Solving the Myth of Work - Life Balance
Do you work too much? Do you wish you had more time for activities outside of work?There is so much discussion about the importance of having a work and life balance. I agree with the sentiment for sure, but I think most discussions overlook one key point. One must first define what balance really is.Balance, in this case, does not mean an always equal 50 - 50 split of work and your personal life. You define what balance means for you in your specific season of life.Don’t believe each week will be the exact balance you are looking for. Defining how you split your time needs to be viewed long-term. Having an ideal week is an excellent starting point, but understand upfront, that it will not always happen. That is OK. As you continue to evaluate how you are spending your time you can make adjustments.Let’s look at several things to set yourself up for balance.
Define what balance looks like to you
This is your view of what a balanced life looks like. It does not (and should not) mirror someone else’s or fall into what many may consider normal. You define this in your terms, with your specific desires for what you enjoy, and the time you choose to invest in any activities.
Let Go
Delegation is so important to finding balance. It may be one of the more difficult pieces of finding balance. Most of us have to fight the notion of, ‘it will just be quicker if I do it.’ That may be true the first time but each subsequent time that becomes less and less true, eventually tipping the scale the wrong way. If you want to find a nice balance for your life, let go of some things and allow others to work on them for you.
Plan Ahead
Look forward, predict the peaks and valleys of your business and workload. It is amazing how often planning comes into play. Take time to review your horizon, anticipate where the peak activity moments will be and then build a plan to manage through those. By knowing where those peaks are ahead of time, not only can you create a strategy to work through them, you can also ensure your expectations of your time are defined correctly. When those peak work periods occur, you will be aware that you will be out of balance for a time. Your plan can ensure you get back on a more balanced schedule as the elevated work time subsides.
Be Flexible
Retail is a continually changing environment. Make peace with the fact that sometimes the plan you have put together will need to be adjusted at the last minute. However, by having that initial plan, your ability to make quick changes and decisions will be enhanced. Ensure that your team understands this as well. Then leverage the strength of everyone on the team to balance out the changes that are necessary. In doing so and using your plan, you can make quick adjustments, share in the ultimate successful outcome, and everyone can maintain a higher level of quality time outside of work
Be Realistic
There are certain times of the year in retail that realistically there will not be as much balance as you would like. Most retailers can look at December and know it will be busy and the likelihood of achieving a perfect balance will not occur. That doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to excessive work either. By looking at some of the topics we discussed above, you can begin to limit the workload and ensure that you do not burn yourself out during these peak periods of business. Having a realistic view of what your schedule will look like will help set your personal expectations of what you will experience. You must continue to define what balance means for you in the current time frame.
Evaluate your vision of balance on an annual basis
Life changes. How you view your idea of balance will also change with time. A lot can happen over the course of a year. Ensure you take time at least once a year to review your definition and vision for what balance means to you. Don’t be afraid to change multiple times. Life events occur which can redefine your priorities and how you see yourself balancing your time.Finding a balance between your work life and your personal life does not have to be a myth. It is not a dream never to be found. Define what balance looks like for YOU, find your happy place and then work on building a plan that will lead you there. Accept that there will be roadblocks and obstacles along the way and work through them. All of that can come together and be an aligned and balanced environment for you to enjoy all aspects of your life.Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash