If you are finding it more challenging than ever to find balance between your work and your life, you are not alone. There was a time when you could close the door of your office and the boundaries between work and life were fairly clear. Today, however, work is likely to invade your personal life — and maintaining work-life balance is very difficult.
Still, work-life balance isn’t out of reach, and here are three steps to getting you back on track:
Rediscover those things that make you happy.
Often our lives become derailed from the track we set it on, and as a result we don’t realize where our lives are going until we really examine them. It’s time to think about what you love to do. This list can include work; however, we are looking for other interests such as exercise, hobbies, reading, learning, shopping, eating, volunteering, or spending time with people who are important to you. Make it a priority today to sit down and think about all of your interests and schedule time to do those things that make you smile.
Take charge and make change happen.
Regular self reflection is the answer. Take the time to think about how your life is going, how you’re spending your time, and decide whether you need to make changes. Then schedule time to make those changes immediately — or make the changes right away if possible. Work on this over time, and create the space in your life that you need for the things you love.
Be honest with yourself and others.
Really think hard about how you can eliminate the non-essential things in your life. It may be time to take stock of activities that don’t help your career or your personal life. Some things might be big commitments that are hard to get out of — but over time, you can get out of them. Learn to say no, and learn how to tell people that you can no longer commit to doing something. It’s not always easy, but remember that this is your life, and you should do what you really want to do, not what others want you to do.
You could have a life filled with all the things you love doing and work could be a big part of this happiness. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, for many people it’s better to have other things balancing out their lives. Once you’ve created space in your life for the things you love, it’s just a matter of finding the right balance and the happiness that you deserve.
