Do you feel overwhelmed by your work, home and family responsibilities? Are you frequently stressed because you can’t get everything done? If your life seems like a circus …juggling work, home and family responsibilities – you’re not alone. Many people just like you feel like their life is leading them, instead of them leading a purpose driven life and choosing where they spend their time. So, who’s running the show? Is it your Crackberry, your laptop, your boss – or you? If your answer is something else than you it’s time to get back in the driver’s seat!
Life balance is a buzzword these days for good reason. It’s a chronic issue that comes up in conversation because quite simply, life has become harder to manage. With email, Crackberry’s and everything else demanding our attention it’s no wonder we get bogged down in to-do lists and wonder at the end of the day where the time went. We’re expected to work faster and more efficiently, plus we’re more accessible than ever because of new technology that allows us to work or communicate from anywhere. Information comes at us faster than ever. And this trend shows no sign of stopping.
Here are simple steps you can take to help you get your life back into balance this holiday season and going forward into the New Year:
- Step One: Make a list of the different areas of your life where you’re not spending as much time and energy as you’d like. For example, if you’ve lost touch with friends and family or aren’t connecting with them as frequently as you want to, put that down. Come up with at least 3 areas that need work in terms of your time and attention.
- Step Two: Develop one action step that you can take to make improvements in each of these three areas. Keep them simple, and include a time frame or deadline for each of them. If you don’t include a deadline, it’s just a wish not a tangible goal.
- Step Three: Follow through. Find a way to remind yourself of your action items. Will you write them in your planner? A post it on your fridge? Use whatever tool works for you.
Need more help with this? Check out my "Work/Life Balance Audio and Worksheet" to help you manage the holiday rush.
Little Vaughn is doing great – having a baby certainly puts things in perspective. More than ever I am able to focus on what’s truly important and let low priority items fall to the bottom of my list for later. With the holidays upon us, I hope you are able to do the same and enjoy your time with those who are most important to you. Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Happy Monday!
Here’s to having a career you love,
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Career Coach
