Defining a work-life balance is something you must do for yourself. Keep in mind that balance will look different to you than to someone else. Regardless of how you define balance the best way to ensure you get what you want is to plan for it.
1. Plan and Schedule Everything – Create realistic plans that have steps that you can schedule in your calendar. Don’t just schedule work-related events, schedule everything from dinner with your love to game night with your kids. In fact, schedule the things you want to do first, then schedule work around it when possible.
2. Make Useful To-Do Lists – So many people just make huge lists of things to do without even thinking about the impact of the items. Don’t schedule anything that is busywork. Only schedule actions on your list that impact your goals.
3. Focus on Your Strengths – While you can learn how to do things better, focusing on your strengths can work faster. If you’re good at something, do more of them and less of the other stuff.
4. Know Your Daily Energy Levels – Everyone has a particular way their daily energy ebbs and flows. For some people, they are early morning people who are most effective bright, and early. Others are most effective at night. Find those times when you have the most energy to do the hardest things on your to-do list.
5. Have Set Times for Certain Tasks – When you create habits, it makes willpower unnecessary. One way to get more done is to create habits out of the things you do and then do things at the same time in the same way. For example, go running every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, go swimming on Tuesdays and Thursdays can also become clean out the junk draw the first Monday of every month.
6. Systemize Everything – If you do things the same time, also do them the same way. You can, of course, adjust when you discover more efficient ways to do something. For example, when you check the mail make that the moment you also go through and process the mail so that you only touch it once.
7. Make Financial Management a Priority – It’s hard to enjoy work-life balance if your financial life is out of control. Take time to learn everything you can about personal financial management and set aside time in your schedule to deal with that.
8. Create Effective Spaces – Whether, at home or work, you can make the most of your time if each space is set up correctly for what you’re doing in it. Your bedroom should be a sleeping oasis. Your workspace should be ergonomic, and both home and work should be as clutter-free as possible.
9. Improve and Maintain Your Health – Being physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy can help you live a more balanced life. Ensure that you schedule time for each area of your life.
10. Get Help – No one can do everything alone, nor should they. If you have a spouse, friends, family, or money, you can always get someone to help you make your life easier.
Planning your work-life balance requires that you set goals for yourself that defines what you want your life to look like. Then craft your schedule and plans so that you can ensure that you allow the right amount of time to each thing you’ve assigned importance to. Your life can look exactly how you want it to if you set it up that way and don’t allow it just to happen. Organization is key.