Work/ Life Balance is not a myth

Some people ask me how I manage being a single mom, having a successful career and being involved in my community. To me it is simple. I make time for what’s important to me. I have noticed that a lot of people are unhappy because their lives are out of balance.

My priorities are simple God first then family and friends and my career and community are interchangeable at third. What does this mean? It means when I am making decisions about how to spend my time I keep in mind what’s important to me. Some people just take on tasks because it seems like something they may be interested in pursuing but I have to ask – at what cost?

When some people think about cost, they simply think about the financial impact that a decision will have on their life; but cost is also the emotional impact that the decision will have. There are some things that I would love to get involved with and I have time for but at what cost to me being with my son, shopping with my mom or volunteering in my community. Although one person may think their project is more important than a Friday afternoon shopping with my mom, but for my personal happiness spending that time with her is invaluable.

God has Blessed me with the gift of not having a problem saying, “No.” No does not mean that I don’t care or that you are not important but it does mean that it is not something I believe I will be successful at accomplishing. Just like everyone else, I just want to be successful. However, overextending yourself rarely leads to success. It often leads to you disappointing someone that is relying on you or sacrificing something that is really more important to your personal happiness.

So, here are my five keys to achieving balance in your work and personal life:

1. Don’t overpromise when you know that you will under deliver.
   
2. Prioritize. Make a list of your top five priorities and then look at how you are spending your time. Is your lifestyle in line with your priorities?
   
3. Schedule it. I don’t commit to anything without consulting my calendar. Some people prefer electronic systems like a PDA or their Outlook calendar while others prefer using a paper planner. It doesn’t matter what you choose as long as you use something.
   
4. Delegate. Let the professionals do what they do and you do what you do. For example, if you want a nice yard but don’t have time to plant flowers; either hire a landscaper or make a deal with a friend that enjoys gardening. Same with house cleaning, book keeping, etc.
   
5. Work smarter and not harder. Just because you are working on a project doesn’t mean you can’t enlist some help. Team work goes a long way and you never know when someone may have a suggestion for an easier way to complete the task.

Maintaining balance is easy when you set priorities and make decisions based on what is important. It is okay to be selfish - sometimes.