You know you can achieve anything in life if you really, really want it. And my guess is that many of you really, really want a balanced life. Many people are waking up to the fact that it’s not all about work, work, work. Yes, we have to do our jobs and do them well, but must this facet of our life take over every aspect of it? Only if we let it.
So what do you need to do to achieve this wonderful state? Well, as with achieving any goal, it’s going take some discipline, ingenuity and a serious commitment to making it happen.
The busy professionals I know (let’s call them Stars for fun) who have successfully integrated their work and life outside of work take this whole balance thing very seriously. They are super-successful but yet they aren’t in the office 12 hours a day. They’re at home with their kids, or helping their aging parents or volunteering for their favorite charities or even out taking rumba lessons!! “How do they do it?” you ask. Five simple strategies.
1. They are super organized.
You won’t find piles of papers and file folders strewn about their work areas. No way. They keep their offices filed, clean, and organized. And no – it is not because they all have multiple assistants. In fact, many of them don’t. They understand how much time they save by staying organized, so they have made it a way of life.
At any given time you can go to these people, ask them for something and they can find it in under a minute. Do you know how much time is wasted looking for work-related items that are improperly filed? A ton!
So just get organized. Read a book about it. Implement the basics. For example when you are opening mail, make a decision on the spot about each piece you touch. Don’t let junk mail take up precious real estate in your office. Dump it already!!
2. They successfully set boundaries.
Stars who have achieved “the balance” are masters at setting boundaries and being in charge of how and why they spend their time. Stars are really good at saying, “No;” a lesson many people have yet to learn. They set their course of action, know what’s really important, put themselves and their initiatives and priorities first and deviate from their plan only when absolutely necessary. If you are still struggling to set boundaries with people who push you around or take advantage of you, it’s time to break the cycle.
3. They are ingenious.
The Stars are constantly looking for ways do things better, faster, cheaper, more efficiently. And they implement the strategies they learn without thinking about it for a year in advance. Too many people get caught up in perfectionistic tendencies by over-analyzing every little thing which creates ridiculous delays and lack of action. Are you guilty of this? If you’ve heard of a cool technique that you think might help you, just go for it. Get into action!
4. They understand the delicacy of balance.
Achieving balance is like walking a tightrope. One false move and it’s splat-city, baby. And believe me, Stars don’t want splat-city, so they are very smart about walking that tightrope. Stars are constantly analyzing projects, people, meetings and opportunities to see if it makes sense for their objectives and the other things they have going on.
5. They are committed to achieving balance
Most stars who have achieved balance have experienced a time in their life when things were terribly out of balance. They understand the cost of living in that nasty place. They know that it costs them their sanity, their relationships with spouse, kids, friends, their health. The list goes on and on.
But something happened to these Stars and they were able to move forward and get to the place of balance. And believe me…they don’t want to go back.
So they have committed to doing what it takes to stay in balance. They are ever-mindful of staying in balance. The minute they forget their commitment, they lose their footing and get another taste of the bad place. But not for long. They re-commit and proceed more committed than ever before! They are like balance junkies. They love it and can’t get enough of it!!
So…what do you think? Are you ready to join the ranks of our wonderful Stars and reap the rewards that they enjoy on a daily basis? It’s your decision, of course, but I say you should go for it. You can do it if you want it bad enough.
