What’s Your Shutdown Time?
- You may be an early riser or a night owl.
- You may be a full-time employee or a digital nomad.
- You may be working or a house maker.
- You may be having one job or 2 jobs in a day.
- You may be working and building a side project as well.
Whatever the “maybe” you are, I want to ask you
“What’s your shutdown time?”
When do you close off your routine work?
When do you just shut down everything and relax for yourself?
When do you stop receiving and responding to emails/ phone calls?
When do you stop your home cleaning chores?
When do you do nothing?
When do you stop scrolling social media feeds?
When do you stop saying “yes” to everything around you?
When do you start saying “no” to everything around you?
When do you start your self-time?
In nutshell, what’s your shutdown time?
Ever wondered, that how important it is to have your fixed shutdown time?
If you keep hustling day-in and day-out, you will be exhausted in few days. You will start craving for some other life. You will wish your invest your time in some other better way.
Notice that this craving doesn’t arise because you’re not doing great in your life. It arises because you don’t have a shutdown time. You may be doing really great stuff, adding value to the society, to your family, to the people around you but if you don’t have your shutdown time, you will start feeling unworthy.
My shutdown time is sharp 6 PM IST.
Yes, my energy clock is 6 AM — 6 PM IST. That’s it.
Whatever that day has to bring, it has to fit into this 12-hour timeline.
I don’t accept anything after 6 PM.
Post 6 PM, it’s my time.
After the day has shut down for me, I start my life for myself. How better do I utilize my post-shutdown time is up to me. No one can interfere/ ask/ request or take away my time.
For me, post my shutdown time, I’m left only with 6 more hours.
I try spending at least 2 hours of quality conversation time with my partner.
At least 2 hours for leisure: watching a movie/ reading a book/ cooking.
1 hour of complete electronic gadget detox before going to bed.
30 minutes of conversation with parents and catching up with friends/ relatives.
30 minutes to plan out my prioritize for the next day, checking up with my habits and realigning the goals and focus.
This way, my shutdown time allows me to do only things that would add to my personal growth/ relationships/ health/ knowledge.
Not having a fixed shutdown time can really affect your day-to-day life, your goals, your focus, your habits, your routine, your freedom.
Try including a shutdown time for the day in your life and mark the difference. This shutdown should be a daily fixed time, you can’t navigate or reshuffle this particular time. You can’t compromise or sacrifice at this time.
Make it clear to your boss that you’re working till this time and post that you won’t be able to receive any request. Same is applicable to your client if you’re a freelancer. Also, if you’re a homemaker, don’t just keep making your home, have your own fixed shutdown time.
Remember:
“It’s all valid, ethical and legal to have your own time”
“Sometimes you just need to disconnect from your daily routine and have your own time”
“You can hear your own voice better if you don’t listen to the world all the time”
“As important it is to learn throughout the day, it is equally important to unlearn at the end of the day”
“Time is the real money and you have got only 24 hours to make the most of it”
“Don’t ever doubt your worth”
“It’s you who is living in your body, love her the most”
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