Why My Work Week Looks a Little Different Nowadays

I used to sit at my desk for nine hours straight. Every single day. From 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with lunch at the exact time stated in my contract.

Now? I might work for an hour in the morning, take my kids to school, work another hour, then disappear for a bike ride.

And I'm getting more done than ever before.

👋 Hi, I’m Jonathan. Civil Engineer turned project manager with a passion for sustainable productivity. I believe you can live a good life while doing good. It’s a win-win. If you’re new here, you might enjoy this article:

Being in the Office is Killing your Productivity

Now let’s continue.

The Old Days

Almost 15 years ago, I started as a design engineer. I was brand new and had no clue what to expect. Back then, the world was different. This was before 2020 changed everything. Before we all woke up from the nightmare and realized the old ways were gone.

Side note: The old ways seem to (worryingly) be coming back. How quickly some have forgotten the pain.

I loved the technical stuff. The nuts and bolts of how things worked. I spent years learning design skills, thinking this was my forever path.

The plan seemed simple: Get engineering skills → Get job experience → Get more skills → Keep learning → Get promoted → Get paid more → Design cool things.

For a while, it worked.

The Trap I Didn't See Coming

I worked my set hours. I took lunch when my contract said to. I got paid what my contract promised, not what value I actually created.

I got lucky at first. My design computer was so powerful it couldn't be a laptop. Too expensive. So I couldn't take work home. But I still spent many evenings and weekends at the office.

Then they gave me a laptop. "Privilege," they called it.

Work came home with me.

I kept this routine for about five years. Never questioned it. You know that saying about being the average of your five closest people? Well, we all stayed in the routine because we all stayed in the routine.

Until I started asking questions.

The Wake-Up Call

Nobody told me we would hit a salary ceiling.

Nobody told me my influence would always be limited.

Nobody told me I needed people skills, not just technical skills.

Nobody told me they could pay a junior engineer much less to do my job 70% as well as I could.

Then I started a family. More questions came:

• Why was I spending all my time away from my kids?

• Was I being rewarded for my efforts?

• Would any of this matter at the end of my life?

• Was I making others rich when I could make myself rich?

• What even was a rich life for me? (Check out Ramit Sethi’s work on this.)

The Big Change

When 2020 hit and the world changed, I made my move. I shifted to a hybrid project management role. I knew I could never go back to the office full-time. I was missing out on too much.

Time with family and friends. Even time for random household chores.

So I made a choice. I would become the best remote project manager I could be.

And I needed people management skills.

Without people skills, I was stuck with design programs and massive sheets of paper. Black print with red squiggles from reviewers. Notes that sent me back to my computer to make more black print.

That wasn't enough anymore.

What My Days Look Like Now

My days are less structured. I work from home most of the time. I go to the office twice a week at most, just for a few hours.

I spend less time in traffic. Much less.

I work in sprints, not marathons. I might do one or two hours of focused work, then take a break. This keeps my energy up. I don't feel burnt out.

My five-day week has stretched to six or seven days. But since I work fewer hours each weekday, I make up time on weekends. This doesn't bother me. I prefer to work when I can. When there are no family events or during quiet periods at home.

I spend time with friends and family every day. I exercise every day. I read and pursue hobbies almost every day.

🥸 One thing that makes my work easier to manage is having a solid project management base. I don’t enjoy the complex software and the overly-complex features, so I made my own Notion project management hub. Think of it like a second brain. Or a really good executive assistant.

Get it here: Notion Project Management Hub

The Trade-Offs

You can never have everything. But you should identify what matters most to you. The 20% of things that create 80% of your happiness. Then structure your life around those things.

Some people don't understand how I work. I get comments. Questions that are really subtle jabs.

That's okay.

There's also the curse of the "online status." That little green dot that supposedly shows I'm being productive. It's become management's favorite way to measure work. Actually doing work has been replaced with "being online."

Looking Back and Moving Forward

I'm grateful I chose to leave the office behind. Just as grateful that I decided to learn everything I could about thriving in the remote world.

I had luck on my side too. The world was forced to become more open to the lifestyle I wanted.

I wish I had started learning people skills earlier. Public speaking. Active listening. The art of persuasion. Sales skills.

What's Next

I'm preparing for the next phase of my career. I'm focusing on things that will get me to the next level:

People skills. Broader knowledge. Artificial Intelligence. Personal branding. Media skills. Copywriting.

What do these achieve? The same thing I've wanted since I woke up from that old dream years ago.

Flexibility.

I'm learning skills that let me do anything, from anywhere, with anyone. When I can make that choice, I can pick what matters most to me. I can spend my time how I want. I can live the life I love most.

Because it's the life I choose.

The Power of Choice

Looking back at how my days have changed shows me the power of being intentional. And having a bit of luck.

I'm glad I took time to think about what matters most. And how I could move in that direction. I'm glad I had the courage and humility to learn a new way of working and living.

I don't know what the future holds. But I know I'll keep pursuing ways to spend my time that help me reach my professional and personal goals.

The little green dot can stay green all it wants. I'll be living my life on my terms.

All the best,

Jonathan