Are you walking into your workspace each day with an ambitious “to do list”?
Perhaps you are starting your working day a little earlier, skipping lunch, finishing a little later and maybe you are squeezing a couple of extra hours of work into your weekends?
How do you feel?
Perhaps you are exhausted…..
Maybe you would love to be spending quality time with friends, family and fur babies…
and some “Me time” – you may be asking “what is that!!!?”
You are not alone and what we are seeing each and every day is people who simply “cannot stop”
In fact, it is so easy to get caught into the mad cycle of “busy-ness” that you forget about the things that really matter.
When you consider work-life balance what does it mean?
The fine balance between work and personal life means different things to different people at different stages in their lives.
What was a priority when you were 20, young and invincible with no real commitments and boundless energy may be very different to NOW!
Your priorities may now be around financial security, providing for your family and climbing the corporate ladder. If you run your own business, it could simply be “surviving” each month/week!
The question is – what price are you paying for this?
With your work-life balance out of sync, you will burn out, you will miss out and the important things in life will simply pass you by.
In reality, If you were given “just an extra 4 hours a day” chances are you would just find more work to fill the space!
“The Business Buddy work-life balance blueprint” 9 steps that you can action immediately is:
1) Ask yourself – “Where do I WANT to spend my time?”
This could be being fully present with family, friends and your children.
It may be spending time meeting new people, hobbies and self-improvement.
It could even be just spending time with YOU!
2) Establish your WHY
Your WHY is what keeps you on track. It is so easy to get distracted, to find something else to do and to add more to your plate and ambitious “to-do list”.
Write your WHY down so you are constantly reminded of this driving force. Pop it onto the fridge, your desk or your wall – somewhere where you can see it – every day!
Your why keeps you focussed on your big picture.
3) Identify your values – “How do you want to show up in life?”
Choose 10 – 15 words that describe how you want to “show up in life”
Narrow this down to your Top 3. You will likely find that the top 3 link back in one way or another to your initial 10 – 15 words!
This simple exercise will ensure that you Show up the way you want to, that everything you do is congruent with your values and you are showing up authentically.
4) Knowing your priorities
Your WHY will drive you in the direction of your priorities.
If you have a lengthy list and find it hard to choose what should be done when and in what order, the trick is to ask yourself “Do my priorities reflect with my why and my values?”
If the answer is yes then it’s a priority! If “no” or “maybe” it can be moved a little further down the list!
5) Identify your goals
These could be a mixture of short, medium and long terms goals.
This is different for everyone and it’s important to ensure these are YOUR goals.
I would recommend that you set both personal and business goals.
The crucial question to be asking yourself is “What do you want to achieve in 10 or 20 years?”. If you are in retirement and looking back on your life what do you want to be proud of? What legacy are you wanting to see you have created? How do you want to feel?
6) Ensure your goals are aligned with your priorities and values
As you consider the goals you have noted in step 5 the question to ask is “Does this align with MY priorities and values?” If it does good, if not, reassess your goals and ensure they are congruent with how you want to show up in life and that YOUR priorities remain top of mind.
As an example: If one of your values is courage and one of your goals is to remain in your comfort zone at all times…… this is not aligned and you have not set yourself up for success! The truth is, this step requires a lot of self-reflection and is crucial for a successful outcome which is ultimately a fulfilled life!
7) Create a feasible roadmap
By knowing where you are and where you want to go you are now able to see better how to get there!
One mostly creates this road map by creating medium and short terms goals.
As you go through this process consider the tasks you need to do, the guidance you may require and the opportunity to outsource where you can. This will assist you in creating and maintaining a strategy as you embark on your journey.
8) Re-evaluate – OFTEN!
It is vital to re-evaluate each of the above 7 steps regularly!
There will be times where it is easier to “stay in your comfort zone”; times where it is easier to “just not dream”, times where it is easier to arrive earlier for work, skip those lunches, work a little later and sacrifice your weekends. The question you need to ask is “Is it worth NOT having a work-life balance?” Generally, just asking this question will be enough to remind you that work-life balance takes time, effort and dedication which when applied, will reap amazing results.
9) Have an accountability buddy
Holding yourself is accountable is one thing but it is easy to go off track, to thrown yourself deeper into your work. The longer you keep the” pedal to the metal” the harder it is to pull yourself back from the brink.
Having someone else hold you accountable is where the real magic happens.
Whether you are ready or not, start your work-life balance journey today! There may be many things in life that you will look back on with regret, but this will definitely not be one of those things.
