Balancing Work and Life

Balancing your time budget

Think of work-life balance as a budget.   This means setting goals for how much time to spend at work and home, even if it’s not equal.

Try to avoid “time debt”, this is spending more time at work and more time on personal things leaving less time for sleep.

Truth of Time
There are only 24 hours in a day, there are only 60 minutes in an hour, and there’s only one you.

By using one calendar for both personal and work, you can see the truth of time.  Start by using the rule of 8, which is allowing 8 hours for work, personal and sleep and then adjust accordingly.

Balancing between work and personal time

Living within a time budget begins with the finish line you create.  You decide the time of day you’re going to stop work and start your personal life each day.  

Balancing personal time for yourself and others

The first balance is how you budget your 24 hours each day between work, personal and sleep time.  The second balance occurs within your personal time, specifically, what’s the balance between time spent on yourself and time spent building relationships.

Balancing the technology in your life

Create a technology-free sanctuary.  This is a predetermined, scheduled time of the day or week where you turn off and step away from every tech gadget you have.  

Technology-Free Sanctuary

1. Helps you feel more refreshed and relaxed
2. Improves your relationships

Creating power-down time

Power-Down Times

1. Commute – audiobook or podcast – transition away from work
2. Exercise – physical barrier between work and life
3. Hobbies – even just 15 minutes can focus on your mind

Shifting from the “culture of now” to the “culture of when”

“Now” multitasking increases mistakes, stress and lost time.  Focus on “when” messages and tasks can be addressed.  Establish recurring check-in meetings.  

Scheduling the unexpected

Scheduling for the Unexpected

1. Stop and pause
2. Review your calendar
3. Budget extra time
4. Move projects around and push them off
5. Delegate tasks to others
6. Follow your new schedule

You May Enjoy David Crenshaw’s “Time Management Fundamentals” training.

Preparing for vacations

1. Book vacations well in advance.
2. Move processing time.
3. Schedule power-down and power-up time.
4. Take a gathering point with you.

Keeping balance when working from home

1. Create a separate workspace.
2. Reduce audible interruptions.
3. Create a time boundary.
4. Take short breaks.

Avoiding the “busy” label

Shift your perspective to the value you are creating.  

To Don’t List

• Unnecessary errands
• Researching valueless information
• Excessive worry
• Fruitless side projects

What are the warning signs that my life is out of balance?

• Physical – staying up late, lack of energy.
• Friends and family – “you look like you need a little break”

Ask yourself

• What changes can I make to help my body feel balanced again?
• What changes can I make to have better balance in my relationship?

What if my career demands that I’m always available?

Schedule fewer tasks in your day.  The goal is to create buffer space which leaves room for interruptions.  Maybe as much as 50 to 75% of your workday.

• Reassess your productivity.  
• Leverage better technology.  
• Improve delegation.

How do I keep balance when I frequently travel for my job?

Create a time budget to determine the number of days you will be away from the home each month.  Create systems and habits that help you feel grounded.  Make time for your relationships even at a distance.   

How do I juggle working with different time zones?

Even when your schedules are worlds apart, the finish line has value.  You just may need to have more than one.   In other words, have two or more windows in which you will do focused work.

I love my job. How do I keep it from taking over my life?

Schedule Needed Breaks

1. Set reminders that tell you to stop.
2. Create appointments that force you to stop.

What if I’m putting in extra time to get ahead in my career?

It’s the results you achieve that get you noticed.  Before you set the expectations you need to work late, ask yourself what result am I going to get this week?   How can I make it 5% better than expected, then, think about achieving that 5% better result without crossing the finish line you created for yourself.

How do I tell others I’m trying to have more balance?

If you have been allowing people to contact you at all hours of the day, they may be used to that and it can be a big shock to them if you suddenly switch to a new healthier schedule.  The first thing to do is to communicate with them.  Communicate how more balance will help them.