Work-life balance

Having work-life balance is a bit like being fit. If you don’t exercise regularly, it is difficult to go and run a marathon and if you did, you may get sick. To get work-life balance right, you need to practice it each day. It does not always work, but the aim is to try.

I have interviewed numerous people for my book about finding and maintaining passion at work. Truly successful people say that to stay passionate, we must conserve our energy and for that we need balance in our life. Otherwise we may ‘burn out’.

I have ‘burnt out’ in a previous corporate role. I was working 80 hour weeks, on planes Monday to Friday and having to work on weekends. This was manageable initially, but I noticed over a course of three months, my productivity dropped during the week as I knew I had the weekend to rely on my overload. I developed a habit of working weekends.

Achieving work life balance does not have to mean spending less time in paid work. Better time management and goal setting as well as outsourcing domestic chores to other family members or professionals are some ways to get more out of each day. I apply a 3D rule. Ask yourself if you can DELETE a task. If not, can you DELEGATE it? If not, DO it.

There are three initial steps that can help those grappling with the task of getting their work –life balance right.

1. Ask yourself who are the most important people in your life and take some time to spend quality time with them.
2. Take responsibility for your own actions rather than blaming your boss, your organisation or your partner for the imbalance in your life. In an aircraft emergency we all know we need to fit our own mask first. If you don’t help yourself you are less able to help others.

3. Take small steps and work up to bigger goals. If you are working long days, go home at 5:30 pm one night and then, over the next month, build that to two nights.

In this fast paced world getting work-life balance right is not always easy but it can be done once you make the choice to do so.

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About this Blog

If you love what you do, does that mean working 70 to 80 hour weeks is good for you and your business? The short answer is no. We are increasing our understanding of stress and its effects with research and technology. Stress is cumulative, so if you work long hours each week and think that you can ‘de-stress’ with a two-week holiday in Hawaii, think again!

 
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