Balancing my work and personal life used to be tough. I need to work to live, but if we’re being honest I’d really rather never work and it’s hard to balance these two conflicting desires! So how did I discover the absolutely perfect time to log off every day? Thankfully, I have a cat who lays on my laptop to let me know it’s time to stop working and start living. Now I have the perfect amount of work and personal life, as dictated to me by the whims of my cat. Here’s how I know when to log off just because my cat has arbitrarily decided to lay on my laptop:
Set boundaries.
It’s hard to work and live in the same place – that’s why it’s important to clearly establish boundaries. For example, let the cat know that there are no boundaries when it comes to your laptop. She may stretch out her beautiful, long body on it at any given point, which will allow you to just throw your hands up and say “Ugh, guess I can’t work now, can I?” Thank you, Cat!
Schedule calls for when you are most productive.
Some people work best in the morning, some work best in the afternoon. Whichever you are, it’s important that no matter what point in the call you’re at, if your cat lays down on your laptop you have to HANG UP NOW! This is the sign from the universe that you have been waiting for. Do not miss it. If you do, you’re going to have too much work and not enough life. And that? That’s not balance.
Set up email on your phone.
It’s going to be hard to email your boss that you’re ending early because your cat just looks too adorable right now sprawled out on the keyboard. Plus, you might have to apologize for that email the cat accidentally sent with her cute little mitten paws that was just a string of random letters. So set up your work email on your phone in advance so you don’t get caught off guard. Let your boss know it’s time to logout, and why! Include a picture of your little cutie lounging on the company’s laptop – your boss will really appreciate it. Who knows, maybe you’ll get promoted! Anything could happen!
I hope these tips help you maintain a work-life balance. Remember that your cat is the ultimate source of knowledge when it comes to what’s right for you. They are doing this for your own good, not selfishly so you will pet them. So when your cat crawls into your lap and then onto your keyboard, take note. It’s time to log out!