Another day at the office and just as I was heading out to attend a few meetings, with a briefcase, a cell phone, and car keys in hand, there he was. A team member balancing a landline in one ear and a cell phone in the other. Ever have a day or perhaps several when the phone rings off the hook, emails fill the inbox, and you wish there were more hours in a day? For whatever reason the balancing act somehow became the new norm. Without detection, it casually happened, and there we were lost in a maze with no work-life balance.
Ultimately, the scales tip to one side, and we lose track of not only our time but everything that is important to us. Somehow losing touch as we bob up and down in the wave of deadlines. Maybe our personal lives were impacted to a great degree. When we first start out on a career path, we are the ones who decide what we are prepared to do to achieve those audacious goals. Do we love what we do? Perhaps. Do we do what we love? Maybe. This alone will place us on track to losing the best years of our lives if we aren’t careful. For the love of anything is known to tip a scale.
TIME WELL BALANCED?
Too much time spent engaged in just one facet of life can put a damper on several things. This time at work may inhibit your creativity, hinder your love life or hamper family bonding. Refuse to be the person who ends up saying, “I gave the best years of my life away.” As a workaholic, it’s easy to put off social interactions when the next deadline, the next project, and the next meeting consumes most if not all of your thoughts.
Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
It’s a struggle to scale a vertical wall when pulled in multiple directions. Success in a career means a lot. However, so does success in a marriage or relationship, a family or a friendship. But what happens when worlds collide? When the world of work competes with the world of love and relationships? When our emotional needs fall to the wayside, and we lose track of birthdays and other meaningful life events. Sometimes, it’s ok to roll back away from challenges, aside from what forces us to take the wrong direction. Now and again, we get caught up in everyone’s demands and have the tendency to forget about ourselves, by neglecting our needs.
TRAPPED IN A CYCLE OF DEMANDS
Work-life balance is sometimes like being trapped between a rock and a hard place. When there is an appeal from all sides, not merely from work but from family, friends, and other personal connections. The more demands placed on us, the more time will be required to meet these demands. Along with the effort it will take to sustain everything within a solid twenty-four-hour timeframe. To meet every demand until you feel you have no more left to give of your energy, of your time, of you. The vessel is empty, and all that’s left is but a shell. When working hard to satisfy everyone’s needs but your own, only to realize you became disconnected. And this can lead you down the slippery slope to burnout.
PAVE THE WAY TO AUTHENTICITY
Time to scale back and take control of your life by eliminating the nonessentials so you can prioritize the essentials. Refuse to focus solely on the problems which can draw attention away from healthy lifestyle choices. Tap into creativity and focus on the solutions that will get you back on track. When you experience stress, you have gone too far. Perhaps too far in one direction or scrambling to stay on several tracks at once. Regardless, just know it’s time for something to change. Change the way you do the things you do. Set your priorities, establish your own goals, and don’t get caught up in other people’s agendas. We all have the same number of hours in a day. But what happens when others tap into your time and your energy to complete all of their objectives at your expense?
Lack of time will sometimes challenge us to scrutinize what’s happening behind the scenes. When we overhear a conversation that could perhaps be a wake-up call. While reviewing a contract, I overheard a colleague talking on the phone. “Geri is booked solid for the next two weeks, she will respond to your call in 24 to 48 hours. If this is an emergency, she will respond promptly. Is this an emergency?” Sometimes with an ear perked, we may hear what we need to hear. I finally realized I was a workaholic who not only lost her way but the meaning behind work-life balance.
Tap into the 24 to 48-hour timeframe for responses. Give yourself this window to reply to queries. Make sure everyone knows this proclaimed rule. It will be what protects you from those who consume valuable time. With integrity, ensure you follow through on the timeline, as it will be paramount if you want success not only in business but in your personal life.
SELF-CARE EQUALS SELF-LOVE
At the end of the day, you are left with only you. You have only yourself to answer to, so make rules that protect you, and follow them. Tap into your heart, what is it telling you? Have you noticed a significant change in your life? Have you experienced health issues? Are you unhappy? Confused? Well, just maybe you need time away to relax so that you can figure it out. What’s important will be the way you schedule your time. Use your calendar wisely. And remember to set aside time for you. Schedule exercise, reading, a walk, a coffee break with a friend, and dinner with family. Self-care is crucial, especially if you want to be successful. Success in all facets of life, not only work.
Self-love is essential. For this to happen, become a little selfish by making and taking a time out. Prioritize you, first. Learn to say no and only say yes to those things in your life you value the most. Your specialty should be your focal point. Do the things that you are great at doing. Move away from those things that you are not good at doing and assign them. Delegate routine tasks. Strategize your way to success by being clear on where you want to end up. Where do you see yourself 5-10-15 years from now? What do you hope to accomplish? Who do you want to share this life with? Outline how you will get there. The outline will become the blueprint. Open the lines of communication and ensure everyone is on the same page.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE IS IMPORTANT IF YOU WANT TO AVOID BURNOUT
Learn to step back because if you don’t, it might lead to the stress that will ultimately result in burnout. That unwanted symptom that occurs when we take on too much and forget about who we are, what we need, and why we are here. We have to learn to stop rushing from one thing to another without taking a breath in-between. Everything in moderation, including moderation, is imperative. Because too much of anything will inevitably tip the scale.
We have overstretched our personal boundaries and forgotten that true happiness comes from living an authentic life fuelled with a sense of purpose and balance.