Photo courtesy of Perfecto Insecto

How To Find That Elusive Balance Between Work and Life

“Balance is beautiful.” - Miyoko Ohno, Japanese bridge designer

Article by Leo Babauta

I have a close friend named Norm who is a great photographer and a great person in general … recently he was telling me that all he does is work.

That might sound familiar to some of you — I’ve certainly been there at different points in my life, although these days I have to say that I’ve found a pretty good balance between all the important things in my life, including work, family, and other things I’m interested in.

Norm asked me to write a post about work-life balance, because although I think Norm is pretty happy with his life, he’s interested in expanding his life beyond work. I think it’s an interesting question that most of us have to address at some point or other.

Work *Is* Life, To Some Extent

The first thing to point out is that work isn’t separate from life — it’s a part of it. For some people, it’s not a fun part of life, but for others, it’s a passion. Either way, it’s a part of our lives, good or bad.

Of course, when people talk about a work-life balance, they mean that we should find a balance between work and our personal lives, which is definitely true. But it’s important to realize that if work is really something you love, you don’t need to cut it short in order to spend more time at home in front of the television.

So the key is to remember that what we’re looking for is a balance between the things we love — not just work and the rest of life, but work and family and hobbies and chores and everything else.

What Do You Love?

What are the things you love to do? That’s the question to start with. My friend Norm loves photography, but I think he also really enjoys jiu-jitsu and spending time with close friends, among other things. For myself, my favorite things in the world include spending time with my family, writing, reading and running. What’s on your short list?

One of the things on your list might be your work — or the work you want to do (as opposed to the work you’re doing right now). But others could include your favorite hobbies or other passions, ways to relax and have fun, exercise or other outdoor activities, reading and learning, shopping or eating or entertainment, volunteering, or spending time with people who are important to you. There are as many other possibilities as there are people in the world, of course.

Create your short list now, and then continue to the next section.

Creating Space in Your Life

It’s time to take a Big Picture look at your life — how are you spending your time right now? How long do you work (and how much of that time is spent on doing what you really love about your work)? What do you do before and after work? What do you do on your days off?

Now think about all the things you do, and how many of them are on your short list. For the things not on your short list, what can you eliminate? Some things might be big commitments that are hard to get out of — but over time, you can get out of them. Learn to say no, and learn how to tell people that you can no longer commit to doing something. It’s not always easy, but remember that this is your life, and you should do what you really want to do, not what others want you to do.

Really think hard about how you can eliminate the non-essential things in your life (the non-short list stuff). Work on this over time, and create the space in your life that you need for the things you love. Be sure to allot that time you’ve created to the things on your short list — don’t just use it up with television or other space fillers.

Finding That Balance

Once you’ve created space in your life for the things you love, it’s just a matter of finding the right balance between them. You could have a life filled with all the things you love doing, but it could still be almost all work. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with that if you love your work and it doesn’t have negative consequences (on your health or family relationships, for example), for many people it’s better to have other things balancing out their lives.

Why is a balance between several things that you love better than just one thing that you love? Well, there are a number of reasons that would depend on your situation. For one thing, if you have an office job you might not be getting outdoors enough, or getting enough exercise, and your health might suffer. Another reason is that you might have family and/or friends and if you work all the time you’re neglecting them — and those relationships will suffer. You might also get lonely if you work all the time. Another major problem is burnout — working all the time (or doing any activity all the time) can lead to stress and fatigue, and could make that activity less enjoyable.

Variety is a good thing — it keeps life interesting. So mix things up a bit. Here are some ideas for doing that:

