Innovation Issue MADE Magazine | Page 25

MADEXXX MORE LIFE: summer H OW I P L A N TO WO R K L E SS AND LIVE MORE THIS made by Ashlei Williams I I have said it before and I will say it again. I am a regular degular girl just out here going for it. Please do not take my word as gospel. (Can you tell the journalist in me gets antsy when asked to share my opinion as advice?) The task at hand for this article is revealing my plan for making Summer 2018 a living spree. Admittedly, I do not think it will be hard to do, as I just hit a milestone birthday of 30 in April and summer is my absolute favorite season of the year. So, “celebration” will be something like a permanent mood for a while. In general, I have four goals for the summer: 1. Take 36 hours off from work weekly. 2. Sweat intentionally every day. 3. Only travel domestically. 4. Explore the great outdoors. Let me tell you how I created this list. “Those who worked more than 55 hours per week had a 13 percent greater risk of a heart attack, and were 33 percent more likely to suffer a stroke, compared with those who worked 35-40 hours per week.” - University College London As a new entrepreneur, I have formed the unsettling habit of working seven days per week. This is not fair to me or my loved ones. It has come to a point where me-time “Netflix & Chill” sessions involve my laptop and vacations require a window of time for me to catch up on work. I don’t like it. And, I’ve decided it does not have to and will not be my way of life as an entrepreneur. The summer is my test-run for my 36 hours without work rule. With my unpredictable schedule, it’s hard to say I won’t work weekends. So, I am just focused on unplugging for a set amount of hours. The goal is to get to 48 hours without work per week. I know that setting aside time will help reduce anxiety, improve my sleep patterns, and ultimately clear my INNOVATION ISSUE 25