I often hear from people in my circle that they don’t have time to just chill. In fact, you might have the same desire — to stop the maddening speed of life for a few minutes (or hours) and just be able to leisurely lounge. Alone. At home. Or under a tree. Wth a book. And a cup ‘o tea. Sounds divine, right?

Usually when I hear friends, family or colleagues say that they need more loungey time, I’m quick to agree, “oh, totalllly!”, “me too girl, me too”, “oh hells yes, I feel you!”. But, and I’m a tad ashamed to admit this, I’ve been lying to everyone when I said these things. And since honesty is a value I hold close to my heart, it’s extra icky to admit. I don’t struggle one single bit with me-time. In fact, I’m a Professional Lounger.

What does being a pro-lounger entail? It means that I’ve got the art of the lounge down pat. I have no guilt, no issues whatsoever, grabbing my beach towel and heading out to lay on the grass and stare up at the sky. Or even just flip on Netflix and watch a movie while I eat a very lounge-worthy lunch. And not only do I not have guilt about doing this, I do it often. Maybe a little too often.

There’s a big difference between lounging and laziness. And for all of my fellow stay-at-home solopreneurs / freelancers out there, this is particularly noteworthy. Part of the decision for us to embrace the entrepreneurial lifestyle is that we get to make our own hours and do our own thing. This means that we can work when it feels good and when we’re most productive (and newsflash: we’re not all morning people!).

This behaviour is exacerbated by excess stress, looming deadlines and overwhelm. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with taking a spontaneous day off to meander your local botanical gardens or catch a matinee, when you find yourself spending more time lounging than working . . . no bueno!

How do I keep myself on track while still allowing plenty of time for chillin’? It really all comes down to four distinct types of Respect (Aretha style):

By not adhering to the schedule I’ve set for myself and honoring my work hours and play hours, I’m showing disrespect to my time. This holds true for all of us. Our time is valuable and it’s in limited supply. Showing up for the work you want to do each day is how you can show mad respect for this precious resource.

For most of us, our work is directly tied to our income, especially if you freelance or are a solopreneur. With you . . . well, the buck just stops if you stop working. It’s super easy to discount our money and take it for granted. Obviously we need cash in order to live and do the things we want to do in life, but even more important than just earning that cash, is having a rock solid relationship with it (this book will help). Respect your work time and your money, and I’d be willing to guarantee that everything will uplevel in a big way!

When you don’t honor your work-time, you’re forced to work late at night and weekends. Which may not be terrible if you don’t mind such a thing, however, when you’re forced to miss your sister’s wedding because you’re going to miss a client deadline — not cool! Less dramatic than that, you won’t have as much time to hang out with the people you love, and that just flat out sucks. Relationships are everything. Treat your calendar like gold and by extension, you’ll be able to treat the special people in your life equally golden.

You have big dreams. Goals. You want to feel free. Connected. (insert your own core desired feelings here). Well, I hate to be the poo-poo patrol, but unless you hop to it and get your ass to work, you’re not going to be able to reach those big bold goals of yours. You don’t have to be a task master. You can work with ease and find joy in the hard work — I promise. When you began this journey you were filled with dreams. Don’t forget them. And indeed, put them back up on the pedestal where they belong.

Really, this is about commitment. So just commit. Commit to doing the work. Commit to respecting your time, your money, your relationships, your dreams. And most importantly, to yourself and the soulful work you’re doing in the world.

Now, stop reading blog posts (unless you’re lounging . . . then carry-on my friend) and get to work! 😉
But not before you tell me how you keep yourself on track each day. If you’ve got any tips, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.