Schedule time blocks. This is good for those who use their calendar a lot or can stick to schedules well. Schedule chunks of time throughout your week for all the things that are important. I suggest scheduling everything but work first (unless you’re on a set work schedule and always start and end at the same time) … this will ensure that you get everything in and that work doesn’t overwhelm the schedule. Be sure not to overschedule, filling up every free minute, because no schedule is kept to the minute. Better to have space between your time blocks than to have to skip something because the previous block ran too long.
Set limits. This is good for work or anything else that you tend to do too much. If you work 10-12 hour days, for example, set a limit of 8 hours per day, and stick to it. If you have a flexible schedule, you might consider working even less if you’re trying to make more room — many people have figured out ways to make a four-day workweek work for them (or a 4 Hour Workweek). What I’ve found is that if you set a limit (of 8 hours or 4 days or whatever), you’ll find a way to do the essential tasks within that limit. That might mean eliminating the non-essential tasks, cutting back on time-wasters such as casual Internet surfing, or automating or delegating or outsourcing things you don’t absolutely need to do yourself.
Make dates with family and friends. Instead of just saying, “I want to spend more time with my family and friends”, try actually making dates with them. That might mean romantic dates with your spouse or significant other, or non-romantic dates with your friends or kids or other family members. You don’t have to call it a date, but just schedule time with them on a regular basis to do something together. It doesn’t even have to cost a lot of money — it could be something simple like taking a walk in the park or playing board games or cooking dinner for each other or watching a DVD with popcorn.
Make dates with yourself. Often we make time for our family or other loved ones, but we neglect ourselves. Schedule time for yourself, doing something you love doing by yourself. For me, that’s reading and running, but others might like crafts or meditation or yoga or going on hikes or surfing or whatever. Just make the time and don’t miss that date!
Have a partner. Sometimes it helps to make an appointment with a partner, whether that be a training partner (my sister is my training partner) or someone who is going to help you with a project or do a hobby with you. This works well whether it’s first thing in the morning, or right after work, or during lunch or on the weekends. Oftentimes you’re more likely to stick to an appointment if you have a partner.
Examine your life regularly. I use my running time as a time of reflection, and you should use your alone time similarly if you can. Often our lives become derailed from the track we set it on, and as a result we don’t realize where our lives are going until we really examine them. Or we can get so caught up in a routine that we don’t realize we can change it. Regular self reflection is the answer: think about how your life is going, how you’re spending your time, and decide whether you need to make changes. Then schedule time to make those changes immediately — or make the changes right away if possible.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein

How To Find That Elusive Balance Between Work and Life

“Balance is beautiful.” - Miyoko Ohno, Japanese bridge designer

Article by Leo Babauta

I have a close friend named Norm who is a great photographer and a great person in general … recently he was telling me that all he does is work.

Work *Is* Life, To Some Extent

So the key is to remember that what we’re looking for is a balance between the things we love — not just work and the rest of life, but work and family and hobbies and chores and everything else.

What Do You Love?

Create your short list now, and then continue to the next section.

Creating Space in Your Life

Finding That Balance

Variety is a good thing — it keeps life interesting. So mix things up a bit. Here are some ideas for doing that:

Schedule time blocks. This is good for those who use their calendar a lot or can stick to schedules well. Schedule chunks of time throughout your week for all the things that are important. I suggest scheduling everything but work first (unless you’re on a set work schedule and always start and end at the same time) … this will ensure that you get everything in and that work doesn’t overwhelm the schedule. Be sure not to overschedule, filling up every free minute, because no schedule is kept to the minute. Better to have space between your time blocks than to have to skip something because the previous block ran too long.
Set limits. This is good for work or anything else that you tend to do too much. If you work 10-12 hour days, for example, set a limit of 8 hours per day, and stick to it. If you have a flexible schedule, you might consider working even less if you’re trying to make more room — many people have figured out ways to make a four-day workweek work for them (or a 4 Hour Workweek). What I’ve found is that if you set a limit (of 8 hours or 4 days or whatever), you’ll find a way to do the essential tasks within that limit. That might mean eliminating the non-essential tasks, cutting back on time-wasters such as casual Internet surfing, or automating or delegating or outsourcing things you don’t absolutely need to do yourself.
Make dates with family and friends. Instead of just saying, “I want to spend more time with my family and friends”, try actually making dates with them. That might mean romantic dates with your spouse or significant other, or non-romantic dates with your friends or kids or other family members. You don’t have to call it a date, but just schedule time with them on a regular basis to do something together. It doesn’t even have to cost a lot of money — it could be something simple like taking a walk in the park or playing board games or cooking dinner for each other or watching a DVD with popcorn.
Make dates with yourself. Often we make time for our family or other loved ones, but we neglect ourselves. Schedule time for yourself, doing something you love doing by yourself. For me, that’s reading and running, but others might like crafts or meditation or yoga or going on hikes or surfing or whatever. Just make the time and don’t miss that date!
Have a partner. Sometimes it helps to make an appointment with a partner, whether that be a training partner (my sister is my training partner) or someone who is going to help you with a project or do a hobby with you. This works well whether it’s first thing in the morning, or right after work, or during lunch or on the weekends. Oftentimes you’re more likely to stick to an appointment if you have a partner.
Examine your life regularly. I use my running time as a time of reflection, and you should use your alone time similarly if you can. Often our lives become derailed from the track we set it on, and as a result we don’t realize where our lives are going until we really examine them. Or we can get so caught up in a routine that we don’t realize we can change it. Regular self reflection is the answer: think about how your life is going, how you’re spending your time, and decide whether you need to make changes. Then schedule time to make those changes immediately — or make the changes right away if possible.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein

