The old saying is certainly true – All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (not to mention stressed, unhappy and possibly even physically ill!). But on the flip side, too much ‘fun stuff’ and our lives can stall, productivity declines into a state of procrastination and nothing actually ‘happens’. So how to we strike a satisfying balance between our various work and personal activities, one that’s rewarding, practical and productive?
Well, when it comes to developing a work/life balance, some professionals think they should be aiming to achieve an ‘equal balance’ between their professional and personal life, but this isn’t really the case. Nor is it realistic. Life is too fluid for you to strictly schedule your day into work and play. Instead, you need to recognise that the right balance can and will change day to day, over time and as your lifestyle changes.
Remember, there’s no ‘perfect’, one size fits all work/life balance. What’s best for one person won’t work for another because we all have different priorities and lives. So how do you regain and keep your own balance? Here are my top tips:
Regain Focus
Determine what is important to you. Simple I know, but when was the last time you considered these four aspects of your life: ‘Work, Family, Friends and You’ and decided what your number one priorities and goals were in each of those areas? Setting goals for yourself in these various areas helps you apportion your time accordingly.
Regain Order
Become more organized, so that you maximise your productivity (i.e. so you don’t have to stay back late at work every night). How? Take notice of when your high and low energy and concentration periods are during the working day, then capitalise on them by doing your most important tasks during your peak concentration/energy times.
Next, grab a pen and piece of paper and break your goals into deadlines, action plans and projects (which can be further broken down in tasks). An hour or two’s organization in this area will give you a roadmap that will keep you focused and on track.
Get organized in the familial sphere too – rosters of chores can seriously free up some of your time which can then be allocated to other tasks/activities. Be creative about finding solutions to reduce time-draining activities and remember, even if you can shave a minute or two, or even a few seconds off certain jobs here and there, it all adds up to you having more time to play with at the end of the day.
Regain Connection
Some people have their level of connection with the outside world all out of whack. Intrusive emails and mobile phone calls at all hours of the day and night are simply not conducive to balance in the work sphere. Know when to shut your laptop down and establish boundaries about what is and isn’t acceptable regarding calls after work.
Connect with your colleagues or employees and establish a support network for yourself. If you can delegate to someone else – do! Don’t settle for working ridiculous hours that could be reduced by half or more, if you only organized your time better and allocated time to train staff who showed potential.
Be Realistic
Finally, don’t think that there are some ‘special’ people out there who can just magically balance everything in their life, like family, careers, friendships and personal development. Those kind of people might look on the outside as if they’re calmly keeping all their irons in the fire without so much as breaking a sweat, but look again.
Just like everyone else they’ll have worked hard to decide what’s important, create goals around those things and generate the momentum that creates and maintains that balance. This is one juggling act that’s well worth perfecting, so put in the effort now and you’ll be reaping the benefits for years to come.
