Find the perfect balance in life
There's always a fleeting moment when you congratulate yourself because it looks like you've achieved the perfect work/life balance – and then it's gone.
Are you doing something wrong? According to Lori Milner, entrepreneur, founder of the Beyond The Dress initiative and mother of one, the perfect work/life balance doesn’t exist.
“It’s a myth,” she says.
“It’s not about doing it all, it’s about doing the best you can with what you’ve got.”
So, rather than constantly feeling guilty and stressed in your pursuit of perfection, turn your focus towards doing the very best you can do with the time you have each day. Milner calls it “finding your rhythm”.
“There are no quick fixes, no one-size-fits-all solutions, and no deep secrets,” Milner says.
“But there are valuable tools that we can use to integrate the various roles we play.”
Beyond the Dress has developed a practical toolkit for the modern day working woman that facilitates the move towards work/life integration. One of the most important tools is the to-do list. A workable to-do list starts with one question. Ask yourself, “If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?” If your answer is a resounding yes, you mark it as a high priority.
Looking at each item on your list in this way will help you to define clear priorities for the day. It will also help you to do more of the things you want to do than only the things you feel you should do.
Meetings can eat up huge chunks of time, so eliminate unnecessary ones. Meetings should only be held to make decisions about a predefined situation, not to define the problem itself. If someone asks you to schedule a meeting, ask them to send you an e-mail with an agenda to define the purpose. Nine times out of ten, a meeting is unnecessary and you can answer the questions, once defined, via e-mail. If you absolutely cannot stop a meeting or call from happening, specify the time that it will end.
Allow your e-mails to work for you, but don’t become a slave to them. Focus on your to-do list’s urgent tasks before you open your inbox in the morning – otherwise you’ll overwhelm yourself with five more urgent tasks.
Milner prompts you to question whether you are a time entrepreneur or consumer: do you make time or spend it? She provides valuable tips on how to become a time entrepreneur and create precious minutes back into the work day.
She concludes, “It’s not about constantly rushing around trying to live up to everyone else’s expectations, it’s about investing in yourself, doing what you’re passionate about, and bridging the gap between work and your personal life.”
