So which is it? A pipe dream or a possibility? For those of you who haven’t recently experienced the joy of a balanced life, then I can guess your answer.
It’s probably”pipe dream.” Or is it “pipe dream you stupid *#+#@#$%!” If it’s the second than you need this article worse than I thought!! But even if you think it’s a pipe dream and even if you think I’m crazy for suggesting that it’s a possibility, there maystill be hope for you. You know you can achieve anything in life if you really, really want it. And my guess is that manyof you really, really want a work/life balance. So what do you need to do to achieve this wonderful state?
Well, as with achieving any goal, it’s gonna take some hard work,ingenuity and a serious committment to making it happen. The busy professsionals (let’s call them stars for fun) I know who have successfully integrated their work and life outside of work take this whole balance thing very seriously. They are super-successful but yet they aren’t at the office 12 hours a day. They’re at home with their kids, or helping their aging parents or volunteering for their favorite charities or even out taking rumba lessons!!
“How do they do it?” you ask. Five simple reasons.
1. They are super organized. You won’t find piles of papers and file folders strewn about their work areas. No way. They keep their offices filed, clean, and organized. And no – it is not because they all have secretaries. In fact, many of them don’t. They understand how much time they save by staying organized, so they have made it a way of life. At any given time you can go to these people, ask them for something and they can find it in under a minute. Do you know how much time is wasted looking for work-related items that are improperly filed? A ton! So just get organized. Read a book about it. Implement the basics. For example when you are opening mail, make a decision on the spot about each piece you touch. Don’t let junk mail take upprecious real estate in your office. Dump it already!!
2. They don’t let anyone manage their time. Stars who have achieved “the balance” are masters at setting boundaries. Think you’ll talk one of them into some non-essential use of company time. Not! Don’t try and talk one of these guys into taking over that project you don’t feel like doing. It’s not gonna happen. Stars are really good at saying “no;” a lesson many people have yet to learn. They set their course and deviate from it only when absolutely necessary. Like when their boss wants them to do something. Now I’m not saying that the stars are all duds and never spend a social minute at work. They do. But they don’t do it a lot. And you won’t catch them getting involved in idle gossip. You see they are on a mission to be efficient (remember efficient does not equal corporate stooge) at work and lollygagging around the water cooler just doesn’t fit into their plan.
3. They are ingenius. The stars are constantly looking for ways do things better, faster, cheaper, more efficiently. This not only helps them to get their job done more quickly but demonstrates to their boss a constantly improving performance level.
4. They understand the delicacy of “the balance.” Achieving the balance is like walking a tightrope. One false move and it’s splat-city, baby. And believe me, stars don’t want splat-city, so they are very careful to walk the tightrope carefully. Stars are constantly analyzing projects, people, meetings, opportunities, to see if they will potentially lead to splat-city. If there is even a chance that it will, they will avoid the splat-inducing situation at all costs.
5. They are committed to the balance Most stars who have achieved “the balance” have experienced a time in their life when things were terribly out of balance. They were living in splat-city full time. They understand the cost of living in that nasty place. They know that it costs them their sanity, their relationships with spouse, kids, friends, their health. And the list goes on and on. But something happened to these stars and they were able to move forward and get to the place of balance. And believe me…they don’t wanna go back. So they have committed to doing what it takes to stay in balance. They are ever-mindful of staying in balance. The minute they forget their committment, they lose their footing and get another taste of splatsville. But not for long. They re-commit and proceed more committed than ever before! They are like balance groupies. They love it and can’t get enough of it!! So…what do you think? Are you ready to throttle our stars, or are you ready to join their ranks and reap the rewards that they enjoy on a daily basis. It’s your decision, ofcourse, but I say you should go for it. You can do it if you want it bad enough.
Molly Luffy, MBA, owner of Work Ethic Wizard, dedicated to helping managers regain their sanity and employees survive and thrive in todays corporation. Author of Super-Charge Your Promotion Quotient: 225 Success Strategies for the New Professional. http://www.workethicwizard.com/default.cfm
