What does a typical day look like for you?
It’s a question I’ve asked hundreds of CEOs. And they almost always tell me the same thing: they don’t have a typical day because every day is different and unique.
It’s easy to get into a rut and do the same things day after day. But being stuck in that same routine makes it challenging to be creative, innovate, and think out of the box. We’re doing the same things and probably checking tasks off our lists, but are we really moving the needle?
This is especially important when working from home. Without in-person interaction, it’s easy to put every day on repeat and go through the motions.
That’s not to say that schedules aren’t important–they are! Great leaders have habits and routines. But they also try new things, interact with new people, and expose themselves to new ideas. They make sure they aren’t doing the same things and seeing the same people every day.
When you constantly do the same thing over and over, it’s easy to get burned out and feel drained and disengaged.
Here are five ways to avoid having a typical day, especially if you work from home:
- Avoid screens. When you spend so much of your day in front of a screen, taking a break can open you to new ideas and fresh perspectives. Avoiding screens can be a good exercise in creative thinking to push you outside the norm.
- Get out of the house. Take your work someplace else or get outside for a walk. Even if you’re still doing the same assignments, changing your scenery can change your mood and outlook.
- Talk to new people. Break out of the bubble of the people you normally associate with. Send a thoughtful email to a friend, call a co-worker, connect with online groups, or invite someone out for coffee
- Find a hobby. There’s more to life than work, but the two things can easily blur together when you work from home. Hobbies break up the monotonous schedule and get your creative juices flowing. For me, it’s chess!
- Change your schedule. You don’t have to revamp your entire day–just move things around from when you normally do them. Try mixing up your day by waking up 15 minutes earlier to read before work or do your afternoon tasks in the morning.
Avoiding a typical WFH day doesn’t mean you have to throw your existing routine out the window. Simple changes can mix things up to encourage creativity and get you out of a rut.
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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world’s top leaders. Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life. Get the PDF here.
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