Posted on 6 November 2008 in Happiness |
Digg |
Del.icio.us |
Stumble |
Print

Comments (59)

Tabitha (From Single to Married) Says:

November 6th, 2008, 21:27 pm

Great information - I think I can apply each of these to my life especially the “scheduling time blocks” and “setting limits.” Definitely need to do more to find balance in my life. thanks!

Kelly Says:

November 6th, 2008, 21:34 pm

I spend 11 hours a day either at work or getting to and from work. It is not my dream job by any means but right now it pays the bills and provides my family with health insurance. Of course, I would like more time to pursue my hobbies and find my passion. I try to make my time away from work as peaceful and relaxing as possible.

A Dawn Says:

November 6th, 2008, 21:49 pm

There are two good books discuss how to balance life and work very well. These are: Your Money or Your Life and The Joy of Not Working. I reviewed both books and interviewed International Best Selling Author Ernie Zelinski. Here is the link for Zenhabits readers - ADJ Interviews International Best Selling Author Ernie Zelinski (http://adawnjournal.com/2008/09/25/adj-interviews-international-best-selling-author-ernie-zelinski/)
Cheers.
A Dawn Journal
http://www.adawnjournal.com

Dr. Ben Adkins Says:

November 6th, 2008, 21:55 pm

Great Post.
“Balance” truly is the key to happiness. It’s so hard to get yourself to that place…but when you do…it’s magical.

Dr. Ben

Simple Sapien Says:

November 6th, 2008, 22:08 pm

Playing music and recording music is number one on my shortlist. So is blogging and living a simple life. I easily get sucked into watching movies or internet surfing though. Doing the things we love that our truly important takes energy… and it can be hard to find that energy sometimes.

Lately I have had this obsession with trying to find the one thing, the one passion that defines me and my purpose. I love music. I love blogging. I love simple living. They are all so important to me. I thought sacrificing two of them to focus on one was the answer… but now I don’t know. Maybe I just need to rework my schedule to make time for all of them.

If I could find a way to incorporate one of those three into my work, that would be even better! We will see what happens there. Thanks for the insightful post. Keep it up!

- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien

garth Says:

November 6th, 2008, 22:10 pm

Leo-

What a great article to motivate others to do what they really WANT to do. We all have the same 24 hours in the day, and we will choose to spend it one way or another. There really is no reason to ever say “I don’t have the time” or “I wish I had more time.” Years ago I stop saying “I only have . . .” and started saying “I can’t believe I have this much . . .” so that I did not feel robbed of time, money, or energy. When you make choices, as your article suggests, you feel completely in control of how you spend your time, and feel satisfied with your decisions.

Your friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy Says:

November 6th, 2008, 22:11 pm

I think it’s very important to love your work, which makes the balance much more manageable. I’m doing that now by starting my business and blogging, among other things.

Another thing I make sure to do is “schedule” time for friends and family. It’s not enough to say you’ll do it, because life has a way of taking that time away from you if you’re not careful. I always make sure to set aside at least one entire day to spend with family or friends.

Linda Hampton RN, MSN Says:

November 6th, 2008, 22:14 pm

Putting these steps in place may take a little time but is well worth the effort. The steps are not difficult to do but if your anything like me you “forget” to do the most important things sometimes. It’s about having some control in your life so that you can spend more time doing what you want.

Eric Hamm Says:

November 6th, 2008, 22:59 pm

“Make dates with yourself.”

I’ve never heard it mentioned in those words, but it’s a great way of saying it. It’s the same concept as ‘paying yourself first’ when it comes to finances. If you neglect yourself, nobody wins.

