#TellAllTuesdays: Hustle & Heart

Welcome to another Tell All Tuesday! Today, we're discussing work-life balance, which resonates with many. During the pandemic, the lines between work and personal life were significantly blurred, making it more challenging to maintain a healthy balance. The reality is that we only have 24 hours in a day. Of those 24, we must sleep, eat, travel/commute, clean our living spaces, spend time with family and friends, rest/self-care, experience life, and work. It’s a balance to make sure everything is happening every day, all the time.

Work-life balance is not just a buzzword; it's a crucial aspect of our lives. It's about creating harmony between our professional and personal lives and is key to maintaining our mental, physical, and emotional health. According to a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study, employees with a good work-life balance are more productive, happier, and healthier.

My journey towards achieving work-life balance has been a rollercoaster ride, filled with successes and failures. There were times when work consumed my life, leading to burnout. However, I continue to learn lessons, particularly the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing. These strategies have significantly improved my well-being.

Strategies for Work-Life Balance

Time Management

Techniques like time blocking and prioritizing tasks have been game-changers for me. I use apps like Microsoft Planner and Outlook to keep track of my schedule. Setting up an external time boundary has also been super helpful in internal time management. A pivotal moment was when I decided to introduce 'Quiet Tuesday' during the pandemic. Quiet Tuesdays create a space for no meetings with external partners or internal staff, allowing us to focus solely on our work without interruptions. This dedicated time for focused work reduced stress and enhanced productivity.

Delegation

As an owner, delegation is one of the hardest things I’ve had to work on (sometimes, I fall back on bad habits). One resource incredibly helpful for my team and myself was The Management Center ). The Management Center delegation worksheet breaks down delegation to the root of who will do what and when (just like we’ve learned in school). Setting up a structure to ensure proper delegation can support a robust work ecosystem and help manage time.

Setting Boundaries

As someone who wants to make sure people feel good, I can often overcorrect supporting folks to the point where I’m bent up like a pretzel (peep my prior article sneakers & suits, for more insights on navigating this tension). Setting boundaries between work and personal life is essential. Knowing how hard things can be, I have two phones to separate myself from work once work is done physically. This helps me stay away even if I want to finish things or keep up with emails. This is hard because some folks at work have my personal phone, too! So, it’s essential to hold the fort down and ensure you don’t let work consume you.

The other part of setting boundaries is also saying no. It took me a long time to realize no is a complete sentence. You can be direct and polite with no, and sometimes, when appropriate, provide a reason or offer an alternative. You can let folks know if something is not possible now but can be possible in the future. Honesty about your limits, capabilities, and interests is important here.

Self-Care & Enjoy the Journey

Self-care is so essential for work-life balance. You can often forget who you are or why you’re doing what you’re doing. As time flies, it's necessary to enjoy the journey of what you’re doing (kudos to Cierra Gross, MHR , for this reminder). You’ve put your sweat and tears into what you’re building, so you’ll want to ensure you savor each moment inside and outside of work and in your life.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is vital for our overall well-being. Implementing some balance can create a more harmonious and fulfilling life. Remember, it's all about setting priorities and boundaries and caring for yourself. I haven’t cracked the code here, but I enjoy the structures I have set up. It’s given me room to breathe in the cycle of 24-hour movement!

Thank you for joining me on this Tell All Tuesday! I hope you found this helpful and inspiring. I’d love to hear your experiences and tips on work-life balance. Your input can inspire and help others.

I look forward to seeing you at our next #TellAllTuesday! If you want to join us for a quarterly lunch session, fill out this form, and we'll invite ya: https://pb39uv34732.typeform.com/to/O27bo1rM

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