“You cannot be really first-rate at your work if your work is all you are.” – Anna Quindlen
I saw this quote and it made me think about how much balance we have in our lives. In my past, I had been known to have some (okay more than some ) workaholic tendencies at times. This caused challenges when I had issues at work to deal with and my child was playing in a volleyball tournament. I know you are thinking…is she serious? Yes, there have been times that I had to take calls at night or on the weekends while standing at a gymnasium at a volleyball game. It was obviously not the best thing to do, but when that is the only time people can meet with you in Singapore, that is what you do. I cared a lot about my job, my team and my family. I wanted to appear as if I was wonder woman accomplishing it all. I knew that it was time to make changes.
How do you manage to focus on what is important in your life?
Set the priorities of what is important in your life.
Ensure that you have boundaries in place so that nothing gets in the way of those priorities.
Watch how much time you spend on-line, watching tv or on social media. How many times did you go on Facebook to look at one thing real quick and you find yourself still on Facebook an hour later!
Prepare what you will say ahead of time when someone asks you to do things that get in the way of the priorities. You don’t have to tell everyone what you are really doing. Just say that you are sorry but you already have plans…and then STOP TALKING! No guilty feelings, no explanations or justifications necessary.
While we are talking about guilt. Know that you will not do everything perfectly all the time, so don’t beat yourself up for it. There are plenty of other people who would love to do that for you. Remember your boundaries? Don’t let these people and their comments in! Be kind to yourself and know that you are doing your best. Take the time to take care of yourself and do something for you.
Spend time with your family, friends and just doing things that make you feel happy. Being about work all the time starts to take away your creativity and resentful that you aren’t doing the things that you love. Yes, I know it seems crazy, but being away from work actually helps you be more creative and gives you a new perspective. It helps you clear your head so you can be a great leader when you are at work who leads their team, accomplishes goals and sets a good example that there is more to life than just work.
If this has struck a chord with you and you would like to work with me to improve the balance in your life, feel free to set up time for a complimentary session at this link: http://susanmbarber.com/schedule-an-appointment/