Well thought out post, Leo. Eric.

Kevin Says:

November 6th, 2008, 23:40 pm

Hi!
I’ve been reading your blog for around a year now, and this is my first time leaving a comment for some reason. Just wanted to say thanks for all the fantastic insight on life. The posts you and all the contributors created inspired me to start living simply and in the moment. I started about 9 months ago, and I’m reaping the benefits. Thanks!

Kevin

Stephen - Balanced Existence Says:

November 6th, 2008, 23:42 pm

Work is life. I like that. So many of us wish away far too much of our lives. Just wish the day was over. Wish it was Friday afternoon. I know I’ve been there. Now I wish I had more time to work. Craziness :)

Thanks for the tips on finding the balance by the way.

Stephen

eclecticaliah Says:

November 7th, 2008, 0:01 am

As a teacher, this is something I struggle with quite frequently. With over 700 students, I spend a lot of evening and weekend time grading papers. I feel like teaching (and planning and grading and calling parents) is my whole life. Any teachers out there who can share some advice?

eclecticaliah Says:

November 7th, 2008, 0:05 am

@Stephen -
I like your comment about wishing our lives away. It’s true that I hear many people who spend the whole week saying “Isn’t it the weekend yet?” or are just putting in time until they can retire. I promised myself that I would not get caught up in wishing my life away. Life is too precious to wish the days to be over.

Jamie | WiredParentPad Says:

November 7th, 2008, 0:57 am

At my first “real” job several years ago, the co-worker assigned to show me the ropes of the position left me with some words that have stuck with me through the years, he said “I work to live, not live to work”.

Though I definitely have a passion for techie things like databases and programming and all of the things that make up my career, finding that time for your family and yourself is vitally important. As always, keep up the great work, Leo.

johnlazy Says:

November 7th, 2008, 1:18 am

Sometimes you need lone time with yourself. you have to treat yourself once in a while. To refresh the energy.

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

November 7th, 2008, 1:47 am

“Working is meant to be fun. We spend most of our lives working: what a shame it would be if you’re spending that time doing something you hate.” – Sir Richard Branson

Mary@GoodlifeZen Says:

November 7th, 2008, 4:01 am

This lovely post made me reflect on my life. You see, I find it very difficult to keep work as work and play as play. I’m pretty creative and keep on having ideas for blogposts or other projects. They seem to pop up at odd times.

I could set limits, but I fear this would stunt my creativity.

It seems to me that creativity makes for a rather messy life! I mean, if I were a nurse or a train driver I would come home from work and leave it behind. But in my life, work, life and fun are somehow all muddled together.

Valeria | TimelessLessons Says:

November 7th, 2008, 5:11 am

I guess one of the downsides of being self-employed is you never have anyone to tell you to stop working. I mean I love being self-employed, I love the autonomy of it, and I like being able to do what I love… but when friends of mine who have 9 to 5 jobs, when the weekend rolls around, you know, it’s 5:00 o’clock on a Friday and they are done for two days, and the liberation that comes with that.

I don’t really want to have a 9 to 5 job, but I do envy that freedom. Thank you Leo for the reminder.

Chris (from Lifestyle Project) Says:

November 7th, 2008, 5:37 am

Great post recently. In the last six months I have been making a real conscious effort to limit my work time.

Essentially I have realised that the work that I currently do (but this may be different when I find my passion) is a means to an ends. I.e. I work for money to afford to live. However, I guard my time like a gatekeeper now and don’t do any additional hours.

For every minute I spend over my contracted hours I am giving away my most precious resource, my time. This isn’t the only issue, but by giving more time to work you are stealing time from yourself. Taking away time from doing what you truly want to do is not good.

My message: Guard your time like a hawk, don’t let others take it away and certainly don’t give it away to something you don’t believe in.

John Lewis Says:

November 7th, 2008, 5:45 am

Important point: many of us are seeking a personal / professional balance. Your description of the apparent dilemma of loving or not loving work captures many aspects of the “problem”. However, while time is a factor, trying to manage time is rarely the most important thing to focus on. I am concerned that focussing on time might be part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

Arranging times at which to do things is important for things which are at a fixed time and, perhaps place and with other people; these are “appointments”. Also it can effective to make appointments with ourselves. But, as others have said, important things can be missed and creativity stifled; dealing with interruptions can be confusing too.

