The Connection between Time Management and Work-Life Balance
Time management is a common goal for many people, but I believe it's also necessary to balance work with our personal lives. If you take care of these two main aspects of your life, they will take care of themselves. We've put together a list of reasons why time management and work-life balance are interconnected, as well as some suggestions on how to find the right balance for you and your lifestyle.
What do you think? Is balancing these two parts of life difficult? We would love to hear from YOU! Leave a comment below with your thoughts on the topic.
Thank you!
Work-Life Balance Tips:
A few years back, I wrote an article for the Institute of Life & Work about time management and work-life balance. You can view it here ( http://www.ilovelifeandwork.com/2013/03/time-management-and-work-life-balance ). Two popular questions that come up regarding this topic are how to manage your time and how to create a better work life balance. So what do these two subjects have in common? They're both critical for success in your career, and they both need to be managed effectively so that you can maintain a healthy mindset going forward into your professional life.
If you have a list of to-dos in your calendar, you're not giving yourself enough time to prioritize and accomplish them. You're also missing the opportunity to plan your day around what matters to you and when you accomplish those things. The best way to do this is by using an online calendar that syncs with your smartphone(s) or computer. The idea is for you to use this tool daily where you can add all of your important events, meetings, deadlines, etc as well as new projects or ideas that come up throughout the week. Another benefit of having an online calendar is that it can remind you throughout the day of things that need attention so that they won't fall through the cracks. This is also a great way to create more accountability and maintain better focus throughout your day.
Personally, I use both a paper calendar and an online calendar on a daily basis. I keep them side-by-side on my desk, next to the computer and phone. This allows me to keep track of everything that's happening throughout the day as well as prioritize the tasks that are most important. When I finish working for the day, it's an easy process to scan through my paper planner or enter new notes in my online program so that I have all of my information at my fingertips whenever I need it.
I would also suggest using free tools such as Google Calendar ( http://www.google.com/calendar/ ) or Microsoft Outlook ( http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/products/outlook/default.aspx ). A few months ago, one of my co-workers was in the market for a new calendar system and I recommended Google Calendar to her. She's been using it ever since and has been enjoying the benefits of the program so much that she can't imagine going back to her old way of scheduling things.
What do you think? Are you ready to make a change? Leave a comment below with your thoughts on this article, and please join our conversation about time management and work-life balance in our Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ilovelifeandwork
Thank you!
About The Author Lea Anne helps people around the world to take control of their time, focus on what matters most and live the lives that they want. As a life coach and time management expert she combines her passion for business with extensive training as a licensed professional counselor, life management trainer, and stage entertainer. She is the author of 15 books including "The Work-Life Balance Workbook" with Christiane Northrup, "The Fearless Administrative Assistant" (co-authored with Janice Lawrence), "That's Life!: A Celebration of Your Life Story" (co-authored with Janice Lawrence) and more. Visit her website at www.lea-anne.com and follow @LifeCoachLeaAnne on Twitter.
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Published on June 1, 2011. This is the original post. Please check out the other resources that Adam has put together for you over at http://www.adamdeernik.com/
I've been meaning to write a series of posts on time management that would deal with both work and life balance for some time now, but I've always had "life gets in the way" or other unrelated events crop up which prevented me from keeping to such an agenda. However, I think I'm finally getting rid of one of the last hurdles standing in the way, and that's the issue of how to manage work and time. Naturally, many people worry about work/life balance because they feel that there is no time for family or friends. Although this isn't necessarily true, it can be for some people depending on their level of commitment with work and their lifestyle. For others, it means working extra hours because they're unable to find a balance between work and other areas in their life such as family and leisure. I think it's important to be honest about who a person is, and what he or she is capable of doing. I have known people who have kept their job quite busy and never stopped, even during the holidays. They went to the office in time for work, and spent their spare time at home or traveling. I think they may have been afraid that if they stopped working, they would lose their jobs entirely. Those people are not being realistic about what they are able to do in any given day. Work is not all-consuming for most people; it just means you need a balance between work and family/friends/leisure time to be able to keep your mental health intact.
Conclusion
I think a problem with managing time is that people think it means they can't be successful in any way. For someone who is a hard worker, I don't necessarily think that's the case. I just believe that you have to be realistic about how much of yourself you're giving to a job and how much flexibility you have, relative to the company where you work. I know some people who love their job (they're very good at what they do), but who still feel like they don't have enough time and energy to be as productive as they could be, because of all the demands from their daily work routine.