Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, people have asked this question: How to establish a work-life balance? While many of us believe that working for fewer hours is the key to having a work-life balance, most Founders are struggling to balance work and personal life.
“Work-life balance isn’t about squeezing everything into one day. It’s about spreading what matters to you throughout the week. You can’t have it all at once, but you can probably have most of it over time.” — Adam Grant
There are a few things that we need to learn and some things we need to unlearn if we want to establish harmony between our work and personal life.
My fellow Founders, in my entrepreneurial journey, I was constantly benchmarking my own lifestyle with others, and seriously I was feeling just guilty! here are a few things that I learnt about having a harmonious life between work and life – and letting go of comparing with others:
Accept that work and personal commitments are a part of your life
The concept of work-life balance highlights the fact that work is an important aspect of life, but it is not the only aspect that contributes to your overall well-being. This indicates that work and personal commitments are an important part of your life. Along with work responsibilities, you need to manage time for personal interests, relationships, and self-care.
“I don’t like the word ‘balance.’ To me, that somehow conjures up conflict between work and family… as long as we think of these things as conflicting, we will never have happiness. True happiness comes from integration… of work, family, self, community.” — Padmasree Warrior
The struggle starts when you try to separate these factors and experience them individually, which is more or less impossible because you are one human being juggling two different roles at once. Both these roles have their own demands and expectations, and you have to prioritise things according to their importance and urgency.
Also Read: How Gen Z’s view on work-life balance can transform your business
It is unlikely that your personal life has never affected your work life and vice versa. It does happen sometimes, and the key is to accept that it is okay. Things become problematic when you prioritise your work more than personal commitments or vice versa. It is bound to happen on some days, but when it happens for prolonged periods of time then you need to pause and think about what is the next agile course of action.
Make sure your work time is productive
How frequently do you respond to the random notifications that pops-up on your screen as you work? Yes, there could be some important emails regarding work, but frequently checking emails or getting distracted by the same leads to lower productivity.
It usually leaves one feeling that they have a lot to get done, but due to frequent distractions, they are unable to focus. As a result, productivity suffers.
One research shows that around 84 per cent of people are distracted at work. The most common distractions tend to be phone calls/texts (55 per cent), internet (41 per cent), co-workers (27 per cent), and email (26 per cent).
The first step to overcoming distractions is to identify the sources of distraction. Most of the time, it is social media notifications or pop-up ads. Turn off or minimise notifications on your phone, computer, and other devices that may distract you.
Experiment with different time management techniques and see what works best for you. Try to prioritise important tasks for the day and create a distraction-free environment for yourself to focus on your work properly. Remember to take regular breaks to recharge your energy and maintain focus.
Let go of the need for perfectionism
There are times when you put too much pressure on yourself to make your work absolutely perfect. While good work is appreciated at work, perfectionism can be problematic. Perfectionism is not like having high standards or a strong work ethic.
Perfectionists often set unrealistic expectations for themselves and others, leading to feelings of disappointment and frustration. They demonstrate an excessive concern for detail and a fear of making mistakes or failing.
“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralising.” — Harriet Braiker
Perfectionism can be harmful because perfectionists tend to overwork, find it difficult to delegate and are often scared of failure. This can also lead to procrastination because they might avoid starting a project because of the immense amount of work it would take to make it perfect.
Also Read: 5 things to stop apologising for if you want work-life balance without feeling guilty
One way to deal with it is to be okay with your work being “good enough” instead of it being absolutely perfect. Set realistic expectations from yourself and realistic deadlines. Be kind towards yourself. Remember that you are a work in progress.
Seek feedback from colleagues or fellow Founders to gain a third-person perspective on your work. This can help you gain a more balanced perspective and identify areas for improvement.
Remember, achieving work-life balance is an ongoing process that requires regular assessment and adjustment. It’s important to be kind to yourself and prioritise self-care as you work towards achieving a healthy balance between your work and personal life. And yes, I have pivoted many times!
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