Balancing work and life is one of the most challenging issues working women face. In fact, 90% of American mothers report work-family conflict (according to a Center for American Progress report). The demands of work and family can be overwhelming.
Here are 10 tips to help you find the balance that’s best for you.
1. Keep a time log. Track everything you do and the time spent on each activity for one week. Include work-related and non-work related activities, such as meetings, projects, commute time, household chores, time with family or friends, etc. Take a look at how you’re spending your time. Decide what’s necessary and satisfies you the most. Then determine what can be cut out.
2. Carve out time for important activities. Schedule time on your calendar for your most important activities – work or non-work related. If you have an important project that’s due at the end of the week, block out time on your calendar to work on it. Treat it as a meeting. If you and your spouse rarely have time together, then schedule a date night once a week.
3. Set boundaries. Be able to say “no” to the unimportant things. Cut out activities that are unnecessary. When you receive a request that will put you into overload, tactfully say “no”, or negotiate the timeline or the deadline of the project to make it more manageable.
4. Manage your time. Use a daily “to-do” list, and prioritize your list. Then tackle the “A” priority items first. Manage interruptions and distractions at work. Organize household tasks efficiently. Keep a family calendar of important dates. To learn more about time management, order Take Control of Your Time CD.
5. Take advantage of your options. Find out if your employer offers flex hours, a compressed work week, job-sharing or telecommuting for your position. The flexibility may relieve some of the stress and free up some time.
6. Rethink your cleaning standards. An unmade bed or a sink of dirty dishes won’t impact the quality of your life. Do what needs to be done and let the rest go. If you can afford it, hire a housekeeper!
7. Take time for yourself. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking the dog, reading a novel, or working out. Unwind after a hectic workday by practicing yoga, taking a bath, or listening to soothing music.
8. Get enough sleep. There’s nothing as stressful as working when you’re sleep-deprived. Not only is your productivity affected, but you also make costly mistakes.
9. Build your support network. Talk with a trusted friend or co-worker during times of stress or hardship. Ensure you have friends or relatives who can assist you when you have to work overtime or travel for your job.
10. Fight the guilt. Remember, having a family and a job is okay – for both men and women. Don’t feel like you need to live up to the standards of your mom who may have been a stay-at-home mom.
Now you have some suggestions for balancing work and the rest of your life. Why not take the next step and give these suggestions a try?
We all have so much to do, that we can’t possibly get it all done. Sometimes we get so busy with the day-to-day activities – work, chores, carpools, school, homework, etc. – that we neglect the most important things. We oftentimes feel pulled in a lot of different directions. So it’s important we focus on the right things that will help us achieve our goals and purpose.
Therefore, we need to focus on the important. Lee Iacoca has been quoted as saying, “If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.” So how do you focus on the important? You need to carve out time for your priorities. Rather than prioritize your schedule, schedule your priorities. Actually schedule time on your calendar for the important things.
For example, you may have an important project at work, but you can’t seem to get to it, because you’re spending time answering the phone, responding to e-mails, and helping your co-workers who come to you for assistance. Then block out time on your calendar for your project. Make an appointment with yourself; treat it like a meeting. Forward your phone to voicemail, so you can focus on your important project.
If you say your spouse is important, but you’re more like two ships passing through the night, then schedule a date night once a week. This helps assure you’ll spend quality time together at least once a week.
Spending time together as a family may be important to you, but elusive. Your afternoons and evenings may be spent driving your kids to soccer practice, dance, youth group, and so on. You can’t even remember the last time the whole family had dinner together. If spending time together as a family is important, then schedule family time each week. We do this in my family. Sunday night is family night in our home. We plan a fun activity each week – such as playing a game, watching a movie, going out to dinner, or going out for ice cream.
By planning and scheduling time on your calendar for your important priorities, you’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. What important priorities are you neglecting? Identify one priority you’ll spend time on this week, and share with other readers what you’ll do to focus on your important priority.
What’s important to you? Your health, family, career, financial security? In order to lead a balanced life, we need to know what’s most important to us. Otherwise, we can get pulled in a lot of different directions. So start by clarifying your values. Values are deeply held beliefs that govern and guide our behavior. They are at the core of our being. It’s essential to clarify our values, since everything flows from our values – our decisions, actions, and behaviors.
Start by brainstorming, and make a list of the most important things in life. For me, they are my faith, family, career, friends, health and integrity. What’s most important to you? Write it down. Next, prioritize your values. This is the tough part, because they’re all important to you. But some are more important than others. So how do you prioritize? Ask yourself, “What would I be willing to give up if my life depended upon it?”
