Finding your work/life balance can be a challenge. New Zealanders work longer hours than most other people in the OECD, which can make finding time to do the other things in life difficult. If you’re struggling to do everything you want in your busy life, there are ways to find the balance that you’re looking for.
Identify your priorities
What’s most important to you at the end of the day? Write down the top 3 priorities in your life. It may be your family, friends, health, career, wealth, sports, travel or other interests. Make sure you allocate enough time to give your priorities your full attention and commitment. If you want to spend more time with your family but seem to spend too much time at work, look for ways to make it happen. Set aside family time where you’re all together; talk to your employer about your hours; work on becoming more time-efficient.
Get rid of the uneccessary
Identify areas of your life that aren’t actually that important to you. Are you wasting time and energy on some things just because you’ve fallen into the habit of doing so? Reassess where your effort is going, and try to ditch some stuff that doesn’t fit with your real priorities.
How much time are you spending watching TV or scrolling social media? It might be a good idea to keep a record of how many hours a week you’re doing certain activities. The results may surprise you.
Schedule, schedule, schedule
I’m a great believer in scheduling your activities if you have a busy life. Use a single planner, calendar, diary, or electronic device and schedule specific dates and times for your most important tasks. These are called ‘time blocks’.
Setting deadlines will help you to be more efficient with your time. For example, if you need to complete a work report at home, set aside an appropriate time period to do it. Instead of thinking that you’ll do it “some time this week”, write in your diary “work on and finish report Tuesday 7-9pm”. When you know exactly when you’ll be doing things, you’ll be less stressed, as you’re no longer worried about whether or not you will “find the time” to do them.
Delegate
Whether at work or at home, you can delegate some tasks to others. Don’t feel that you have to do everything yourself when you can empower others to take responsibility.
Make room for relaxation
No matter how busy you are, there’s always time to relax in a quiet space for at least 10 minutes a day. This gives you a chance to release tension and organise your thoughts. Far from taking time away from you, it’ll help you to do things more calmly and effectively.
Life coaching, career coaching and wealth coaching can give you the tools to get the balance you want.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
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