How To Achieve The Ideal Work-Life Balance

It's a taboo topic for most people. The fear is that, if the topic comes up, we've paddled into waters, that can often be uncomfortable. Many people do work, that is not in line with their interests. But how do you actually strike a good work-life balance, when you have interests, that don't always gel with your career?

If you work for a corporate employer, trying to balance work and life is not easy. Headaches, fatigue, tiredness and anxiety are all signs, that you're not getting the ideal work life balance and the longer you work the harder it may become to reach that balance.

Work-life balance is a subjective term, so it's difficult to answer definitively. But I believe, that there are four key points, that are worth considering. Every individual has a unique work style, different stress levels and unique personal goals. Also prioritizing and managing time is crucial. That's why you have to make this a priority for yourself.

Master Your Work Style To Your Advantage

You obviously have a specific work style, that you're very good at. You also have a specific type of personality, that is also suited for your work. But this isn't something that you're born with, this is something you've learned, this is something you're able to control to a large degree.

Think about how you're able to complete a project in under-budget and under-schedule. This is probably a combination of your work-style and a certain amount of "grit". Your employer understands, that you have a certain amount of dedication, drive and they're willing to compensate you for it.

Think about all the time you're spending on projects, that don't result in income for the company. Your employer probably has some ideas about why this is. Maybe you're over-estimating your own abilities. Maybe you have other projects, that could be taking up your time and if you had a little more support from higher up you could be having the time of your life.

It's probably not any of those things. But it could be something you're overlooking. Even if it is, you have the power to change it. You need to spend more time on the things that interest you and pay more attention to the things that don't. You need to find a better way to deal with the "funks" as you call them. In the meantime, you need to make sure, that you're not sending the company into the red, or yourself into an early grave.

Managing Stress

Managing stress is probably the single most important thing you can do to reach that work-life balance. Stress is the enemy of focus and attention. It steals energy and makes us susceptible to outside influences. It also makes us much less effective in work and in life. Stress has a way of sneaking up on you, so you have to keep watching it. You can't simply retreat to "work mode", when you get tired, or overwhelmed. No, you have to engage with the problem, and figure out how to manage it.

The first step in managing stress, is understanding what causes it. Is it a particular type of project, a deadline, perhaps it's the pressure to perform, maybe it's the pressure on your boss, or your boss's boss, and so on and so forth. Once you understand what the specific source of the stress is, you can start to come up with strategies to mitigate it. Some of these strategies are obvious, while others are not.

For instance, you could take on a smaller project, that will allow you to finish it on time, under budget and with a high degree of quality. Or you could try and find a way to delegate the pressure. This may be easier said than done, but it is an effective long term strategy. Eventually you will have to delegate the work to others, so you may as well get comfortable doing it.

Or you could confront the source of the stress. This is a risky strategy, as confrontations tend to make the source of the stress worse. It's best to confrontations only if you have a few other choices. Whatever you do, do it soon, because stress tends to have a way of building up, like water in a pot, until one day you're too exhausted to stop it, or until it overflows and then you're never able to catch up.

Completing Personal Goals

There are a lot of things that you want to do in your life, that you may never be able to accomplish. But this is no reason not to try. What do you want? What are your dreams? What excites you? In what ways can you make a difference? These are all interesting questions, and the answers can help you figure out what you need to do, in order to move towards your goals.

This is also a great way to stay engaged in life. As you work on your goals, this is one of the ways that you're able to keep moving towards them. It's also another way that you're able to relieve some of the stress, that I mentioned before. If you work on your goals, you're less likely to get caught up in the day to day and you're more likely to be in a position to face your own personal demons. In any case, you need to find a way to keep your dreams alive and this is definitely one way that you're able to do that.

Prioritize And Manage Your Time

Prioritizing and managing your time is probably one of the most important things that you can do, in order to reach your work-life balance. Again, it's probably easier said than done, but you need to make a commitment to doing it. Think about how you've always seen people manage their time. Some people are morning people and get up at the crack of dawn and then get right on their merry way to work.

For other people, the morning hours are the most important and they allocate their time in a way, that seems to make the most out of every single minute. There are many different strategies, that people use, but what you need to decide, is what works for you.

Some people are able to focus only on the most important tasks and get everything else handled at the same time. Others find that they're constantly distracted by the need to do things on a day to day basis. They need to feel like they are getting something done, every day.

It's really a matter of personal preference. What works for one person, may not work for another. What works for the morning person, may not work as well for the person, that works better in the afternoon. You need to find a way to figure out what works best for you.

Thank you for reading.