Cover design by Wiley
Cover and part opener image: © Ankudi/Getty ImagesInternal illustrations by Donna McGeorge
Disclaimer
The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.
About the author
Donna McGeorge makes work work.
She is passionate about enhancing the time we spend in the workplace (too much, for many of us) to ensure it is effective and productive, and enjoyable.
Donna has worked with managers and leaders throughout Australia and the Asia–Pacific for over 20 years. In 2020 she, like many of us, transitioned her work from live, in‐person to online. She delivers productivity programs, keynotes and webinars globally across a mix of industries.
Her CV is as eclectic as her record collection (yes, classic vinyl). In addition to roles at Telstra, Qantas, Ernst & Young and Ansett, she has managed Theatre, Sports and Concert Tours for the UK‐based travel company Keith Prowse and been the Asia–Pacific Organisational Development Manager for the Ford Motor Company in Shanghai.
Donna also shares her knowledge for good through appearances on The Today Show, radio interviews across Australia and writing articles for publications including The Age, Boss Magazine, Smart Company, B&T Magazine and HRM. The 1‐Day Refund is the third book in her ‘It's About Time' productivity series. The other two are The 25‐Minute Meeting and The First 2 Hours, published by John Wiley & Sons in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
She runs her business from her home in Hope Island, South East Queensland, a region known for its world‐class beaches, but her most creative moments come while sipping tea on her balcony and gazing at the meandering waterways with her husband, Steve, and her dog, Prudence.
Donna believes that while workplaces are complex, they are not hard. More often than not it's getting the simple things right, consistently, that has the greatest impact.
She also knows that when we decide to be intentional, we can surprise ourselves with what we can achieve.
Acknowledgements
In 2018 I published my first ‘proper' book, The 25‐Minute Meeting. It was a super‐steep learning curve, and I couldn't have done it without the team who supported me. In 2019, just a year later, I published The First 2 Hours and, following the global pandemic, here I am in 2021, publishing my third book. Again, it has been a team effort.
Lucy Raymond, Chris Shorten, Renee Aurish and the team at Wiley — thank you for offering me the opportunity to turn two books into a series and working hard with me to get the title and message right for this one. You have opened up my work to the world and I'm forever grateful.
Kelly Irving — legend. We worked at a rocking pace for this one! I have come to rely heavily not only on your editing skill but on your intellect, your deep knowledge (no doubt from reading HEAPS of books) and your no‐nonsense approach to writing great business books. Blessed to have you in my world.
Janine Garner — you loved my stuff so much you started sharing it far and wide before it was even fully developed in my head! Thank you for putting me in front of your valued inner circle and clients.
Anne Marie — once again your honesty and humour in applying your exquisite knowledge of the Queen's English are appreciated and loved. It was during our regular morning walks, where I shared, mused and debriefed many of the concepts in this book. Thank you.
Emma McGeorge — you continue to be the inspiration for much of my writing as I strive to create a better corporate working environment for everyone and, particularly, for you. I love you, my darling girl.
And finally, there is nothing I could do in my professional or personal life without the loving support of my husband, Steve. Our location has changed since the last time I wrote acknowledgements for a book, but nothing else has. You are still of service. You still swap out empty cups of tea and bring me snacks without my noticing. I'm still blessed. Thank you, my love.
Introduction
In 2020, Kim, like many workers around the world, found herself either in lockdown or being encouraged to work from home as authorities tried to get a handle on the pandemic.
Based in Victoria, she experienced one of Australia's toughest and longest lockdowns as it affected not just her but her family.
Prior to the pandemic, she would take her three‐year‐old son to day care. Mornings were chaotic for everyone. A far from relaxed breakfast, often eaten on the run, was followed by a half‐crazed drive for the drop‐off and the daily heartbreak of her son crying and clinging to her legs.
When lockdown hit and she had to work from home, Kim had time to walk her son to day care because she no longer had to commute. The tears and clinging stopped immediately. The dawdling morning walk allowed for a slower and calmer transition.
Kim had been refunded her commute time. The two hours a day gifted to her by COVID‐19 restrictions were hers to use however she wished. She could simply have continued the upsetting morning routine, but she decided instead to spend the time wisely, and the return on that investment was huge.
If you were affected by lockdown, or had to work from home, how did you spend the commute time that was refunded to you?
Let's pause for a moment and do the maths. A commute of around one hour each way was common. Two hours' travel a day translated into ten hours a week that weren't spent in a car or on public transport. That's a whole extra day saved! Even if you caught the train and worked for part of the commute, the time saved was still yours to spend as you chose.
If I had asked you in 2019 what you would do with an extra day every week, how would you have answered?
You might have said you'd spend more time with your kids, read more, meal plan for the week, take up a hobby, study remotely or learn to navigate the new world in which many people work from home. Or maybe you would have said you'd simply catch up on sleep.
I don't think any of you would have said you would fill the saved time with more email and work‐based projects.
Unfortunately, however, many of us perpetuated our already hectic lifestyles. Instead of recognising the time refund as a gift, we simply absorbed it back into our busy, out‐of‐control, overwhelmed lives. This meant many of us were more exhausted than when we commuted.
This book will help you take back time, get a refund if you will, build a time margin into your world so you are not operating constantly at 100 per cent-plus capacity, and rack up some room to move, breathe and think!
How good does that sound!?
People constantly tell me they are tired, exhausted and overwhelmed. They can't keep up with the pressures of modern‐day