How to switch off from work when you run a business

When you run a business, there is usually something else you could be doing. Another message to answer. A decision to make. An idea you want to explore.

That can make it difficult to switch off from work, even when you meant to be finished for the day.

I enjoy building things. I can spend hours learning, coding, and figuring out how to make an idea work. I also know I can get absorbed in it and realize how much of my attention it has taken.

In a recent reflection on what deserves to be built, I wrote about the question underneath that excitement: what do I actually want to give my life to?

That question becomes practical at the end of the day. There may still be work available. There may also be someone I want to listen to, time I want for myself, or a commitment I want to keep.

Here are a few questions to try when those things are competing for your attention.

What actually needs attention before you finish?

Look at the work in front of you. What would happen if it waited until tomorrow?

Some things need action. A commitment you made, an urgent customer issue, or a responsibility that cannot safely wait deserves a plan. If you are on call, be clear about what you need to respond to and when.

Other things may be unfinished without being urgent. An interesting idea can wait. A message may not require an immediate reply. A decision might benefit from a conversation you cannot have tonight anyway.

Write down the specific consequence of waiting. That gives you something more concrete to consider than the feeling that you should keep going.

What is the next action, and when will you return to it?

Give unfinished work a clear place in tomorrow's day.

For example, “finish the proposal” might become “review the two unanswered questions at 9 tomorrow morning, then send the proposal after the client responds.” The point is to choose an action you can actually take.

If someone else is waiting on you, let them know the plan. If they need to make a decision while you are unavailable, agree on what they can decide and what needs your input.

You may still think about the work later. The note gives you a place to return to without having to work through the whole thing again.

What deserves the time you are making available?

Be specific about what you want to give your attention to after work. Dinner with someone you care about. A walk. Reading. Rest. A conversation you have been postponing.

Choose something that matters to you, and give it a place in the evening. You do not need to turn that time into another performance goal.

I want the way I spend my time to reflect what I say matters. I am still learning to make those choices, especially when I am excited about what I am building.

What happens when your mind goes back to work?

Notice what brought you back. Is there new information that needs a response, or are you revisiting something you have already made a plan for?

If something meaningful has changed, make a new decision. If it has not, you can leave yourself a note and return your attention to what you chose for this part of the day.

In Practicing letting go, I describe the work of noticing the voice in my head without treating every thought as who I am. I am still practicing that. A thought about work does not have to decide the rest of the evening.

A short note to try before you finish

Write your own answers:

• Before I stop today, I need to address ___ because ___.
• The work that can wait is ___. My next action is ___, at ___.
• Anyone who needs an update or an agreed plan is ___.
• This evening, I want to give my attention to ___.
• I will return to work sooner if ___ genuinely changes.

Tomorrow, look at what happened. Did something need attention that you had missed? Did you keep checking something that could wait? Use that information to adjust the next evening's plan.

You can care about the work and make deliberate decisions about how much of your day it receives. That is a practice I want to keep getting better at.

If you want a conversation about your priorities, your time, and the changes you want to make, you can explore my personal coaching.

— Lisle Head