Blog - 7 Keys to Work-Life Balance

New Dog, New Balance

June 25th, 2010

It is approaching three months since we made the leap and added a new member to our family, Wolfie the Beagle.  And, it’s been a quite a journey – from excitement to frustration; from overwhelm to comfort; from structure to mayhem and back again. 

After about three years of telling our almost-8-year-old son that we would soon get a dog, we decided it was time.  Like having our child, we now realize that there is never really a good time.  Our life is full and busy and messy and good – there really was no ‘right’ time to take on what  we now know is a huge responsibility and commitment.  So we did it and muddled through the first few months with dog.

The benefits of having Wolfie in our life outweigh the challenges we faced.  I needed to take a close look and remember all that I had just written and have been coaching others in relation to work-life balance.  Here are just a few things I’ve learned and gained from taking on this new responsibility:

Forced breaks from work enhance my energy, creativity and happiness.  As the primary dog-walker during work hours because of my home-office and schedule flexibility, I now take Wolfie out for at least two short walks during my workday.  At first I was stressed and annoyed that this responsibility fell on me – taking me away from my valuable and limited professional time.  I now see that these times away from the computer screen, the phone and my long lists of projects allow me to come back to my desk with a new perspective, new ideas and a new attitude.

My work is not as urgent and important as I think.  I love my clients, I love my work, I love being responsive to perspective clients and I love following up on opportunities to support my clients, share my book and build my business.  And, I am not a police officer, an ambulance driver, a brain surgeon or a bomb diffuser.  Taking care of Wolfie has definitely pulled me away from my work beyond just the walks.  And, the sky will not fall if I do not respond to an email immediately, if I end my workday without responding to every voicemail or if something slips through the cracks.  I can say I’m sorry, and I am lightening up a bit about some of my own expectations regarding how I’m supposed to run my business.

There IS always room for more.  This is both good news and bad news.  First the bad news, if you take on more and more without letting something go, eventually you will break.  Bringing Wolfie into our life has required me to let some things go, even some things that I enjoy and will miss for now.  The good news is that you can say yes, evaluate the impact of your new choice and then make adjustments that support your new choice.  I now see that if we didn’t get this dog, we would have missed out on greater love and fun in our family, and we might not have saved this cute little dog from an uncertain future. 

So, what about you?  What new perspective might help you feel better about your current work-life balance situation?  What might be useful to ‘lighten up’ about? How can you take your work less seriously?  What additions to your life would give you more good stuff?  What would you need to let go of?  I would love to hear your answers.

I’m off to feed the dog and then take him for a walk!

wolfie-beagle-life-balance

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Posted in Letting go, Managing stress, Unexpected life challenges | 3 Comments »

I Don’t Wanna Work…

June 3rd, 2010

Do you ever have a day when you just don’t feel like working?  Well I’m having one of those right now.  Fortunately for me, having my own business and being my own boss, I can very easily walk away from my desk, my email and my work responsibilities for an hour, a day or as long as I wish.  The repercussions of my choices and actions regarding when and how I work only impact me as I am not accountable to anyone else in my professional capacity.

For many who work in a more traditional environment [in an office, with a boss, with deadlines that others need you to meet], not working when you don’t feel like it is not an option, or at least it is not an option that you can deliberately voice and act upon.  So, what can you do and what can you learn from the ‘I don’t wanna work’ feeling?

First, pause to examine what might be bringing on this feeling.  It could be any of the following: have you been working too much and you’re feeling overwhelmed? Are you facing a daunting task and you don’t know where to start? Are you pre-occupied with something outside of work? Are you tired? Hungry? Bored? Annoyed? Missing human interaction? The list of possible pulls away from work can be endless.

Next, figure out how to take care of yourself.  Even in the busiest times of your workday, if you’re not working at your best, stepping out of your regular routine for even 5 minutes can feel like an oasis in the desert – a way to refresh a drained mind or body.  Here are some examples:

  • You can’t seem to get excited about starting a new project, getting your initial ideas down seems impossible.  Take ten minutes to get out of the physical space you are in.  Walk to a conference room, a colleague’s office or just take a walk and allow yourself to see and think from a different place.
  • You’re exhausted from a few late nights and not great sleep.  All you want to do is go home and nap.  If you have a private office and can lock the door, put your head down for ten minutes.  Set an alarm on your cell phone and take a catnap.  If you don’t have the privacy, get up and stretch, jog in place or get some fresh air.
  • You are dealing with a family concern that has you worried about a loved one instead of concentrating on your work for the day.  Lessen your worry.  Make a phone call, send an email or get more information that makes you feel better for the moment.

From just the above examples, you can see a pattern.  Don’t ignore your thoughts and feelings when they pull you away from work.   Notice the energy drain and try to plug it with a boost, a diversion, a change of pace or scenery.  Taking time out is often the best solution for regaining your focus and productivity.  This is also useful to remember in overwhelming home situations, too.

So, what did I do to get out of my I don’t wanna work mode?  I took my dog for a walk and got outside.  The 20 minute break and fresh air enhanced my energy and got me thinking creatively again.

