Is Leisure a Time Management Strategy?

Contrary to popular belief, leaders that build in recreational time throughout the week to do things they love and enjoy are actually more productive than those that do not. Many studies point to the fact that leaders who are able to create work-life balance generally show up in the office more motivated, more inspired, and more focused to get work done. Not to mention the mental health benefits of being able to take time out for yourself, which will create more resilient leaders that are not stressed and overwhelmed.

Despite the noted benefits of taking time to enjoy a recreational hobby or interest, very few CEOs actually live this principle. According to the leading CEO peer group coaches and consultants, there are a few reasons why this may be the case.

1. Leisure time is not productive time. This is one of the most perpetuated myths in business. Many times our greatest sense of inspiration and ideas come when we are not at work. That’s because our brains are subconsciously processing many situations, many problems, many challenges that we are actively seeking solutions for. However, when we allow our brain to decompress through leisure activities, we give it more energy and space to be able to think through even the most complex problems more efficiently. 
2. The hustle and grind is what breeds success. The old model of success is what has contributed to the largest percentage of burnout and depression among working professionals. Not only is constant working and overworking not sustainable for a leader’s mental health and physical well-being, it doesn’t give our nervous system the ability to creatively respond to the world around us. This means that in the state of constant overwhelm, CEOs may inadvertently overlook innovative solutions and miss out on lucrative opportunities that they were unable to recognize due to the extreme pressure they were under. When we allow ourselves time and space to do things outside of work, we also open up the possibility of considering new ways of thinking, new ideas, and new perspectives which could propel our businesses to whole new trajectories.
3. Leisure time will decrease my connectedness to my business. If you were to ask most CEOs how they view time off or away from work, many may remark that it disconnects them from their business, leaving them feeling like they’re not sure what’s going on because they weren’t there to keep their finger on the pulse. This is also a fallacy because if you delegate and set up teams/systems appropriately, then you should be able to step away as a CEO without worry that your business will run off the rails. This way you can stay tapped into exactly what is happening — wherever you are, with real-time information.

So the question becomes, when will you take time out to do something fun? The reality is your business can dramatically benefit when you make time, for even just an hour a week, to pursue an interest, a passion, or a hobby you have. You’re much more valuable to your company when you can show up well balanced, healthy, and void of burn out.