The conversations about time management seem to come up pretty often, especially during the holiday season. One young business leader said to me last week, “I have no idea how I am going to get everything done!” We reflected on the following verses as we allowed the Bible to provide some perspective:
Psalm 39:4-5
4 “Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am. 5 In fact, you have made my days just inches long, and my life span is as nothing to you. Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor. Selah
These verses remind us that life comes and goes so quickly. Invest deeply in things that matter and make every day count for the Kingdom.
As a practical application, I leave you with a blog that I read recently that hopefully provide some suggestions for helping you deal with work-life balance and giving your best time to things that matter the most.
How Young Leaders Can Attack Work-Life Balance
While you can’t completely balance your work and life, it’s not a lost cause. You can find more time to spend with your spouse and children. You can find ways to enjoy hobbies, concerts and movies you enjoyed before the weight of leadership took over. You can also find more margin in your life for productivity.
The choices you’ll have to make will tip the teeter-totter of balance one way or the other. Yet you can figure out the balance that works for your life.
By using these work-life balance tips, you’ll discover the extra margin for family, friends and even business.
- Choose your priorities
Do you know what truly matters in your life? If you don’t know what matters to you, then it will be difficult to create balance in those areas.
Create a list of what you see as the highest priorities in your work, home, friends and community service. Set a priority level for these and make sure this is your focus.
- Set clear boundaries
You may feel overwhelmed and exhausted because you don’t have boundaries in your life. It’s OK. We all forget to set clear boundaries, but then we pay for them.
Choosing your priorities will help you set clear boundaries for your work and personal life. Make sure to communicate your boundaries to those impacted by them. Then make sure you and others respect the lines you created.
- Schedule personal time
Another mistake people make is failing to schedule what’s important. They may set boundaries, but many fail to schedule what’s important in their life.
Use your calendar to block out important times of your day. Set aside time for your son’s birthday party. Choose to schedule in a regular date night with your spouse. Make sure you have scheduled your time with God.
If you don’t schedule the important pieces of your life, they’ll get taken over by the urgent and emergencies.
- Know your best working hours
People work well at different times of the day. Some work well late at night and others enjoy the early morning hours. Knowing your energy level peaks and valleys will help you know when to do work and when to play.
You won’t do your best work if you’re not energized. This will impact other parts of your day or week if you need to make up work that wasn’t completed during your most productive hours.
Create a work schedule that complements your energy level throughout the day.
- Take time to unplug
It’s difficult to find someone not connected to a cell phone or laptop. This addiction creates life imbalance.
One of the greatest joys I have is when I go to St. Ignace, Michigan for our camping trips. Our cell phone signal isn’t strong and there’s no place to plug in my laptop. It’s this time disconnected from technology that refocuses my attention.
- Schedule social time
Take time to see those friends you enjoyed seeing when you were younger, but don’t see nearly as much. As we age, we get so busy and fail to set aside time to spend with friends.
You need to schedule your social time as you would your personal or work times. By carving out time in your busy schedule for friends, you will make sure you’re spending enough social time with others.
- Start small
You won’t change your unbalanced life overnight. This is a big life project you’ll have to work on over time.
Start with small changes and work your way toward larger ones.