In today’s day and age, when people have busy personal and work lives, it can be challenging to manage a healthy work-personal routine. Studies have shown that lack of harmony in work and personal life can lead to stress, unhappiness, failure and even career setbacks. It can be difficult to do it all but it is possible to create a healthy balance between work and personal life. Today I would like to share my career advice on how easily you can balance your career and personal life. Here are 10 tips on how to balance career and personal life and excel in both areas of life.
1. Set Your Priorities Straight
When I was young, I saw my mom balancing career and personal life. She was a successful business woman, great mother and wife – because of her I learned the first secret to achieving work life balance is to set your priorities straight. If you haven’t done that yet, you should. Sit with a pen and paper and write down your top 5 priorities. Ask yourself if there was only one thing you would like to focus on, what would it be? That’s your first priority… and so on.
2. Concentrate on One Thing at a Time
Multi tasking sounds interesting but it’s not effective. Here’s my career advice to balance career and personal life: concentrate on one thing at a time. When working on a project at work, give it your all and when spending time with yourself or your family, forget everything else and be present. Multitasking often ends up ruining your balance and may cause career setbacks.
3. Set an Hour Aside For Your Personal Time
My mother was a hard working woman but she lost herself in the process of taking care of everyone else. It is essential to set some time aside for yourself every day. During that time, do something that relaxes and makes you feel good. I make sure to exercise during that ‘me time’. I don’t exercise just for physical look but also for feeling good from within and for overall health.
4. Spend Your Time Wisely
If you wish to succeed in life, eliminate activities that don’t serve any purpose in life. Plan your day, so you have enough time for your business, family and yourself. I personally minimize wasted time like TV time and set aside quality time for people that matter in my life which includes my husband and family.
5. Take a Break
Every now and then it is important to take a break from everything to achieve work life balance. I try to get away, at least every quarter to relax and rewire my mind for more productivity in work and personal life. I take a vacation to any place I love and where I can just unwind. So, once a year at the least, turn off your computer and cell phone and enjoy.
6. Surround Yourself with Positive People
I surround myself with very positive friends and family, people who support me and do not make me feel bad for being a strong hard working woman. It is important to be around people who understand you as a person and as a business person so you can seek career advice from them from time to time.
7. Set Short Term and Long Term Goals
It is important that you plan your career and personal life separately way ahead of time. If there’s a family event you need to attend, make sure you put it in the calendar way in advance and don’t let anything stop you from attending it. Similarly, if there’s an important work meeting, ensure that there’s nothing personal that may get in the way.
8. Keep Yourself Motivated
Keep yourself motivated by reading, talking to people who make you feel motivated, watching motivational clips, practicing meditation for peace, etc. Anything that motivates you to keep going on and helps in achieving work life balance.
9. Stay Focused
Human beings can be easily distracted, so keep reminding yourself to stay focused. If you are at work, stop thinking about what may be going on at home and vice-versa. Stay focused, finish what you are doing then move on.
10. Hire a Personal Coach
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