You know what really bugs me about the idea of 9 to 5?

It insinuates that every human works in the same manner and that every day we feel exactly the same as the day before.

Here's what I mean.  I like getting up early in the morning, taking a run, prepping my oatmeal and diving directly into work early (sometimes way before 9).  But right around 3, I always lose my will to sit in front of a computer screen.  At that time, depending on where I am in the world, I either go for a walk, take a nap, or go somewhere interesting (museum, park, etc).  After that, I'll get back to work and usually be on and off until the wee hours of the night.

However, a couple days ago, I had a rough morning and hit a block around midday.  I found myself half working, half thinking and half surfing the web.  I lost my focus.  So instead of having a ridiculously unproductive day and "grinding it out" until 5, I decided to stop, shut down, regroup and return to my work when I was ready for it.

Learning when to step away from the keyboard is an incredibly valuable asset.  Not only will it will keep you from burnout, but more importantly it will make you recognize that every moment should have impact when sitting in front of that monitor.

It makes absolutely no sense to work at half speed.  It's like going to the gym and half-assing a workout that takes four hours when you could have easily been 100% focused and completed it in 90 minutes.

Every human is different.  Every day is different.  Don't feel guilty when you need to step away.  It's about value added not time spent.

Photo Credit: niallkennedy