Ideally, we should live according to our values and priorities. A good way to determine this is to look at how you spend your time. Think about how you spent your time this past week. How much time did you spend at work, at home, with your family, doing household chores, with friends, or for fun and recreation? Now look at your list of most important priorities. Are these two aligned? If you’re like most people, the answer is “no”. If your time is not aligned with your priorities, then you need to make some changes. Only by living according to your values and priorities, will you feel more peace, less stress and greater balance in your life. So make it a point to focus on the important things in life!
Do you feel burdened with too many responsibilities and not enough time for yourself? If so, you’re not alone. According to an Aon Consulting survey, 88% of employees say they have a hard time juggling work and life. Many of us have bought into the fallacy that we can do it all and have it all. I have news for you. You can’t do it all! At least not without sacrifices. Therefore, you need to focus on the most important things. Achieving balance involves a three-step process. It’s simple in theory, but difficult in practice.
1. Determine what’s most important
First determine what’s most important to you. Take time to think about your priorities. What are the most important things in life? Make a list. Think of “things” in a broad sense. They could be tangible things such as a nice house, or intangible, such as a happy family or a challenging career.
2. Prioritize
Review your list of important things. Which are most critical? Draw an asterisk next to the five most important things. The next step involves the difficult task of prioritizing your top five in priority order (1 through 5). To aid in this process, ask yourself, “If my life depended upon it, which of these could I live without?”
3. Determine how to spend your time
Once you determine what’s most important, then determine how to spend your time based upon your priorities. Most people don’t keep their priorities in mind as they go about their activities each week. Look at your calendar or schedule for the past week. How did you spend your time? Look at your top five most important priorities. Are these two aligned? For most people the answer is “no”. If that’s the case, then you need to make some changes.
Where are your priorities and your time out of alignment? Where do you need to spend more time? Less time? Focus on the most important, and say “no” to the unimportant. Carve out time for your most important priorities. If you say your spouse is important, but you’re more like two ships passing through the night, then schedule a date night. Actually write it on the calendar. Then say “no” to less important activities. If you’re handling a lot of the minutia at work, then delegate it to your assistant. This allows you to focus on the important aspects of your job, rather than the details. If you’re letting other less important activities get in the way, then you are not honoring your priorities.
The key to achieving balance is to align how you spend your time with your priorities. If you follow this three-step process and implement it, you’ll experience greater peace, harmony and balance in your life.
Do you feel frazzled? Do you have too much to do and not enough time? Life is complicated! Do you long for a time when things were simpler and the pace of life was slower? How can you simplify your life in today’s fast-paced, complex world? Here are tips to help you simplify your life and regain peace of mind.
Cut Out Tasks and Activities
This may surprise you, but you cannot do it all! That’s a fallacy that some of us grew up with. We’ve been told we can do it all and have it all. The reality is we have limited time and energy.
That means we need to be able to say “no” to the unimportant (or less important) activities. What do you need to say “no” to? What unimportant activities crowd your schedule? Do you really need to be involved in four professional organizations or networking groups? Can you cut out one or two?
Do you have a hard time saying “no” to others? Who do you need to say “no” to? Maybe it’s time to say “no” the next time the PTA President asks to you help with your child’s school fundraiser.
Get Help
We all have a lot to do, but keep in mind that you don’t have to be the one to do it all. Share the load. In two-career families women still take on the primary responsibility for home and child care. Studies show that women do 75% of household chores – even when they hold jobs outside the home. Can your spouse or children take on more responsibility at home? Can you delegate more tasks to your assistant at work?
Also consider hiring out the job. Your time is valuable! By hiring a housekeeper or gardener you can spend more quality time with your family. One of the best things I did when I was working and going to school was to hire a housekeeper. It was well worth the money!
Consolidate Activities
By consolidating activities we can maximize our time. Here are some examples:
- Consolidate errands. Stop off at the dry cleaners and post office on your way home from work. That saves driving time (and gas!).
- Cook in large quantities and freeze ahead. This saves time and hassle at the end of a work day. You can just pull something out of the freezer.
- Shop over the Internet. This saves time shopping and standing in long lines.
No matter what your circumstances you should be able to apply at least one of these tips. Start making changes now by cutting out activities, saying “no”, delegating, hiring, or consolidating activities. As you implement these changes, you’ll gain greater balance and peace of mind.
What tips for simplifying your life can you share with other readers?