What do you need when you don’t want to work and what can you do about it?  Let me know your creative ideas.  And, would love to hear about situations where you feel like you can’t do a quick fix.

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Posted in Productivity | 1 Comment »

Get Out of the Do

February 22nd, 2010

It’s Monday morning and I’m looking at what I accomplished last week.  I was SO busy – catching up after big snow storms caused havoc to my work schedule (due to a six days of no school for my son), keeping on top of current client needs, responding to new clients and marketing opportunities, staying on top of email and phone calls, chairing a big volunteer event and taking care of me, the house, my family and meals.  Although I did SO much (my to-do list is in shreds) I’m feeling less than satisfied with what I produced.

What went wrong?  Why am I not ecstatic that I’ve crossed so much off of my lists even in the midst of mayhem?  Looking back at the results of last week I noticed that the two most IMPORTANT projects that will have a significant impact on my business were not touched.  I managed to keep DOING without evaluating what what was the best use of my time for my priorities.

I see this often – clients who are highly productive, competent and capable, able to leap to-do lists in a single day – not getting to the relevant, important, meaningful work.  It’s so easy to get stuck in the ‘doing’ mode and it feels good.  I don’t know many who don’t enjoy crossing items of their list.  And, it can also feel like a treadmill – doing a lot of work and not getting anywhere.

So, how do you get out of the do?

  • First, you need to pause.  This may seem counterintuitive when you’re busy and when you feel like you’re accomplishing so much.  You need some space to evaluate what you’re doing in order to change your direction.
  • Next, evaluate.  What is important?  Do you know your priorities for your week?  What will success look and feel like when those priorities are addressed?  Be sure to commit these priorities to some concrete format – get them in writing either the old fashioned way or electronically.  Be sure you can see what you wrote.
  • Choose your actions.  Instead of running on auto-pilot and doing what comes at you, choose one or two tasks that when completed will move you closer to your priorities.
  • Schedule the time.  Now that you’re clear on a few important actions, block time off to focus on those.  Make it uninterrupted time in an environment conducive to completing what’s important.
  • Lastly, implement.  Yes – you are ‘doing’ something, but it is an action that you chose deliberately and it will feel meaningful, relevant and give you much more satisfaction then that treadmill you’ve been on.

Would love to hear your experience with this process, or something similar. How do you know when your ‘doing’ doesn’t measure up to what you want and need? What methods do you use to accomplish your important work and stay on top of the daily grind?

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Posted in Prioritizing | 3 Comments »

Smartphones, Part 2 – Make Them Work for You!

February 8th, 2010

As a recovering technology addict, I needed to give up my Blackberry years ago. I have an embarrassingly basic cell phone that even my 7 year old son thinks archaic. As my style is to be uber-responsive to clients, having constant connection did not work for me, or for my sanity.  I contemplate going back and would need to work hard to make it work for me.

Here are a few considerations as you make your smartphone an asset to your work-life balance:

  • Be very clear on your relationship with your phone – when is it with you?  when do you shut it down?  what places are off limits for use?  how does it fit with your vacation?
  • Set expectations with those communicating with you – how responsive will you be?  build in more time and make it reasonable so you don’t feel as if you must drop everything for incoming messages.
  • Define preferred communication style – with office and mobile phone, email, text, Facebook and Twitter posts, make sure the people you want to hear from know the best way to get you.  Let your network know which mode (not all modes) will get you quickest.  Don’t fall prey to needing to be available all ways or always.
  • Turn off bells, whistles and vibrations when they don’t serve you – if you’re constantly jumping as each message, tweet and call arrives because your phone is buzzing, you’re likely not working at your best.  When your phone becomes anxiety producing, distracting or draining, it’s time to re-evaluate how you’re using it.

What tips do you have for keeping your smartphone a valuable tool in your technology toolbox?  Please share and leave a comment.

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Posted in Work-life balance tool | No Comments »

Smartphones – Tool or Terror for Work-Life Balance?

January 27th, 2010

Your company wants you to stay connected, to be responsive and wants to give you more flexibility to work outside of the office.  Does your Blackberry, your iPhone, your newest piece of connected technology enhance or undermine your work-life balance?

For some, being able to work from anywhere gives them the flexibility and freedom to mix work and life seamlessly.  For others, being connected all of the time raises anxiety, increases pressure and creates unreasonable expectations to be immediately available and responsive to professional (and personal) queries.

Where do you fall – does your technology help or hinder the creation of a more desirable work-life balance?

Would love to hear your perspective.  I’ll share tips next.

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Posted in Work-life balance tool | 6 Comments »

Welcome to the 7 Keys Blog

January 18th, 2010

Hello! I am excited you are here as this new website and blog launch! This will be a place where issues of work-life balance and career satisfaction are shared and discussed. I look forward to your involvement in the discussion and welcome any questions on these topics.

To start, please say hello and post a challenge you’re facing around your current work-life balance situation.

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Posted in Challenge | 2 Comments »