“Work-life balance is a stupid, overused term and I hate that question. All I do is work. I don’t have balance. Let’s move on”
“oooookay…”
I looked down at my note pad. The only questions I had written down were:
- How did you get started in the business?
- How do you manage work-life balance?
This mentorship was off to a great start!
Earlier in my career, I joined a new company and in an effort to build relationships with the higher ups I enrolled in a mentor program. I was paired with a senior executive who was well respected and an integral part of the company’s success.
The first get together was supposed to be short and conversational. Before the meeting, I quickly jotted down a few ice breakers, but figured the discussion would naturally progress in its own way. Instead, things got awkward five minutes in and I spent the rest of the conversation trying to recover.
The Sacrifice of No Balance
As I got to know my mentor over the next six months I learned why she was so important to the company. She had work ethic that would give Michael Jordan a run for his money. Her job was her life. She identified herself solely on the merits of her career and was very proud of everything she had accomplished. In many ways, this was admirable. She decided to give her life to being the best at her job and succeeded.
I also learned that because of this dedication to work, she had sacrificed a lot. She did not have much of a social life. She was single with no kids and lived in an apartment by herself.
My mentor taught me a lot in our six months together, but it was what she didn’t teach me that really stuck. Work-life balance was not important to her. I realized then that it was to me.
The Secret to Balance
Finding balance is not easy though. So many of us have work schedules that seemingly eat up every free hour in our day.
The secret lies in time efficiency.
By removing clutter in your schedule and optimizing your work day, you can reclaim hours of free time to spend on doing the things you love.
10 Strategies
Here are 10 strategies you can apply every day to better manage your time:
- Practice good communication skills to avoid misunderstandings and save time.
- Decide limits with colleagues and clients to respect personal time.
- Make use of time while traveling by listening to audiobooks or podcasts.
- Set aside specific time for personal interests and hobbies.
- Do similar tasks together to avoid unnecessary changes in focus.
- Find and remove activities or habits that waste time.
- Regularly check your work-life balance and make necessary changes.
- Determine and prioritize your most productive hours of the day.
- Take advantage of personal growth opportunities, such as workshops or courses.
- Build a support system of colleagues who can help when needed.
If work is your life and that makes you happy, you do you. But if you strive for more balance in your day, these 10 strategies will help make you more efficient and free up that all important asset, time.
Be a Rock today
