You know the drill! You get out of work, rush to pick up the kids, get home by 6 or 7pm! In the shuffle of microwaving cooking dinner, wolfing said dinner, night time baths, and desperately trying to remember to take off your make-up (doggone wrinkles), you finally make it crash in bed around 11pm-midnight!
What do you do in those 5 to 6 hours, between the time you hurry home and the time you start loudly snoring, I mean, breathing hard?
A few years back, I would’ve told you the whole thing was a big, giant blur of bedtime stories and late night snacking on leftover corn bread. As it turns out, those few hours between logging off your work computer and logging into home and family activities, could change your entire career. And not just because the distance allows you not to really tell your colleague his after-lunch breath is killing you by the day…
It’s not just what you do at work, but what you do after work, that often determines how successful your career can be!
I’ve always loved writing (as you can tell by my constant blabbing on this blog). But after a full day at work, spending time with the hubby and kids, making some form of edible dinner, and setting the alarm on my phone so I wouldn’t forget to take off my lenses, make-up and (occasional) bad attitude before bed, there seemed to be no time left to write anything. Not until I started leveraging one of the only times I actually had to breathe (and pee) alone: after-hours.
Spend one hour each day, or as many days as you can, doing one of these 4 things:
- Read something: Bill Gates, one of the world’s greatest technologists, reads about 50 books a year. Arianna Huffington unwinds in the evening with a good book. People who read a lot are more likely to be successful; and most successful people credit reading for helping them constantly improve. Ok, granted, when you have toddlers flushing plastic toys down the toilet instead of going to bed, you may laugh at the concept of “unwinding with a good book”. How about making a commitment to read 20 to 30 minutes after work? It could be before you fall asleep, or as you’re finally sitting on the couch. And if you have to make a choice between reading and catching another episode of the Bachelorette, why not read?
- Learn a skill: One of my friends taught herself to code after-hours, and went from being a receptionist to tripling her salary in a couple of years. Another acquaintance of mine learnt to sew after work, and is now well on her way to becoming a fashion designer.The point is, you can use your time after work to get ahead of your peers, or get closer to your dreams by learning a new skill. Do you have to give up on life, and just work all the time? No. We’re talking a half-hour to an hour every day, which may add up to 99.99% more knowledge than your peers within a few years?
- Work on a project: I started blogging after-hours. That was my time to pursue something I love. The older sister of my best friend launched her bag line after-hours; her creations are now featured in 13 Whole Foods stores. Is there a project that’s near and dear to your heart? Something you’re itching to try, and don’t really have the opportunity to pursue at work? Work on it after-hours, if only an hour a day.
- Network: Most formal networking events happen after-hours. If you’re looking to expand your network, use some time after work to take part in networking activities. If you’re not able to attend these in person, why not spare an hour or even just a half-hour to connect on social networks like Linked In for instance?
Which one of these activities do you practice after work? Have you noticed a difference in how they affect your career?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
