Make sure that you're working to live—not living to work. See the simple strategies that you can employ to achieve work-life balance without sacrificing financial security.
Strategies for Balancing Family and Financial Security
1. Learn where you’re using and losing time
Log everything you do for one week, including work-related and personal activities, and record the amount of time that each takes.
2. Establish your priorities
Create a list of your personal and professional priorities. Compare your list with your time audit to understand if you spend enough time on the things that are important to you.
3. Set goals -
Turn your priorities into S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based) goals so you can begin to achieve them.
4. Schedule, schedule, schedule
- Make time to achieve your goals by creating a daily plan of the tasks and activities you want to accomplish each day.
5. Draw a line in the sand
Create realistic boundaries between your work and personal life, for example, avoid checking your work email in the evening.
6. Be present
Be where you are, work at work, and enjoy your personal life at home. Find ways to transition between the two—listen to a podcast, read a book, or enjoy a cup of tea.
7. An apple a day
Take care of your body by watching your diet and exercising. If you’re suffering physically, then your life at work and at home will be impacted
8. Nurture the relationships that nurture you
Some of our most fulfilling experiences are rooted in our relationships with others. To improve your work experience, prioritize your relationships.
9. Me time
Find 30 minutes of uninterrupted “me time” for small pleasures every day. These can help you recharge and re-center your mind.
10. Flex your work options
Take advantage of policies and programs at work that promote work-life balance like flexible hours or working from home.
When are work and family in equilibrium? You’ll know that you’ve balanced your life when your job helps you reach your personal goals and your family experiences help you succeed professionally.
Finding the balance between family and work will mean different things to different people. But what’s important is that your work-life balance works for you and your family.