Work-Life balance is a challenge for everyone. Just ask anyone, no one seems to be immune from it.

Today everyone is part of the rat race we call life, and as we all know the great management guru Lily Tomlin once said, “The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win you are still a rat.”

So how can you tame the rat and find the balance everyone is striving for? The key is permission to do “fun” activities like play golf, read, garden, whatever it is you like to do.

Okay, that is nice to say but in reality you feel guilty not working every second. Giving permission to ourselves is not easy however the trick is to know how much is enough so you can say NO. Yes, the No word is part of the equation. Have you ever thought about how much is enough? Or taken the time to make time? You can’t figure out how to create time for the things we enjoy if we don’t take time to rethink what we are doing now. Maintaining a complicated life is a great way to avoid changing it. The first step is to set parameters. Begin with vowing to work one hour less per day and start gaining control of our life. It can be done!

• Free up one hour a day for 30 days and use this time to answer:
  • What is most complicating my life?
    • Working too hard?
    • Working at a job that you don’t like?
    • Are my children draining my energy?
  • Think about how and what can be cut back
• Just say NO! It is hard to do at first however the more you say it the easier it gets and the less people will ask you.
  • Figure out your priorities and say no to everything else
• Define your work hours. Working more than 10 hours a day is less productive and inefficient. Between fatigue and the mistakes they lead to it has been shown ineffective.
  • Write down your work hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday with lunch and afternoon breaks included to refresh your body and mind
• Limit working on weekends. Cross out the weekend days on your calendar to show that you are not available.
• Avoid traveling on weekends. Set meetings for later in the day on Monday so you can travel on Monday and not on Saturday or Sunday.
• Limit evening activities to no more than two a week.

This may be a strange concept however it can be achieved, if you put the time and effort into it with parameters and using the word no. Don’t let work define who you are, you are so much more than it. Remember, no one every said, “I should have spent more time at work!” There is something to be said for this.

So Get a Life! Don’t become a Rat! Balance Your Life!

For more insights to planning for success or business ideas contact:
Karen Katcher
Katcher Associates LLC
908-719-1027
karen@katcherassocites.com
katcherassociates.com

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