However, this needs to combined with other techniques to deal with other aspects of life.

There have been quite a few suggested approaches to this area over the years, and different approaches appeal to different people. As a fan of “GTD”, I’d suggest that you read the book on that, but others prefer other starting points.

“Examine your life regularly” - now you are on to something important!

Celina Gomes Says:

November 7th, 2008, 8:14 am

Its really a motivating article. Yes, i agree that work is life as its a sign of your existence in all sense. ANd urely one can have the balance between work & life by managing them in a proper way, Planning or scheduling will help alot in this case.

Dustin Williams Says:

November 7th, 2008, 8:59 am

I read this article in the morning and it flavored my entire day. The short list really pulled me up short (Sorry I couldn’t resist the pun) and me me reevaluate my day. I have a weekend coming up and I’m looking forward to finding ways off the conch and into my short list activities. Thanks!

Patrick Hankinson Says:

November 7th, 2008, 9:06 am

I recently found myself caught in this wild working schedule and realized I needed to balance Work and Play. My biggest problem was I developed into this work schedule so heavily I forgot things that I enjoyed doing.

So, I took a day and just researched hobbies (http://www.discoverahobby.com/) I thought I would enjoy doing. I came up with a large list of hobbies, I am just starting to get involved in them. Every day I am getting closer to that balance I need!

Fit Bottomed Girl Says:

November 7th, 2008, 9:13 am

This just prompted me to make a date with myself to go to the gym and then leave work at exactly 5 pm…thank you!

Safa Sheehan Says:

November 7th, 2008, 9:50 am

This made me really think about how I will spend my day! Creating time blocks is a great idea.

hellen Says:

November 7th, 2008, 10:07 am

I really like this article..good!

Neil Says:

November 7th, 2008, 11:29 am

I liked the idea’s on time blocks and making a date with yourself. Too much of my time gets sucked away by the TV which infuriates me. I usually have my laptop out, so I’m doing some sort of work, but the distraction is there and I’m not as productive as I’d like to be.

Kim McGinnis Says:

November 7th, 2008, 11:51 am

Leo,
I love the Einstein quote - he has some good ones.

Day in and day out it certainly is ideal when work and life co-mingle, so that the lines are blurred. Life becomes a passionate affair, and obstacles become challenges and interesting experiences.

My husband and I are big proponents of the passive income lifestyle, because we learned life does not have to be filled with work that you hate or that you have to put up with. Teaching how to Manifest Passive Income is our passion and our latest website is dedicated to this topic.

There are so many ways in the world today to achieve this kind of life. Of course, fear and insecurity keep people stuck. But, remember what Einstein said….”Nothing changes until something moves.”

sarah hudson Says:

November 7th, 2008, 12:13 pm

Great post. The chunk on scheduling time blocks was a good wake-up call for me; I’m always trying to catch up on the day before because I didn’t leave enough space in between tasks. Thanks Leo! :) alright, time to reconfigure my schedule for the month…. ha

John Says:

November 7th, 2008, 12:27 pm

Nice post.

It got me thinking about something I observed some years ago. In my line of work, people would retire and within a year or so, they would die. What I observed was that many of us define ourselves by our work. When work as we know it ends, we “wither” for lack of purpose. This raised several questions in my mind.

Do we define ourselves by our work? Should there be another definition that we give ourselves in defining our lives?

I realize that we cannot all have jobs that we “love” and make money but that isn’t a bad goal to seek in our lives. If I were to achieve that passion for my work, the question of balance becomes a bit less important, though we do need to eat, sleep and hopefully interact with others away from the water cooler, so to speak.

More importantly, I think we need to redefine ourselves beyond our work. This is easier said then done but, however any of us chooses to do this, I think we all need to be purposeful in this goal.

Again, thanks for the thought provoking post.

michael Says:

November 7th, 2008, 12:42 pm

that’s the fix i’m in really, the allocation of the small amount of time left over after the work-i-have-to-do, and how that becomes comprised entirely of the-work-i-want-to-do until i no longer want to do that either…

Robert Morgen Says:

November 7th, 2008, 13:03 pm

Great article!

Too often I have to sacrifice what I want to do in order to do what I need to do. Learning to be more clear about what I WANT helps to show me when I’m on the right path to balancing what I need with what I want.

