The initial day following a holiday weekend often leads many individuals to ponder why each week can’t embody more enjoyment and less obligation.
According to Joe Sanok, it absolutely can.
Joe is an accredited counselor, business owner, motivational speaker, and the host of the podcast, Practice of the Practice. He is also the writer of Thursday is the New Friday: How to Work Fewer Hours, Make More Money, and Spend Time Doing What You Want, which is scheduled to be released on October 5, 2021.
During his college years, Joe first tested out a Monday through Thursday work schedule, crafting his classes to enjoy a three-day weekend. After commencing his professional journey, he reverted to a conventional 40-hour workweek from Monday to Friday, eventually escalating it to 50 hours a week.
However, in 2012, a series of personal hurdles prompted him to desire more quality time with his family.
“I needed to reassess my priorities,” Joe reflects. “I chose to give the four-day workweek another shot. Month after month, my experiences improved.”
In this episode of SUCCESS Stories, Joe discusses with Chief Storytelling Officer Kindra Hall the connection between Henry Ford and our understanding of work hours, how additional time off can enhance productivity, and why it’s essential to set boundaries to safeguard your schedule.
Human beings created the seven-day workweek — and they can dismantle it as well
We’ve measured time in weekly intervals for such an extended period that we often forget that it doesn’t have to exist in this format.
Humans didn’t originate time: the planet has been orbiting the sun long before our species emerged from the primordial soup.
The divisions we create within time are, nonetheless, arbitrary. Ever wondered why there are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour? It’s not due to any physical law; rather, it’s because the Babylonians structured their astrological system around the number 60.
Speaking of historical precedents, many cultures have employed weeks of varying lengths.
As Joe describes, the Roman week encompassed 10 days until around 300 A.D., when Emperor Constantine mandated that the entire Roman Empire adopt a seven-day week.
With regard to the working aspect of the workweek, you can either credit or blame Henry Ford for the establishment of the 40-hour work standard.
Joe notes that prior to 1926, the average workweek spanned 10 to 16 hours a day over six or seven days. However, Ford recognized that granting his workers more leisure time would lead them to travel more—and in turn, they would be more inclined to purchase cars.
If the Babylonians, Emperor Constantine, and Henry Ford could reassess the time framework to meet their needs, then you have the ability to do the same.
Stress does not enhance productivity
One common excuse for avoiding a four-day workweek is the fear of becoming overly busy for four days, just to enjoy a day off.
There are two rebuttals to this perspective. First, with appropriate productivity tools, you can work efficiently without becoming excessively stressed during your active days. Second, a four-day workweek grants you additional time to unwind, thereby ultimately reducing your stress levels. Reduced stress translates to increased productivity.
Consider a moment when you felt under intense pressure. It’s likely that you weren’t motivated to try something novel or strive for new objectives. You probably also felt that your achievements were minimal.
Individuals do not perform at their optimum when overwhelmed by stress. Over time, allowing yourself the opportunity to recharge from Friday through Sunday will enable you to remain invigorated and focused from Monday through Thursday.
Transition slowly—but decisively
There is no definitive strategy to aid your shift to a four-day workweek. Instead, you should discover what functions best for you both practically and mentally. Here are some tactics to consider:
Identify your sprint style.
A sprint involves focusing your energy on completing one task or project within a short time frame.
If you’ve previously attempted reducing your work hours and felt overwhelmed when it was time to sprint, consider two aspects that define your sprint style and adjust your work approach accordingly.
When: Do you optimize productivity by working in small, consistent bursts (e.g., one day each week)? Or do you perform best with longer, less frequent sprints (e.g., four consecutive days every month or two)?
How: Do you thrive while alternating between several but related tasks (e.g., writing, researching, planning)? Or do you get more accomplished by concentrating on one task at a time? Some individuals prefer variety while others prefer focus.
Establish firm and flexible boundaries.
Occasionally, opportunities may arise that would necessitate work on your designated day off. It’s essential to set boundaries that can ensure a regular day off in your schedule while also allowing enough flexibility to seize unique career opportunities that may arise.
Firm boundaries: You must firmly decline any commitments that would require you to work every week on your day off. This includes unique or short-term projects that don’t provide sufficient benefits to justify sacrificing your relaxation time.
Flexible boundaries: Some opportunities can be too valuable to pass up. Avoid being so rigid that you miss out on connecting with someone you have long wanted to meet, even if they are only available on a Friday.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine what warrants making an exception. Generally, aim to say no more often than yes when it comes to sacrificing your time, reserving exceptions for truly extraordinary opportunities.
Try out different approaches.
As you cautiously explore the concept of a four-day workweek, begin with minor, experimental changes to assess their effects.
For instance, take every Friday off for an entire month and observe how it impacts your workload. According to Joe, you will likely notice that you postpone certain tasks repeatedly to prioritize the more pressing ones.
This experience will not only demonstrate that you can indeed fit all necessary work into four days but will also reveal which aspects of your job could be delegated.
The four-day workweek is itself an experiment. Yes, it’s about productivity; but fundamentally, it’s about exploring what your life could entail if you granted yourself an additional 52 days a year to spend as you wish with your loved ones.
