Day 15

Today’s Takeaway: Small changes can have enormous impact.

We had a rule in the early days of Trello - No meetings on Fridays.

At first only a few people adopted it, eventually the leadership team realized how beneficial it was & made it a universal rule.

Now don’t get it twisted, this didn’t mean we had a 4-day work week. It just meant you were able to fully focus on your projects without being interrupted by zoom meetings. We eventually called them GSD Fridays. (Get Shit Done)

When I left Trello I took this concept with me. I even took it one step further. My new team was in AUS and having zoom meetings was difficult with the tzone difference, so I went in with a plan. I made myself available for late night meetings only 2 nights per week. I wanted to be crystal clear about my work/life balance. My team got onboard with it and we were off.

Fast forward a couple months - whether it was the pressures & responsibilities of a larger job, heavier workload, or I was just trying to prove something, I felt like I needed more time. GSD Fridays were the first thing to go.

Now this seems like a small change, right? The majority of us work 40+hours a week, 5 days a week. Getting a “Focus Friday,” is a luxury not a need.

You are 100% correct.

Here’s the problem though - You know that saying,” This meeting could’ve been an email?” Well, Trello believed in protecting their teams time & they made sure to solve for this. GSD Friday was not a ploy to get a day off, it was setting a boundary for your work/life balance. Which I didn’t realize was giving me the confidence to safeguard my time in other ways.

It’s simple human behavior. For instance you start taking a walk every Monday morning before you begin your day. You love it! It wakes you up, gets the endorphins pumping & makes you feel ready for the week. You like it so much you decide to incorporate it on Fridays too. Before you know it you’ve scheduled it into every weekday morning. Why? Because it makes you feel good. It also gives you a clear work/life balance.

Simply put, you see the positive impact a behavior has on your life, you’re likely to do that thing more often. Getting rid of the GSD Friday had an opposite effect for me. Once they were gone, it became okay to let up on other boundaries. Eventually I was working late every night.

This is no one’s fault but my own. My team was always respectful of work/life boundaries. (I mean, duh? I’m on sabbatical.) People will take as much you give them. Sometimes they will try to take more. YOU are the only one who can set the limits of how much you are willing to give.

Todays Takeaway is not a PSA on the benefits of a 4-day work week. It’s a reminder to safeguard your time. No matter what job you have, give yourself permission to set boundaries. That might be as simple as a no-phones at dinner rule or blocking out lunch on your calendar. Small changes have enormous impact.

Happy GSD Friday! 🎉