When your work life balance has gotten a little out of whack, it’s because you’re working too much at the wrong kind of job.
No one ever complains that they’ve had too much vacation, or that they’re having too much fun at work. Not that those things don’t ever happen – it’s just that no one complains.
And you certainly don’t need work life balance tips to help you feel better if that’s the issue.
So I think it’s more than safe to assume that you’re working too hard and not finding enough time to do things outside of work that are important to you. Yes? Yes.
When that happens, Mondays can feel brutal. Every day might be be painful, but it takes a certain amount of courage to face Monday.
Poor Monday. I’d like it to not be the red-headed step-child of the week days. I’d like Mondays to be wonderful.
Today my goal is to help you with that. But I want to give you some rare tips – things you don’t see everywhere else. I want to take it a step beyond telling you to exercise or put your cell phone away.
What would make Mondays wonderful for you? Well, if you were able to truly be enthusiastic about the work you’re doing, of course.
It wouldn’t be about shutting down and shutting off, so you can compartmentalize your work from your real life.
It would be about really feeling that everything you’re doing – from your work to your play time – is so irresistible that you can’t help but feel pleased.
Now obviously you’re not going to be floating on a cloud all day. That’s only achieved with mind-altering substances, which are inadvisable . . .
But you can do better than having to create a steel barrier between your feelings and your workplace, which is what most work life balance tips are all about.
I don’t think your work should be so toxic that there is a need for you to wear a hazmat suit.
[Tweet “Is your work so toxic your suit is hazmat, not Brooks Brothers?”]
Let’s eliminate the toxicity, the discord, the disconnection from your work to begin with. Those are the most effective work life balance tips!
Let’s go.
Work Life Balance Tips
Tip 1: Create your Evil Plan. I love James Altucher. For so many reasons. He’s brilliant. He’s humble. He’s funny. And he’s written some amazing books like this one and this one that you should buy right now.
James’ philosophy is basically that you need to be happy and in order to do that you must take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
He’s got amazing ideas on how to come up with new ideas and on creating wealth and escaping the corporate trap so you can have financial freedom. The Evil Plan is all about how you can do that, and it’s closely aligned with what I help clients do when they work with me 1:1.
Having your Evil Plan in place will help you not only see the way to get out of your hazardous environment, but also pave the way for something new and better – something you actually want to do and that’s paying you well to do it.
Tip 2: Do you have a bloody splinter? You know, something you pretend is only a minor annoyance and doesn’t hurt, but actually is really quite painful? The thing is, whether you’re the strong, silent type or whether you talk to everyone you know about it, it isn’t until you start to believe that things can get better that things can actually get better.
So, short of quitting, if you can’t do that right now, what would it take for things to improve?
Bonus points for focusing on things you can do to change the situation rather than waiting for someone else to change it. Go ahead and pull out your splinter and start letting your wounds heal.
Tip 3: Focus on things you actually like about work. No, this is not a long term solution. This is for when you’re in survival mode and busy executing your Evil Plan of escape. But while you are there, is there anything at all that’s good about it? Are there a few nice people? Do you enjoy the view out of your window? Or do you get to have some interesting conversations or do a few things that you actually enjoy? Whatever it is, place your focus and your energy there instead of on the negative.
Tip 4: Take comfort in the fact that you’re learning, growing and changing. You might not know what’s next for you, but you do know it’s not another year at this job. You’re getting busy with all the plans that go along with making a big move. You’ve got a secret, and it’s at once fun, exciting, challenging and scary. Let whoever you trust in on it, but take comfort in the fact that you’re not stagnant and you don’t have to settle for less than what you deserve. There are endless possibilities out there for you!
Making A Change
Long term, tolerating a work situation that needs to be compartmentalized from the rest of your life is a sign that you’re doing the wrong kind of work and that you need a change. While you set things in motion to be able to make that change, use these tips to help you manage your current situation and live well now.
When you have work that feels right, work life balance will be inherent in that work. You may be asked to work long hours, but because you enjoy it, it will feel different. Setting boundaries around those hours will feel different too. It won’t feel like an intrusion into your life and personal space as much as it will be a life-choice.
Do you struggle with work life balance? How does it effect you?