10 Tips for Successful Work/ Life balance

We all go through it at one stage in our work life - perhaps some of us go through it on a weekly basis - the work/life juggling act! Trying to balance everything at work with everything outside of work can become somewhat of an ordeal. It often ends up with work related items being the main priorirty on your list of things to do and your "life" tasks being overlooked or forgotten which as a result causes us to become tired, anxious, stressed, angry, frustrated all because there has been no "Me" time to reflect and rejuvenate. Take a look at these 10 tips and suggestions for work/life balance and start gaining control over your priorities.

1. Set goals – yes, all those years of teachers asking us to write down our goals and dreams for what we want to be when we “grow up” are still relevant even at the age of 30 odd. “Written goals help you establish clarity of purpose and provide accountability” according to Leadership Coach Mike Hawkins. Get into the routine of reviewing your goals and reminding yourself of what it is you want to achieve.

2. Focus. Focus. Focus. Just like your mum used to say when you were trying to study for an exam or had an important recital coming up. Staying focused is a constant challenge in today’s lifestyles. We are easily distracted by technology and day-to-day life challenges. “Don’t let the urgent, the convenient and the immediate distract you from the important. Stay focused on reaching the milestones that support your goals. Be proactive. Create the habit of working intentionally. Minimize your distractions. Make a “not to-do” list and adhere to it.”

3. It is very easy to become one with the crowd and “baa” like the rest of the sheep. Don’t be sucked into following social and cultural norms – follow your own values, goals and ideals. “Define the few principles by which you will operate your business and your life. Let them guide you instead of following the latest fads and over-hyped products.”

4. Saying NO is the hardest word to say and it is only two letters short. It is humanly IMpossible to do everything all at once for everyone all the time. Sometimes we do have to miss out on a social function, family gathering, school sports match, ballet exam, training seminar because there really are only 24 hours in a day and we have to come to terms with prioritising the VERY important things that need doing before the “OK, sure I will do that for you – because I cannot say no” things.

5. Delegate – as women, we are often the most to fall victim to the; ”NO means NO virus.” This is because we battle to delegate. In case you hadn’t noticed by now, most CEO’s are Men – why? -  Because men are professionals at delegating to others. No one is successful on their own so start handing out that extra workload, if you have a teenager sitting around the house playing on his PSP all day – why not delegate a bit of the household chores to him/her. Offer a bit of pocket money if it helps to ease the workload. If tomorrow you were suddenly struck down with a terrible virus and had to lay in bed for two weeks – who would you pass your work onto?

6. Time really is of the essence so practice being productive. For those activities that you and yourself can only do then find ways to be as efficient as possible. “Your time is your most valuable resource—don’t squander it. Create reusable templates for anything that you do repeatedly. Employ tools and computer applications to automate your tasks as much as possible.”

7. When we were asked by our mum’s to clean our rooms when we were younger and we would deny her request to the upmost – she was asking us  for a very good reason; (honestly.) By cleaning and tidying our rooms we were also organising our space and our possessions. This lends itself to our lives as we get older, the paperwork and bills that stack up over the month, the documents that needed signing two days ago that are still sitting on your desk because you have actually covered them under a pile of documents from this morning’s meeting. Start a filing system at home and at work. “Utilize the “Do, Delegate, Delete or File” principle” and see the difference in productivity.

8. Energy – zzzz – If you are tired, you will not be motivated to do much during your day – whether it be at work or at home so ensure you get a decent night’s sleep (7 hours a night is recommended) eat a healthy diet – if you cannot eat healthily everyday then try to have at least 3 healthy meals per week during the week when you need your energy the most. Do take vitamins recommended for you and try to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day.

9. It is hard to NOT worry when someone tells you to stop worrying because if you are a worrier then worrying you shall do but try your best to think outside of the worry box and close that box up for the day. Worrying and stress are bad for your health and will not provide any benefit to you or to others. “Studies show that 92 percent of what people worry about has already happened, won’t change a thing or is completely unfounded. Channel your energy into more productive uses. Go exercise instead.”

10.Open up some space on your calendar – or if need be fill it in with “Me time” so you do not end up filling it up with something else later on. “Pretend there isn’t as much availability on your calendar as it affords. Take a break. Carve out some time for reflection. The cliché that your best ideas come to you in the shower is more fact than fiction. When relaxed, your brain is free to unleash its power.”

Credit: Leadership coach Mike Hawkins