One of the reasons why I like working for myself is the option to work as little as possible.

Okay, maybe that sounds a little strange. Maybe if I said that I like to work as efficiently as possible, it’d sound better. It wouldn’t be as true or clear, but if that makes you feel better, then let’s roll with it. All right?

The way I see it, being self-employed has enough hassles and risks without also driving yourself into an early grave by working a hundred hours per week. You’re constantly putting in, nurturing, and failure is always an option. If there’s no serious upside to that equation, then why not go work for someone else and at least eliminate the stress of wondering if/when things will all go kablooey?

Which is all to say that I was intrigued by some news out of New Zealand yesterday where Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is floating the idea of a 4-day work week to help restart their economy after COVID. Considering NZ handled the pandemic better than just about an country on the planet, I figured it’s worth a listen.

After reading some comments on Reddit that spoke positively about a 4-day work week, I was convinced. After assuming all the risk of a business, one of the benefits should be flexibility of some kind and Summer should be poking its head out of the clouds at some point. Why not?

Starting next week, I’m planning to take Wednesdays off, creating a schedule where I don’t work more than two days before a day off and also don’t get more than two days off before going back to work. It’ll require moving a couple things around in our business, but after a quick survey of my schedule, nothing major.

Right now, it’s a Summer experiment, but it’s something I hope will become permanent. While it’s not quite the 4-hour work week, it’s a start. Right?