t do stuff 80% of your working week. Haha no, of course that wouldn’t happen (maybe it should?), but in my 5-day work week, I don’t work Fridays anymore. So maybe I’ve flipped the method of 80/20 around but I’m still in control, going the extra mile as Noel Reeve puts it in his recent blog. Unless I absolutely must, for example finish that one thing that cannot wait until Monday, and by cannot wait I mean it’s going to affect revenue next week, then it CAN wait. Pre this lockdown, I spent my Friday’s taking my babygurl on an adventure, or going out with our buggy for a run or if the weathers really disgusting, both having a nap at lunch on the sofa... you should try that one, it’s bliss. Either way, Friday is me day.

Here we go... my long-winded point? I don’t know yet how to full adopt a training plan to my work world, but if we can take nuggets from that which is around us, that which can help us work more efficiently, I’m all in. We need to not run at 100% all of the time. We need to slow down and when we do? There’s some amazing things you can then see.

Maybe we just need to simplify experiences?

There’s another blog brewing on that topic soon…