What are the 43% doing?

It's the end of the work day, and I feel myself wanting to be pulled into doing just one more thing.

The spreadsheets are open.  The reports are calling.  The house and the work to-do list are both front and center.  Just one more thing.  If I just do this one more thing, I'll save time later, I say to myself.

So, there I am, well past 5pm, struggling with bringing an end to my work day and transitioning well into being present at home.

Last week, I shared research that suggests 57% of workers have a hard time turning off the work day.   Especially those working from home. 

Maybe you've had this same struggle. Maybe you feel more guilt than grace as you transition away from your work day.

As a leader, when you hear a metric like that, you may start to really focus in on that 57%.   You feel compelled to brainstorm strategies and solutions on how to support your team.   You might get caught up in the worry about being one of the 57%. 

And you start fixating on how to fix yourself!

As I wrestle with my own need to end the work day, I have a thought that stops me right in my tracks:

Wait, what are the 43% doing? 

If you've followed me here or worked with me at any point, you know that I love talking about reframing.  Flipping the problem. Digging for gold. 

At first, when you think of that 43%, you might feel pulled to judgment. Maybe it's because they don't have enough responsibility, they don't really know how much there is to do, or they aren't as dedicated as you are.  

But what if that isn't true? 

What if there's more to discover in that 43%?  To understand how they transition with less guilt and more grace as they end the work day.  How they turn off the emails and IM's and tune into their family.  How they make peace with the to-do list and set an intention to start fresh the next day.

And what about flipping it for you? 

Take a moment right now to think about all the ways that you've been able to transition with less guilt and more grace as you end the work day.  

What works for you? What do you want?

For me, I want to grab an iced coffee, head out into the sunshine, pop in my earbuds, and listen to a 10 minute affirmation meditation.

It's worth it to explore the good.  

To flip those problems into possibilities.  

To dig for gold.  

You deserve to release the guilt and end the work day with grace.

If you want more ideas on how to renew and trigger the PEA as you end the work day, download the PEA activity guide, experiment with some of the options, and see what works for you and how it makes you feel this week!