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Virginia Woolf’s Leisure Rule
And summer delegations to create more memories
Our aim at Athena is to give you your time back so you can spend it in the ways that matter most.
In each issue of our newsletter you’ll get unique delegation tips.
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Virginia Woolf’s Leisure Rule
Virginia Woolf wrote To the Lighthouse lying on a sofa in her Sussex garden. Purple ink flowing across foolscap pages.
She discovered something that summer of 1925…
The mind needs leisure time the way soil needs winter rest.
Woolf protected her time fiercely. Her friends called her selfish. She produced masterpieces.
"If you are losing your leisure, look out! You are losing your soul."
Tomorrow morning, write down every interruption from yesterday.
✓ Client texts asking quick favors
✓ Calendar tetris
✓ Expense reports
✓ Monthly check-ins
Give the entire list to your assistant. Then block a few hours daily for wandering thoughts.
Woolf called this "wool-gathering.” It’s the mental drift where breakthroughs hide. Schedule these blocks first, before meetings fill your calendar.
"No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself."
Walk without podcasts. Read fiction at 2pm. Stare at clouds.
Woolf understood that minds, like gardens, flourish with deliberate spaciousness.
Summer Leisure Delegations
When work slows down and routines shift, use that space to make life smoother, calmer, and more fun.
Here are 4 recent summer delegations to create more memories:
Solo Staycation
”My assistant pointed out I didn’t need to stand in long lines under the June sun at Disneyland after the intense month I’ve had. She booked the tickets for my husband and kids, ordered supplies (sunblock, wipes, UV shirts, hats, snacks), and left me with a quiet house. I slept nine hours, made a slow breakfast, read a novel, and watched an entire series on TV in peace. This staycation beat the last one I had at a nice hotel.”
Personal touchpoint
“My assistant keeps a list of every birthday, promotion, newborns, or any important events across my relationships outside of work. Every month, she drops 5 ready-to-send notes into WhatsApp. I skim them over coffee, tweak a word or add an inside joke, hit thumbs-up, and she sends them. Old mentors feel remembered and friends swear I never miss a moment.”
School Prep Soft Launch
“August always hits hard. This year, I asked my assistant to handle a full dry run in July with haircuts, supply lists, closet clean-outs, and even packed new lunch boxes ready to go for back-to-school. We reset routines early without the chaos.”
Home Photo Session
“Every year I miss the holiday card. This time, I handed it off. My assistant found a photographer who is herself a mom (and has a magic way with kids), stocked snacks, and kept things moving. We finished in two hours and got a gallery I didn’t have to retouch or sort through.”
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