Know When to Stop Working!
We are all turning into workaholics on one level or another. If you want to succeed and grow, chances are the ‘time clock’ is a concept that feels foreign to you. You never really “punch out” at the end of the day.
Work-Life Balance
We hear about a work-life balance, and we all know we should strive to achieve this goal. But what exactly does that mean? Work, often considered your “career” or your “ambition” and “Life” referring to pleasure, leisure, health and wellness and your family life.
The two always seem to be in direct opposition with one another. Somewhere along the line we convinced ourselves that we can LIVE once the WORK has been complete. Or, that somehow by putting in the WORK we will earn the chance to finally LIVE.
Someone more eloquent than me once said that “life is what passes you by if you’re not paying attention.” Interpret this however you want, but I like to think of it as a stern reminder that LIFE doesn’t wait for our WORK to be finished. It’s happening right NOW.
Develop Time Management Skills
Rome wasn’t built in a day! Nor will your company, your career or your business, whatever it may be. Focus on the BIG picture rather than spending every day buried in minutiae.
Workaholics rarely develop good Time Management Skills. Allow yourself the ability to focus on what needs to get done. Pay close attention to the tasks that need to be accomplished.
Avoid distractions like Facebook and Candy Crush (unless they’re necessary to your business). If you absolutely must use these, make a time allotment for this as a leisurely break. But be strict!
Plan your day before you START your day. It’s a challenge to make a plan when you’re bombarded with e-mails. Make a concerted effort to spend a few minutes at the end of the prior day to decide what needs to be accomplished the following morning. Again, make a time allotment for those issues that come up.
Family Comes First
You have to pay attention to your business, your clients, your customers, but don’t give them any more than they need. Spending just a handful of hours with your family at dinner is not enough.
It doesn’t mean ignore your business, but make sure to invest the time with your family. Prioritize the members of your family. Your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, children — they will bring more joy and fulfillment than any customer ever could.
Remember, should you fall, your family will be there to pick up the pieces. A client, a colleague or customer will barely remember your name.
Friends Come Next
A solid group of friends will further enhance your life. Have deep, meaningful conversations with people you care about. Colleagues and co-workers can be a friend, but they are NOT your friends.
Want a test? See how willing a co-worker would be to step aside if you were both up for the same promotion. (As Tom Papa once put it – “Oh, your cat loves you? Really? Open the door.”)
Make LIFE a Priority
Those concert tickets, that party invite, that baseball game with your son. These are those little life moments that seem easy to dispense with if we’re consumed with work. You’ve heard the saying, no one on their deathbed ever regretted spending less time in the office.
Make the right life choices here and know that the work will get done.
Working Late is NOT Working Smart
Workaholics think working 12 straight hours every day is the way to achieve greatness. If you agree then you’re in for a disappointment. Find a way to avoid working more than 8-9 hours in any given workday. By maximizing your efficiency, you’ll focus more on what needs to get done.
If you have a boss that forces this type of schedule upon you, then consider a new job. I know that sounds harsh and not a likely option, but realize that if that’s the norm now it will be the norm always. Additionally, you’ll be more likely to pick up your boss’s bad habits and work late your entire career.
Perhaps consider hiring a Virtual Assistant to take the load off?
Eight hours to work, eight hours to sleep, and eight hours for YOU.
Your Health
Our last point here is obvious — that your health is key. Without it, NOTHING else matters. You are not a machine. You were not meant to spend 12-14 hours a day in a cubicle. Dedicate time to enriching your mind and healing your body.
Stress is a confirmed killer. You need to find ways to avoid it at all costs. After all, it’s worse than smoking, drinking and drug use and ironically leads you do doing all three. It causes weight gain, anxiety, hair loss and probably every cancer known to man. Do whatever you can to either minimize stress or avoid it entirely.
Remember, work is important. Work can feed your soul. But at the end of the day, work is just PART of your life. Value your health, your friends and your family. Value your life.
