“People become successful the minute they decide to be!” Think about that for a minute—are you deciding that you are going to reach your New Year’s resolutions and goals, or have you given up before you even begin? Success in any area of your life has to be a decision, it rarely “just happens.” But what happens when you think you have decided and you aren’t moving in the direction you thought? There are typical goals we set at the beginning of the year, like weight loss and living a healthier lifestyle. But according to the Washington Post, the struggle between work-life balance takes the #1 spot on the list of self-improvement. Here are 5 common areas between success and second place.
- Confusion. Let’s look at finding more family time in your daily life. When you feel confused on what direction you need to take to reach a goal, then your focus needs to be on vision. Stop bouncing. Find ways to be more streamlined and productive at work so that you can have the relaxation you desire. Clearly visualize how you want your day to go … down to when you will eat, finish a project, and when you close the office door.
- Fear/anxiety. “How am I going to do it all?” “Why won’t anyone help me?” Focus on building your skill level on how you will handle these situations when they appear. Learn how to delegate and ask for help. Educate yourself on how to be more productive at tasks that are not your strengths. Discover technology that can help makes things simpler. Fear and faith are the same emotion; you decide which one will be more dominate.
- Ambivalence. When you find yourself drifting into old habits, you will want to increase your motivation for your “why!” Only YOU can motivate YOU! Outside influences can help, yet you are responsible for figuring your “why”—then keep a laser focus on the result. Work smart so you can play hard.
- Frustration. “School is never out for the pro.” If you are feeling frustrated and you have checked the things above, then you will want to go back and build deeper people skills. Understanding those you work with, as well as family and friends, will increase your patience and understanding of expectations from those around you.
- False starts. If you find some weeks are out of control versus other weeks, then the focus needs to be on a consistency. Work with a schedule and a to-do list. Get up at the same time every day. Set boundaries. Limit after-hours communication. When you are home, be home.
“Head gives vision; heart gives passion.” Work-life balance is achievable, yet it takes focus every day on why that is important to you. Be passionate about your day. It’s that simple.
Lisa Phillips, owner of SimpleWorks
www.simpleworksmtsp.com │ lisa@simpleworksmtsp.com │ 205.981.7733
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