I loved this article “Working Mothers are the most productive in the workplace”...

I mean, I always kinda knew this, but so nice to hear that maybe some research backs it up!

As much as I constantly beat myself up, for not doing a better job of juggling all the million and one priorities that I seem to have committed myself to on a regular basis (and some which I have no recollection of committing to, but I probably totally did because I can’t even really remember what I  had for breakfast let alone what I agreed to do)…the reality is, I have become pretty super awesome at using every piece of available time productively (to the point that now I have to learn how not to feel obliged to spend every waking hour cramming in more…but that is a story for another day).

It reminded me of a post a wrote late last year…because as i reflected on my end of year results, I made a startling realisation “I am successful BECAUSE I work part time, not DESPITE it”…  and that is because I have learnt to be uber productive.

I remember this sad and sorry story,  from the early days in my career,  arriving at the office in the early hours of the morning only to find the carpark had not opened yet.  So I had to sit on the side of the road and wait because the carpark didn’t open until 6AM … What the?  What was I thinking?  Why was I already at work at this ungodly hour of the day?

I am sure at the time I thought that arriving at work so early demonstrated that I was highly committed.   I probably did a couple of hours work, then spent more time talking to my colleagues about what they had done at the weekend, perhaps swanned out for a coffee (well, it would actually have been diet coke…I was totally addicted), then faffed around in waste of time meetings for the afternoon.  After which I would realise I still had crap loads of work to do and I would stay at the office until 7.30pm getting it finished…then feel tired and grumpy the next day because I had done a 13hr day but my to – do list was still just as long.

These days, I bet I could deliver the same amount of work in a half day sprint of work….partly it is maturity, partly it is knowledge and experience…but mostly it is because I have been forced to be more productive and to learn to prioritise like a pro. I simply cannot be at the office at 6am (well, actually, that is not exactly true because sometimes now I have to do conference calls at this hour…but I really do just roll out of bed, shuffle to the study with a cup of tea…and do the call in my pyjama’s…no video conference calls at this time please), but whenever I start my official work I make sure that I am very focused and driven.

It really is time to shake of the shackles of the “ideal worker” and remember that being in the office from 9-5pm doesn’t make you a better or more productive employee…I’m so glad that message might actually be starting to get through.

I always knew we ROCKED!