Finding Balance This Season

This time of year, many businesses are gearing up for the coming year. We're thinking about our projections for 2021. What have we learned from 2020 that will help us set new goals and hit new levels of success?

At once, organizations are making the race to the finish and also trying to set themselves up for new opportunities in the new year. On a personal level, there's also a lot of push and pull to hurry up and slow down.

What we tell ourselves is that we must take this time to recognize the holidays. We have checklists: spend more time with loved ones. Travel, gifts, cooking, preparation, decorations, family traditions. What we think of as the holiday hustle and bustle translates in our brains and bodies as stress.

Before burn out-, let's give ourselves the gift of balance. 2020 has shown us that we can't control everything no matter how detail-oriented we are. We have to manage our expectations and be flexible, and we only get one shot at this life. Let's look at the coming month as a time to reset and take care of ourselves so we can care for the important things in life and business.

Work-life balance

Work-life balance has a different connotation now. A lot of people have spent the majority of the year working from home and trying to balance their job and their children's distance learning. It's been a struggle for many. That's not the balance I'm talking about. That's a temporary roadblock to achieving true balance.

As leaders, we need to give the people in our organization permission to take steps towards having more flexibility without feeling guilt. Whether they've got kids at home or not, everybody needs the opportunity to assess ways that they can integrate more of what matters to them into their day-to-day lives.

We live in a very technologically convenient time. We can be plugged in almost anywhere. That gives us a lot more freedom if we allow it. Leaders need to set the example by making time for non-work priorities and coming up with ways as an organization that people can access the same things for themselves.

Everybody performs better and feels better when they can focus on the job they love because they made time to do other things that matter too.

Take time to recharge

Leaders also need to promote and encourage time to give yourself a break. Every week we get a couple of days off to "recharge". That's usually spent taking care of family or other important obligations we didn't get to during the week. There's usually not as much rest as our brains and bodies need to recharge.

Everybody needs time to get-away. Whether that looks like a road trip, a staycation, or taking time off to do something. We all need time to restore that balance and perspective in our lives. It reminds us why we do what we do, who we do it for, and how effective we can be. Giving ourselves time to truly step away and disconnect from obligations improves and prolongs our performances and quality work.

Though it may feel like a guilty pleasure, taking time away is an action step that benefits everything: Relationships, creativity, the ability to see the big picture, and make positive changes. Why wouldn't leaders get behind that?

Don't sweat the small stuff

The small stuff is important, but over-focusing on the small things is counter-productive. We're all going to make mistakes at some point; that's part of the deal of being a human being. No matter how focused we are on the minutiae of everyday life, we aren't going to be able to change the limited control we have over it. By taking a step back, we can take a look at the bigger picture and see the changes that can be made that affect the small things. That's what we need to be attacking first.

Everybody has the same 24 hours. We get the feeling of "I don't have time" when we're too busy sweating the small stuff, that the big picture in front of us has changed, and we don't even see it.

Empower yourself by taking a step back and looking at the big picture stuff. Learn what's working and what isn't, and then you can change the details to make it happen.

Make sure your priorities are in check heading into this holiday season, and take some time to put balance in your life. Your future self will thank you.