Today, I caught myself discussing work with my wife on our way home from work. And to think of it, on our way to work, we discussed work. We took work to work and brought work back with us. It never seems to stop. If you are a diligent member of your organization, and you are honest with yourself, you’ll agree that at least one hour before you get to work your mind is already at work. Your early morning routine consists of checking your calendar for what your day looks like and your email for messages you might have missed through the night (funny, huh?). Who are you meeting today? What decisions do you have to make? What deadlines are fast approaching? It’s work, work, and work. Work in the shower. Work as you get dressed. Work when you grab your cup of coffee from the counter. Work when you park your car and work when you finally make it to your desk.
If the hour before you get to work is spent at work, why wouldn’t you spend the hour before you left for home at home? Why wouldn’t you think up some creative way to spend time with your family? Why wouldn’t think of what healthy dinner you could make? Why wouldn’t you think of what games you could play with your kids? Think of the world of difference we could make in our homes if we arrived from work as intentional and prepared as we did our jobs. Our families would feel the intentionality. Our spouses would feel our presence more than ever. And our homes would be warmer for good.
In conclusion, if you get to work before you do, go home before you do.