At Highgroove, I’ve become a stronger developer, consultant, and mentor every day. This didn’t happen on accident! On one hand, Highgroove’s philosophy to provide the best tools possible in the software development industry saves me time because I spent less of it waiting for tests to run and more time analyzing hard problems. On the other hand, I have a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) where I can leave when my work is finished, take a mental break whenever I need to, and work when where and how I please.

Despite these things that set Highgroove apart from most employers, I have found the dark side to all of this productivity: What do I do with all of the free time I have now? When you don’t have to stay at the office for 10 hours a day just to save face, impress your bosses, and hopefully not get passed up by someone else who is better at sucking up than you are, this becomes a real problem!!! In this blog post I’ll address this problem and show some creative ways to help unwind after a long day (or night!) of programming.

So what are some ways to enjoy hyper-productivity? For starters, I highly advise doing something that you are passionate about. You will be motivated to do whatever it is that you chose to do, you will enjoy doing it, and you will want to continue! Secondly, I advise slowing down and not worrying about being productive while you’re off the grid. Why do you want to rush through your free time? Enjoy it!

At Highgroove, several folks already have hobbies outside of the office and have no problems making use of their free time! For example, several Highgroovers meet at a local cycling track and run circles around each other. Some volunteer for local charities like Habitat For Humanity or the Georgia Aquarium.

For some readers though, picking up a brand new hobby is easier said than done. What if I don’t like going outside? What if I get hit by a bus riding my bike in Atlanta traffic? What if I fail? For those of you who are concerned about starting new, I recommend taking a deep breath and a thinking about what the main goal really is: that you are doing something new and exciting and that the outcome doesn’t matter. With a new attitude in place, pick a new hobby! To help with this process, here are some examples to help pick out your new found free-time killer:

• Running and being active outdoors
• Take time off and Travel to somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit
• Learn a new language (Human languages only!)
• Cook and take the time to go to a farmers market, prep everything, and make it all from scratch. Frozen meals absolutely do not count!
• Volunteer at a local non-profit. Here’s a list of a bunch of them
• Invite a friend you haven’t seen in a while to hang out at a local hotspot. Work is not a topic to be discussed!

The only goal now is to keep yourself accountable regarding your new hobby. Highgroove has plenty of experience getting things done, so if you need some organization help, check out Chris’ tech talk on Things!

Highgroove strives to support a positive life-work balance by providing the best tools possible and a ROWE. Does your workplace encourage you to get away from the office?