A-Z of Soft Skills: B is for Balance

 

Balance is difficult for most of us.
Work takes too much time, too much energy, too much going to and fro and "life" suffers the consequences. Most of us want a good career because we want to provide ourselves and our families with a healthy and happy lifestyle. Yet, somewhere along the way, work takes over and our families have to be satisfied with the leftover dregs of our time, energy and selves.
Rhythm. Order. Harmony. Peace. Happiness. Fulfilment. Those of us who find it know that each of our three primary commitments--to ourselves, to those we love, and to the work that earns us our daily bread--require equal attention.
However, the daily push and pull of all the long ropes that tether us prove too much. We stumble. The ball drops. 
Say your life is out of balance and that you and your loved ones are suffering the stresses of the dis-balances in your life. What can you do to at least try to achieve a modicum of balance in your day?
Here's my list of things that work for me and may work for you:

1. Prioritize the tasks that take your time every day and be aware of what is urgent and important. Do those first. This way, you feel in control and on top of things. Your mood improves. Your stress levels go down. 
2. Work smart--not hard. Take some time. Think about what's important to you. Sit down and create efficient and effective systems for the specifics of your life.
3. Delegate what you can. Most of us think no one else can do certain things the way we do them. That's probably true, but are those things really important for us to do or are they merely habit? If it's not really imperative that you do it and if you have the authority to pass it on to someone else who is willing and able to do it without making a total mess of it, delegate it!
4. Eliminate the unnecessary. A lot of the things we do during any particular work day are unnecessary. Make a list. Be ruthless. Eliminate those things.
5. Set boundaries and switch off. Do this especially when your emotional presence is important to those you love
6. Live in the moment. Stay in the here and now--be present and give your full attention to this moment and the people in it
7. Say "no" without guilt. I'm not even going to expand on that.
8. Do your best, but don't seek perfection in everything you do

Remember that your work is one-third of your life. Respect it, but don't live for it.
Keep those balls in the air!