We have all heard that success both in the boardroom and in the home comes from having a good work–life balance, but in today’s society it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find that balance. We could all use a few more hours in the day to spend time with our spouses, loved ones, and kids, but at the same time we could all probably use just a little bit more time to spend on work projects that capture our passion and attention, right? Some CEOs will have you believe that finding a work–life balance is nearly impossible, but I’m here to tell you, it can be done if you work at it. Follow these simple suggestions, and you can set yourself up to find the right work–life balance for you and your family.
Stop Thinking of it as Balance; Start Thinking of it as Integration
Your work life and your home life aren’t necessarily completely separate. Sure, each sector pulls on a different part of your focus and asks different things of you, but work and life are not necessarily two completely separate worlds. The truth is that very few people can actually achieve a work–life balance that gives each sector all of the attention it needs, so my suggestion to you is to let that goal go. After all, trying for a goal that is unachievable will only make you unhappy, so adjusting your perspective on the topic makes good sense.
Be Ruthless with Your Focus
The trick with work–life integration is to do your best to spend your working hours focused on your work and your home hours focused on the things at home that matter to you. Essentially, maximize the time that you spend at work to ensure that you are giving it as much as you have. The same is true of the time you spend at home. One way to tackle this is to put your smartphone down when you are with your family. If you are at home and must check in with the office, set designated times to check in and don’t stray from those times.
Of course crises happen, but if you can, dedicate your focus to what you are doing and who you are spending time with while you are with them. Be ruthless with your focus no matter what you are doing. If you don’t, you risk shortchanging yourself, your work, and your family.
Prioritize
By letting go of your expectations of perfection and “balance,” you free yourself to be human. By being ruthless with your focus, you give yourself permission to say “no” to those people and things that do not meet the expectations and needs you have set for your life and your loved ones. Next, you need to figure out what takes precedence. Yes, this means making a list of the most important people, things, and activities in your life and being ultra-clear about what you want. Of course this can be difficult to do. If you want life–work balance, however, you need to set your priorities straight and get to the bottom of what matters to you. Doing so can help you make better decisions that meet your needs, as well as the needs of those around you, without feeling like you are being stretched too thin and pulled in too many directions.
Lighten Your Load by Delegating Tasks
We all have little things that we loathe doing, whether it’s going to the grocery store or filing our expense reports. No one ever said these things would be fun or fulfilling. If you spend your day completing tasks that need to be done but aren’t enjoyable to you, you are going to burn out quickly. That doesn’t do anyone in your home or work life any good. The simple solution to avoid this is to outsource or delegate the tasks that you can and focus on priority projects. The less “have-to’s” on your plate, the more time you’ll have to spend with loved ones or working on a project that truly gets your juices flowing.
Take Timeouts
Part of finding the time to dedicate to your work passions and your family and home life means finding time to take care of yourself. Take vacations. Go on breaks. Take care of your own body and health. These things help you recalibrate your brain and your priorities so that you can be a better human in general. Timeouts also give you the opportunity to recharge and give you space you may need to assess a situation. A little perspective can go a long way. If you’re rested, feeling good, and taking care of yourself, you are more likely to take better care of your loved ones and your employees.
Take it from me—if you take these five simple suggestions to heart, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your work–life balance goal comes to fruition.
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Angela “Angie” Koch is CEO of U.S. Money Reserve, one of the largest private distributors of U.S. government issued gold, silver and platinum coins. Angie oversees every aspect of operation, while setting culture and pace for the entire organization. With a proven background in business planning, strategy, mergers, acquisitions, and operations, Angie has an in-depth understanding of how to run a successful business and is credited with creating the analytic and KPI structure at U.S. Money Reserve. Believing strongly that the people make the business, Angie has positioned U.S. Money Reserve to be a trusted precious metal leader that always puts their customers and employees first.