When you hear the words “work/life balance,” what do you think of?
Most people think about work! Why? Because, for most people, the only reason you think about needing a better work/life balance is because you are working too much and are wanting to figure out how to allow for more time and energy to do other things within your life that are outside of work.
Nobody ever talks about work/life balance the other way. I can guarantee that neither you nor I have ever heard someone say, “I am enjoying my life too much...I would like to figure out how to work more.”
This concept of ‘balance’ is really about aligning behaviors. It’s not realistic to believe that you will one day figure out how to magically balance all the important things in your life so you can check “find work/life balance” off of your to do list. Life is too chaotic for that.
Balance is about fulfillment. It is about deciding what is important, what is not important, and putting those former things into a plan that gives you more energy and less overwhelm.
Here is how to begin bringing a truer work/life balance into your own little world in three easy steps.
Step 1 - Start with non-work stuff. Identify those things that you want to give more time and energy to. Since we will often expand work to fill time not designated for other things, we need to get clear on what those other things are. Don’t just think about these things, actually write them down in a list. It might include things like spending more time with you kids or family, sitting down for dinner together twice a week, cooking three meals at home each week, working out four times a week, learning a new language, reading one book a month, taking a class, painting gardenscapes, writing a novel...it can be anything YOU want to do. But you need to be clear on what you want to make room for in your life before you can figure out exactly how to do that. Think in terms of family, health, and personal development - not just business. I believe in the importance of this so much that I put this exercise on the very first page of my 2021 planner.
Step 2 - Pick one and do it! Just one. Pick it and make time for it this week. Put it in your calendar right now. Schedule it as you would any other important meeting or appointment. Because that’s exactly what it is, an important appointment, and one that you don’t miss.
Step 3 - Adjust your work life to accommodate your new important appointments. This does not mean that you quit your job or slack off. What it means is that you remind yourself on a daily basis that work is not the only important thing in your life. Just as you schedule business meetings, you will also be scheduling non-business meetings. Do not doubt this until you try it! When you get clear about what time you have and what you are doing with that time, it not only helps you to get more done, but it also gets you focused. When those appointment times hit, you don’t have to waste time trying to decide what you need to do...you’ve already decided that, and it’s already on your calendar. Taking the guesswork out of the equation will have you feeling more in control and less stressed.
“Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” (Dolly Parton)
The reality is that most people have more time available to them than they think they do. That’s because we have a tendency to say ‘yes’ too often to things that are not important to us (but fill our schedules) and ‘no’ to things that are important to us (and fill our hearts).
Start right now. Open your calendar and make some choices - you have some appointments to make with yourself.
XOXO!
Belinda