R:)

Sanjay Says:

November 7th, 2008, 13:37 pm

It is quite a good article

Grant Says:

November 7th, 2008, 15:17 pm

I always get wary when management talk work:life balance. It usually means “you work and I get a life”.

Creating space for yourself in those conditions is hard work.

Laurie | Express Yourself to Success Says:

November 7th, 2008, 15:34 pm

I really enjoyed your post, Leo - thank you.

Sometimes I get stressed when I think about all the things I want to do for myself. I feel like I have to be doing them frequently or not at all. What you made me realize is that even in the ’short list’ there needs to be balance. It doesn’t have to be everything that I like doing *all* the time but everything I like doing *over* time. Thanks for that.

tigerbee Says:

November 7th, 2008, 15:48 pm

As usual, great post and thanks for the timely reminder. ;-)

a2sojet (simple college life) Says:

November 7th, 2008, 15:59 pm

In college, the necessary balance is between school work and personal life. If I feel like I don’t have enough time for myself now, i can’t imagine how it will be when i go out into the real world!

Although i enjoy my classes greatly, I know that the best memories that i will be left with from these fantastic years of my life will be those made with my closest friends.

I will apply these tips constantly. Thanks :)

dokidok Says:

November 7th, 2008, 22:05 pm

Everything you said comes from your heart.

Trevor Says:

November 7th, 2008, 23:38 pm

Great post.

Balance is needed in life. There’s always time to do everything.

Anne Wayman Says:

November 8th, 2008, 10:52 am

Well said… making space for me is probably my hot button right now. Thanks.

Takumi86 Says:

November 8th, 2008, 11:43 am

Listening to music, watching new movie on your desktop and do chatting to your friend could also make a balance :)

Ruby Says:

November 8th, 2008, 12:22 pm

Even though I work for myself I still take week-ends off. Or rather… I don’t apply normal pressure to myself to “get things done.” I slow my pace down, allow things to happen. If I want to write… great, if I want to do some chores or work on a project, no problem. And I’ll even see a client on a week-end, but it’s all done with the attitude that it’s not a work day and I don’t have to haul ass from one task to another. This makes it OK for me to watch a movie, spend all day with my boyfriend, read leisurely, or hang out with friends. On Monday morning, I’m refreshed and ready to get to work on the things I love.

I’ve also been shutting my email program and only checking every couple hours. This keeps me from getting caught up in email time-suck loops and lets me focus on other things.

rich Says:

November 8th, 2008, 12:42 pm

Balance has always been an ongoing struggle. Thank you for this post!

Vincent Says:

November 8th, 2008, 13:37 pm

Balance is one of the key to success. It is just like a table can’t be without one it’s leg. It need all 4 legs to balance and life is just like that.

Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger

Frank Jerome Says:

November 8th, 2008, 17:37 pm

I really could relate to the point of examining your life. Life experiences are almost useless without reflection. Through reflection is how we learn and grow, because only then do we really think about the events that occurred around us.

I have heard about this work-life balance issue for a while, but I see work as part of life. What I choose to do is follow the teachings of a couple of my greatest teachers:

1. Do things you enjoy doing. -Warren Buffett
Many of us think that it is not possible in all occasions, but it is. All we have to do is choose it.

2. Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change. - Dr. Wayne Dyer
As soon as we change our perspective of the world or of anything, the world around us actually changes. There are many studies today that show this. Check out these two sources: i. The Biology of Belief (Bruce Lipton) and ii. The Hidden messages in water (Masaru Emoto)

Thanks for a great post as always Leo.

Much blessings.

Frank

dr aletta Says:

November 8th, 2008, 17:54 pm

Thank you, Leo. Just the idea of making the ’short list’ provoked a lot of reflection. That’s what I love about Zen Habits.

From a woman’s perspective, the greatest challenge may be the balance between caring for others vs. oneself. Traditional roles and expectations make saying “No”, learning how, when to delegate, and allowing others to take responsibility, nothing short of revolutionary. Sometimes giving ourselves permission to declare independence is the first step.

Tom Smith Says:

November 9th, 2008, 1:48 am

Just today I was contemplating quitting one of my part time jobs to give myself more “free time.”

This post came at a perfect time. Thanks a lot it gave me the direction I needed.

