Maybe you made the same resolution last year and, as hard as you tried, you just weren’t able to create hard work-life boundaries. Even if you weren’t able to make much headway, that doesn’t mean bringing better balance to your life is impossible. To the contrary, it may just require changing your perspective and developing a new way of doing things.
Be Flexible
In trying to find more time for home and family, people often try to establish hard rules for their daily activities. Your heart may be in the right place, but a set and firm schedule is just inviting disaster. It may be easier to develop a more flexible schedule that allows you to work later one day and spend more time with your family the next day. When your children need you, do what you have to do to be there for them, but the same holds true for work emergencies.
Really Go Off the Clock
When you clock out from work, go home in every sense. This may take some reminding and showing that you’re serious, but let your colleagues, managers, clients, and others know that you don’t work off the clock. Once you go home, unplug. Stop checking your messages, answering work-related phone calls, and responding to other communications. In addition to helping you spend more quality time with your family, this will help you remain healthy and more productive. You should be using your off hours to recharge and reconnect with your loved ones.
Get Out of Town
Sometimes, taking your boat out to sea is the best way to find time to spend with your family. Before you start searching for boat storage near me, realize that this can be a figurative boat. Whether you drive or sail, taking the family away for the weekend may be the best way to balance out your life. It gives you a couple of days to unwind, see a new place, and get to know your loved ones. It’s a wonderful bonding opportunity and you’ll return to work feeling energized and more productive.
Share the WorkLoad
Another way to reduce your pressure to remain available at all hours is to share the load. Most people take on too much responsibility even without having been asked. Instead of looking for more work, decide what tasks you really don’t need to do yourself. By delegating tasks to others or asking coworkers to give you a hand, you can help yourself become more efficient. You may even impress your supervisors by exhibiting your leadership skills.
Work Smarter
Sometimes, there’s just no way to get around doing certain tasks. While you must do these things, look for ways to do them faster without losing quality. If you can develop easier and faster ways of doing things you have to do regularly, you may be able to speed up your workday and make more time for everything you have to do. Sometimes, performing tasks better can be just as beneficial as eliminating tasks altogether.
Schedule Appointments for Your Family
Even after following these suggestions, you may find that your work life continues to leak into your off hours. If this is the case, start scheduling appointments for important family events, such as your child’s concert or sporting event. Mark the appointment in your calendar to keep yourself from forgetting and to ensure you don’t schedule anything else for that block of time. If you feel pressured to do something else at that time, simply say that you have a previous engagement scheduled for that time.
When it comes down to it, making the time for family is possible if you’re serious about it. As long as you want to bring greater balance into your life, you’ll find ways to do it. It will require compromising in both your family and work matters, as well as looking for help in all areas of your life. In the end, it will be worth it, because finding this balance can help you live a more fulfilling life.
