Articles & News About Jobs & Employment

Six Steps for Creating Work-Life Balance

Today an increasing number of us are experiencing burnout, low productivity, insomnia, and stress related illnesses... undoubtedly due to a lack of balance between our work and personal lives. It's time to look at how we can create greater balance in our work and personal lives. What looks like balance to one person may differ for another because individuals have different goals, values and definitions of success. However, there are some common definitions of balance that include:

• Having a sense that there is enough time in the day to effectively accomplish work-related tasks

• The ability to get through our daily work and family responsibilities without feeling drained

• Having the ability to participate in activities we enjoy on a regular basis

At the heart of successful work-life balance is:

• Accomplishment: getting the stuff we need to get done and

• Enjoyment: having the time for loved ones, fun, rest, exercise and hobbies.

Although the concepts of achieving balance are simple, actually creating a balanced life isn't easy, but it is definitely worthwhile.

Here are some steps to help you on your journey toward life balance. It's a process so be patient with yourself.

1) Begin your balance journey by figuring out what your values and priorities are. Yeah I know... feels like everything is a priority. Yet too often, our time and energy are spent on things that we don't really care about. Once you're clear about your values and priorities you can begin saying "no" to those things that move you further away from your values and priorities and "yes" to those things that are in alignment with your values. You can begin to structure your life in a way that supports the personal and professional goals you want to accomplish. Determining the goals you want to accomplish and the quality of life you want to live, will help guide you toward figuring out what balance looks life for you.

2) Identify your balance "blockers". Balance blockers are those things that we either think or do that stands in the way of achieving balance. It's basically a perspective we hold about why we can't pursue balance-related goals. Some examples of blockers are:

• Living for the expectations of others at work and at home

• Consistently putting the needs of others before your own

• Fear of change

• Hung up on appearances

• Perfectionism

Once you identify your blockers pay attention to when you use them as excuses to justify why you can't achieve balance in your life. Explore ways to accomplish your balance goals in spite of your particular balance blockers.

3) Balance your mind. The key to balance is all in your head. Begin to think differently! So many attorneys feel guilty about focusing on work-life balance or they believe taking time out for themselves...away from work is an unproductive use of time. I'll tell you what I tell my clients GET OVER IT! Most times, we treat our cars better than we treat ourselves. What's the first thing we do when we notice our car is low on gas? We fill our tanks! Well, living a more balanced life is about filling your tank. Those initially cynical lawyers who reluctantly committed to living a more balanced lifestyle now report that they are more relaxed, have more time for themselves and haven't sacrificed their jobs or their level of professionalism in the process!

4) Create "non-negotiable" time blocks in your schedule at least 2 times per week. Non-negotiable time is personal time that you set aside for yourself that you absolutely cannot and will not reschedule, cancel or postpone... it's simply non-negotiable. Devote at least 30 minutes to these time blocks. Write the non-negotiable appointment in your palm or day planner as you would for any other appointment. You can use the time for anything NON work related. This time is set aside so you can focus on you. Go workout, get a massage, take yourself to the park... or do nothing! Just pick something that you'll enjoy. It may feel strange at first but commit to do this for at least 6 weeks... and guess what? You'll get the hang of it.

5) Consider hiring a Professional Coach. When you're trying to achieve a more balanced life and everyone around you is being rewarded for working round the clock, it's tough to stay focused. The truth is making change that will affect you personally and professionally can be challenging... even when the change will be positive. This is primarily because familiar patterns are hard to break. The bottom line is that we all need someone to talk to. Not a significant other, colleague or friend, but someone whose only job is to help you plan your career, manage your life and set goals to keep you on track. That is the job of a Professional Coach.

6) Create a Vision. Having a vision of what you want to accomplish is a powerful tool to help you achieve any goal. Write down your vision of a more balanced and fulfilling life style. In creating your vision consider: If your life was more balanced than it is today... what would you have time to do? What would you no longer do? How would your career improve? What impact would a more balanced life have on your relationships and your quality of life?

