6 Tips To Maintain Better Work-Life Balance
“You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life.”
- Heather Schuck
The never-ending struggle of balancing career and personal life is something that we all have in common. According to a survey conducted by Harvard Business School — 90% of entrepreneurs work more than 50 hours in a week, which is far from ideal. Now, for entrepreneurs and also for everyone else in this “always on” industry, it seems impossible to fulfill every personal and professional commitment in just 24 hours per day. So, what can we do about it? Is there a way we can achieve and maintain a healthy work-life balance?
Now, we understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but hopefully, here are a few tips that can help entrepreneurs and employees strike the perfect balance and lead a more productive, fulfilling life — professionally as well as personally.
Make sure you love what you do
The first step towards achieving the right balance between work and life is loving what you do. Many people seem to get satisfied making a decent living out of their job, but there is a more important and meaningful purpose behind having a job or owning a business. No matter how much money you make or how successful you get in life — if you don’t love what you do, you’re just wasting your time. In today’s high-pressure lifestyle, our work consumes over 50% of our lives, or maybe much more. Now, if you’re not enjoying it, then what’s the point of investing so much time and effort. Is it worth taking time away from your family and from other things you love? — the choice is yours.
Don’t be afraid to unplug
Since we are living in the era of technological evolution, we are all surrounded by various kinds of devices and smart gadget. Now, pretty much every piece of technology we use has an off button and there is no harm in using it a few times. For a start — stop bringing your smartphones and laptops to the dining table. Also, if you’re on a vacation with your family or friends, unplug all devices and step back. Yes, it’s not easy, in fact, this is one of the hardest things to do these days but it brings many rewards over time.
Learn to let go of things
If you’re saying “yes” to every task/role that is being offered to you, the chances are that you’re making your life more stressful than you have realized. Trying to be more productive at work or aiming perfection in every outcome is a good habit but you don’t need to stress out over every little thing. Remember, its easier to maintain a successful work-life balance if you start practicing the habit of saying “no” when it’s warranted. Learn to let things go — it will help you put all the unnecessary pressure at distance and free up some time for more important things.
Prioritize your time
Practice the habit of evaluating your daily activities at the end of each day. Calculate the time you spend working on tasks and identify the ones that took the most of your time. Time is the most precious commodity you have and it’s too valuable to waste on unnecessary, meaningless activities. Start your day by creating a list of all the tasks and activities that you need to work on and make an effective use of your time by prioritizing the content of your list according to their relative importance.
It’s okay to be selfish sometimes
If you want to be the best version of yourself then start focusing on self-care. Dedicate some time to yourself — hit the gym, try meditation, watch your favorite television show, meet your friends, or spend some quality time with your family. Schedule 30 minutes “me” time for yourself each day and don’t give it up when your calendar starts to get full. Use this “me” time to recharge yourself and then strike back to work with greater motivation.
Use technology to the best advantage
If you’re constantly having hiccups in your work and you need an easy way to get things done on time, it might be time to consider using technology like project management software or cloud-based collaboration platforms to your advantage. Today’s marketplace is flooded with powerful tools and apps that help to keep things on track at work but also save up some time for your life outside the office walls. These tools enable you to plan, collaborate, track, and deliver projects without any obstacle. Furthermore, when used correctly, these tools can offer you the freedom to work from anywhere, anytime. So, whether you’re sitting in your office or relaxing on a beach, a good project management tool is all you need to maintain the perfect work-life balance. ProofHub, Wrike, InVision, Slack and Google Keep are a few popular choices available at your disposal.
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In conclusion
The purpose of these tips is not only to help people find a balance between their work and family but also to make them realize that they should never confuse having a career with having a life. Don’t let your work and your personal life go by the wayside, apply the aforementioned tips and see yourself turn into a happy, more productive individual. Also, share your story and be an inspiration for others. Tell us about your work-life experiences in the comments below!
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