There is a huge movement in past couple years for work life balance.
As you might guess from title of this blog, I don’t buy it.
Most of people who talk about work life balance are talking about working long hours not being good and are dreaming about 9-4 days with free weekends, when you can do stuff you actually like. My view on work life balance is very simple.
If you do what you love, long hours don’t matter.
I believe the key is to have all things that are important for you. And those can’t be at the mercy of things less important (camouflaged as urgent most of the time).
It is still wise not to fall into “work only” mode. No matter how much you love your work. How do you know then if your life is balanced enough? Here’s simple exercise to help you.
Write down list of 10 things you like doing.
And the list of 5 people you like meeting.
Next to all items on both lists write down when was the last time you did it or when was the last time you met that person.
One look at those lists should tell you if you have a balance or not.
What to do next?
Take items from both lists that you haven’t done in a while and schedule it.
Dinner with friend you didn’t see for a while? Put it in your calendar.
The real magic is not to cancel it because something “urgent” came up. Block out this time in your calendar and don’t cancel no matter what will happen. You can actually do it for longer period, like book every thursday evening for “night out with a friends” and then make sure you use this evening to meet your friends.
Use this also for things that are important for your development but you don’t seem to find time for them.
Like, schedule one hour every friday afternoon to review your week and get ready with plans for next one.
Once you have all things and people that are important to you scheduled in your calendar, put all other activities and people only to the spots remaining. Not instead. Not only this week. Not only this one time. Like this you are not trying for some kind of balance, you are keeping important things in your life with maybe for other stuff.
Related posts: Who Do You Spend Your Time With?;