About The Author

Jatrine Bentsi-Enchill, J.D., CPCC is the CEO and founder of InSIte Corporate Coaching and training a full service coaching, consulting and training company. InSite offers personal and executive coaching, and training to organizations committed to creating a harmonious, productive and inclusive work environments.

Visit InSite's website at www.InSiteCoach.com.

Contact Info:

Jatrine Bentsi-Enchill, J.D., CPCC
InSite Corporate Coaching & Training
704 814 6784
Jatrine@InSiteCoach.com

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Most Wanted Response... How To Make It Work
"When I walked into the grocery store last Saturday, I was just 'browsing.' But.

Time to Start a New Career?
Your career choices might need reconsideration when your career offers few opportunities to personal development and you find it hard to get out of bed in the morning. Then it might be the right time to consider new career choices, working at home, starting your own business or a new education.

Difficult Relationships at Work - Dealing with Workplace Conflict
Difficult Relationships at Work - How to Influence the UncooperativeWe rely on and spend more time with our colleagues than with most other people in our lives: yet we frequently experience conflict at work. This is a problem that is beginning to be recognised, but it is still not being dealt with either effectively or sufficiently.

Your Law Practice: Make It Work For You and Without You
Does anyone go to law school to run a small business? How about to become a salesperson? Probably not. Attorneys go to law school for many reasons, but being a business owner or closing sales is not one of them.

Work Attitude Ethics For Progress
This "fruit for thought" article is for all human beings, who somehow find themselves in the role of breadwinner and striving to improve their living standards.The heading of this article could just as well have been "How to position yourself for promotion" or "How to position yourself for career advancement" or "How to climb the success ladder" or something similar.

Dissatisfied With Work? Perhaps Its You
Just about every month, there's a new research report detailing the seemingly higher and higher degree of worker dissatisfaction. Whether it's a Gallup poll or a Conference Board report, the results are strikingly similar -- workers are becoming more and more dissatisfied with their work.

How To Make Extra Cash By Working At Home
Would you like to earn some extra money Does your job simply pay the bills and nothing more

6 Tips To Keep Your Fears From Holding YOU Back - to Make Email Work For You In 10 MInutes
Emails have helped save lots of time and money for many people. However, there are certain downsides to using email as a means of communication. Many people check their emails many times during the day, therefore hampering their productivity. They??ve become addicted to emails so much that they spend hours reading and replying, even to junk mails! And speaking of junk mails, sorting out your emails and separating the junk from the not can be a very time - consuming activity.

Work From Home Jobs: Are They Genuine?
Work from home opportunities are becoming a buzzword in todays world. There are really many ways to make serious money online. Though there are lots of work from home job opportunities, there are lots of scams too. It doesnt mean that all such job opportunities are fake. There are legitimate work from home jobs too.

Western And Eastern Medicine Working Together: Acupuncture Now Part of Fertility Services at SCCRM
Reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Robert Anderson, announced today his affiliation with acupuncture fertility specialist, Dr. Grace Pak, who might be able help fertility patients improve the chance for success during in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

Article Marketing for Real Writers: Launch Your Freelance Career!
Looking to build your freelance writing career but don't know where to begin? Maybe I can help.Let's start with a perspective on web exposure and your business.

Cricket Batting Tips – Foot Work
Recently I was asked, "is 'foot work' really that important?"When batting in cricket it is essential to have excellent footwork. As good foot work is the basis for achieving excellence in cricket and is the foundation for good batting technique.

Get A Jump On Retirement- Part 4- Making Insurance Work For You
People see insurance as a negative thing, as an expense and this could hurt them financially in the long run. There are certain types of insurance that make people correct for feeling this way. Auto, home, and health insurance all give the term ?insurance? a bad name.

Freelance Writing Career - Everyone Wants A Specialist Writer
Want an easy way to build your freelance writing career Here it is