Achieving a Better Work Life Balance

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A recent survey of more than 1,000 finance professionals showed that 40% of them found balancing work and home the most challenging part of gaining a promotion; and the Business Journal in May reported that 74% of executives and senior managers thought that people did not have a balance between work and rest of their lives.

I read a report in a newspaper this week about a man who had left his young children at home on their own because he felt he HAD to go into work. It’s a disturbing picture, but many of us will understand the difficulty of dealing with the competing pressures of our responsibilities at work and our need to have time for ourselves, our families and our loved ones.

In previous decades it was easier to compartmentalise our lives, but the use of PDA, cell phones, laptops and the rise in home working means that many people are staying connected to work even when they are at home. Work is not just a place that you go to, but something you do all the time.

So in the face of such pressure what can we do to achieve a better fit between our work and our home life?

1. Don’t believe the myth. Any kind of balancing act – riding a bike, walking a tightrope or standing on one leg requires continual effort. There is no perfectly balanced state that is maintained without making continual adjustments. If you were standing on a tightrope holding a very, very long pole with two heavy weights tied to the ends of the pole, it would be extremely difficult to keep a balanced position. Imagine sliding both weights along the pole towards the centre. As the loads come closer together, balance becomes easier. When we stop seeing work and life as opposites and start understanding how they fit together, then we can spend less energy trying to juggle schedules and commitments in an attempt to even out our lives. When work and life are integrated they become nearly effortless to keep in balance.
2. Put yourself first. There is a wonderful phrase: “Who’s driving your bus?” Often we let other people’s wants and priorities dictate where we are going and how we are getting there. Make a list of everything you hold dear. Not what you should value, but what is actually important to you…family, health, creativity, excitement, freedom…whatever. Choose the top three and ask yourself how much time you are spending doing things that help to support those values.
3. Tell yourself the truth. Compromise can be a necessary part of life. But many of us compromise what we want far too often. Our energy flags when we are in a pattern of pleasing others at the expense of our own standards and needs. Be honest with yourself and notice when you are making a compromise that makes you feel resentful, restless or unfulfilled. Be clear about you motives and decide whether to continue with the compromise or to find a better solution.
4.  Revise your commitments. To keep your balance on a bike, you sense what is happening around you, anticipate any major moves, and your body makes lots of small adjustments. Review commitments that you are tied into currently and consider whether they are still a priority. Anticipate other things that are happening and plan to make the most of opportunities that might free you up. Small changes at work might give you a chance to be more flexible with your hours; your kids starting school might free up some time when you can take on an exciting project; a new neighbour moving into the area might create an opportunity to share child care.
5. Cut the hassle. A friend of mine loves sailing and when he inherited some money he bought a sailing yacht. After 4 years he realised that he spent most of his free time working on his boat – painting, replacing ropes, fixing the engine… and very little time out on the sea with the wind in his sails. He sold his yacht, got rid of the hassle and now he charters yachts several times a year in lots of exciting and exotic locations. There may be things in your life where the hassle is greater than the reward. Make a conscious decision to change, cut out the hassle and use the time for something more important to you.
6. Switch off. Make technology work for you, don’t work for it. Switch it off sometimes. When you’re spending time with loved ones, be with them. Turn off your mobile phone, switch off the computer. Give the people you’re with all your attention and energy for that moment. They will appreciate it and you will feel less torn between two competing activities.

You’ve read 6 things that you might do, now resolve to do one thing today that will change your life for the better.