The world is spinning at a dizzying pace, and if we are not careful, we will thoughtlessly add to our list of “must dos” all those things we think we ‘need’ or ‘have’ to do in order to maintain appearances. Then our schedule becomes nightmarish, and when things don’t go as smoothly as we’d like, we promise ourselves that the next time we’ll say no or work a little harder, faster, or better. We don’t consider cutting anything out of our list because, we assure ourselves, “It’s all important!”
So…we get up a little earlier, go to bed a little later, short-change ourselves or short-change someone important to us.
When the inevitable happens, we blame ourselves because we can’t run faster than a speeding bullet, aren’t more powerful than a locomotive, and don’t leap tall buildings in a single bound! As much as we’d like to be Superman/woman, we can’t! Our overburdened schedule makes our stress levels rise even higher, and the resulting anxieties and frustrations exact a serious price on us and those around us.
Over-commitment is a form of addiction, as potentially lethal as any other addiction.
We need to face facts:
The truth is that we’re trying to do too much. The best juggler can only juggle so many balls in the air before they all come crashing down. If we don’t learn the juggler’s lesson, our world comes crashing down.
Granted, this is a tough lesson to learn. Again and again, we catch ourselves overdoing.
Putting it into Practice
It's impossible to be all things to all people. Decide what is important for you. This may fluctuate but be aware that you can choose.
Get your supports in place now! From help with the home, to childcare, to meal preparation, to gift buying, to all sorts of tasks we are expected to perform. Find the people you need whether you pay for services or get friends and relatives, or your partner to assist.
Learn to involve others. Learning to delegate, teach and train those around you to do what you expect of them. Take the time at work to develop your staff and build their capabilities. At home do the same thing. We teach people how to treat us. If you are constantly playing the female role of picking up after everyone - don't be surprised when they let you.
Business Tips
Your Work/Life Balance Plan
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- Parent Category: Business Tips
- Category: Work & Life Balance
