Proven Tips for Balancing Your Family and Work Life
Posted by KristiApr 15
As a proud wife, loving mother of three young children, and a full time writer and internet marketer, I’ve had a difficult time balancing my life in the past. In fact, there was a time when I read several different “balance your life books” in an effort to gain control. Then, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which forced me to slow down, evaluate my options and make changes.
When I did, I realized that I was just trying to do too much and that it was making me ill. So, I decided to put my own needs first, to be true to myself and miraculously everything else fell in line. Now, I schedule my work related tasks around my life.
My health and happiness is my first priority and work is secondary. And, you know what? I am much happier and my life is more balanced. Here are some tips that I’ve learned which may help you balance your life too:
- Realize that life happens and you are not alone in your quest for balance. Just about every one with a family has a hard time balancing family and work. It doesn’t matter if they work at home or for a major corporation on site. Unfortunately, this is simply life and you have to do what works.
- Have realistic goals and expectations. Know what you want out of your life (more balance, more free time with family members, better health, etc). Then, do whatever you can to make your goal a reality. For instance, you can say, “My goal is to reduce the amount of time I work by 10 hours by delegating more and taking on less work.”
- Ask for help. Tell your spouse and family that you need help implementing your balance life plan. Ask for their suggestions and help. You’ll be surprised that they’ll give you great advice.
- Control your work schedule. Deadlines happen and life goes on. Employers and clients typically think the world revolves around them but it doesn’t. Life is about doing what makes you and your family happy. Work hard to please your clients, but don’t let them control you. After all, no one on their death bed ever said, “I sure wish I had spent more time at work or completing projects.”
- Control your stress. Stress is everywhere and you have to do your best to control it. This includes exercising, getting enough rest and taking care of your emotional and physical needs. Once you do this, you can take care of other people’s needs but always “be true to yourself”.
- Have fun. Life can’t be all work and no play. Have fun every single day. Take time to spend with your children doing the things you both enjoy doing. This will prove that they are important to you and that you love and care about them. For instance, play together, run errands and eat dinner together.
- Set personal and professional goals. Make your goals a priority and do what it takes to accomplish them. For instance, if you want to spend time with your friends, then do so. Plan a friend date and go!
- Realize that you can change your life. You can achieve more in balance if you’re willing to prioritize, work hard and put your family’s needs first. Once you do, your life will become more harmonious.
- Work smarter not harder. If work demands are permeating your life and clouding your happiness, raise your fees so that you can do less work for more money. You can also hire an assistant to help you with the mundane and time consuming challenges. This will free up your time to spend with those you love and care about.
- Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Only take on as much as you can do. If you promise otherwise, you’ll just procrastinate, feel miserable and get nothing done. Instead, don’t over commit yourself. Learn to say, “No” and to not feel guilty about it.
You can balance your life by implementing the above tips. Once you do, you’ll find that you and your family are happier and that you’re more productive. Go ahead and prioritize now, you have so much to gain by taking action!
Related posts:
Leave a Reply