J.D. Meier Says:

November 9th, 2008, 3:35 am

Hey Leo

I think you hit the key. It’s really about spending less time in what makes you weaker and more time in what makes you stronger.

Liara Covert Says:

November 9th, 2008, 5:30 am

Balance exists. It is normal and available to all in mind-body and spirit. It is up to each person to stop convincing themselves that it does not.

tide turn Says:

November 9th, 2008, 16:16 pm

Significant point about using regular reflection and self-examination to keep things on track, and tying that to a specific activity as a reminder.

Veronica Says:

November 9th, 2008, 17:26 pm

Setting time blocks is certainly a great idea. Be sure to set aside some time blocks for delegating tasks to your virtual assistant! :)

Suzi Pomerantz Says:

November 9th, 2008, 17:59 pm

Very cool post! Thanks so much for the practical tips. I wrote a blog post about this same topic that might be of interest: The Secret to Work/Life Balance:
http://www.suzipomerantz.com/executiveexcellence/the-secret-to-worklife-balance/

Frugalidad-- the simple life (in spanish) Says:

November 9th, 2008, 19:49 pm

Very interesting blog. Since i read 4 work week, i can tell either that by coincidence or destiny my life has change for the better. I used to think that success in business was tied with the amount of hours in the office, and how many times a day you check your email, or how available you are to others. I was wrong, and i can tell you all that although starting your own business in the beginning it might require a lot of time, afterwards you should be able to not use more thatn 4 hours a day. Just remember this phrase i took from Bill Gates: ‘Become system dependant, not people dependant’ try to automate/outsource/delegate as much as possible, and also think that you have half the time to do the same job. You will manage it, be effective! Also think that some things you love might be just for the sake of loving them, and not necessary have anything to do with your job or new career ideas. And as Leo said learn to say NO.

DanGTD Says:

November 10th, 2008, 4:21 am

Great idea with the schedules. With today’s technology to connect to anyone at any time, there’s no boundary between work and home — unless you create it. When with your family, for instance, turn off your cell phone and put away your laptop computer.

Lily Says:

November 10th, 2008, 6:30 am

Variety works well for me. I also find that in my daily schedule I need a lot of breathing room. I used to fill up my schedule to the brim and when I couldn’t get everything done, it became a guilt trip. Not good. So while a lot variety is good, I discovered that you can’t do everything at the same time. Say you are like me, having about 25 things on my not-so-shortlist. You really can’t do everything. Even if you are infinite, time is finite. Perhaps for the next 3-4 months, just limit yourself to scheduling 3-4 things that you love to do into your daily timetable, and then do the next 3-4 things on your list for the next quarter of the year.

Mahmudur Says:

November 10th, 2008, 9:29 am

great post!

Ron Towns Says:

November 10th, 2008, 16:58 pm

One of my recent goals was to create a balance- just as this article speaks about. Since creating this goal, I have realized it through the use of vision boards, meditation and affirmations.

Vision boards are images pasted on a board that represent your hopes, dreams, and goals. Studying these boards every days plants seeds of these goals within your subconscious mind.

Your subconscious mind is where all of your habits are formed. Combine these visualizations with mediation and self-affirmations, and the seed of your goal in your subconscious mind will begin to grow, sprouting a newly developed habit that is oriented towards your desired outcome, or goal.

John Assaraf does a better job of explaining this and showing you how to do it in his new book “The Complete Vision Board Kit.” I downloaded the free chapter here at http://www.TheVisionBoardKit.com.

Kay Says:

November 11th, 2008, 12:00 pm

I stumbled upon your article just in time. I’m under training and my 12-hour work schedule, 6-days-a week is driving me nuts. You reminded me of how important it is to devote time for myself (and my loved ones as well). I hope I can keep “cycling” and achieve that balance. Thanks!

ET Mister Says:

November 18th, 2008, 15:01 pm

Thanks for putting these words on your blog. They are very well thought out and provide some good constructive practices for simplifying our lives between work and home. I have been very conscious of this of late and am taking the machete on a lot of time drainers. I am moving a way from the casual web surfing to trying to get more time reading books and making music.

Trackbacks (16)

Do Less.
Get More Done.

Leo's new book: ThePowerofLess.com

donate
to Zen Habits

browse

Start here: Beginner's Guide
View Categories
View Popular Posts