Ep 88 Work-Life Balance
Episode Notes:
I was recently in a Facebook group looking at women responding to the question – what is your biggest struggle with work, and overwhelmingly, the answers included work life balance and time management.
Women trying to do it all and feeling overwhelmed – not being able to do what they want.
Today I wanted to share a few ideas because I think this is such an important topic. Being able to control your time is everything to living the life you want.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Setting priorities
- How you spend your time
- Wasted energy on negative self talk
- Honoring commitments vs tearing yourself down
- Join our (free) Private Online Community- www.michellebourquecoaching.com/itsyourtime
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Hello hello hello
Welcome back to the podcast friends!
So excited to have you here.
Can you even believe we have the 4th of July just around the corner?
We love the 4th – it will be different this year but that’s fine – we will figure it out
We always do right friends?
I mean like you – me – us – we always figure it out.
Ok – let’s dive in to today’s topic
I was recently in a Facebook group looking at women responding to the question – what is your biggest struggle with work
And overwhelmingly
the answers included work life balance
and time management
Women trying to do it all right?
I know you know what I’m talking about
So today I wanted to share a few ideas because I think this is so important
And when I talk about work life balance
I don’t mean
Only if you have kids
I mean all of us
Because –
I’ll be honest – I sometimes think
That women without kids
And
I’m really just speaking for myself here right
But I think sometimes women without kids –
Sometimes feel the need to do more for work
because We don’t have kids
Or – The truth is –
In the past it has sometimes Been expected
That I stay late
Or do the extra
because I don’t have kids
But I still have a life
We all do right?
They look different
– but one is not more worthy than the other
So that’s why –
when I speak work life balance –
i truly mean –
your work
Your life
Whatever that looks like for you
Cool?
Good
It’s interesting
There are a few things I see going on with clients
when they feel so out of control
The first thing is
Not a having a crystal clear idea on priorities
The problem with not have priorities is you think everything is important
And you are running around like a chicken with your head cut off
Trying to take care of it all
Here is a super interesting exercise to try to gain awareness of how this is true for you
Take a couple of minutes and right down your top priorities on life
You know –
Health
Family
Friends
Work maybe
Take a nice look at them
Now
Look back at how you spent your last 24 hours
Write it all down
What did you do each hour
This is the interesting part
Look at how the two compare
Are they aligned?
I know the first time I did this
they were So far off
Which totally explains why I used to feel
Like work “took” all of my time right?
Work doesn’t take our time friends
We give it away
Because we don’t set clear priorities
and plan what is important to us
I promise you
As you start to plan more
And be specific in what you want
and how much time you want to allott
You will find
so much more Time
And most importantly
The more you plan and stick to your plans
The more you honor commitments to yourself
Which might even look like
just starting to schedule 5 minutes to meditate
Or read a couple of pages in a book
The more you do what you say
The more you know you have total control
and hold the power over your schedule
Telling yourself anything different feels terrible
And when you feel more in control of it all you are likely to do more of what you want
It’s everything friends
So the other component to this is
Stop with the beating the crap out of yourself
You know
The chatter that goes on when you are at work
That you should be doing more for the kids
Or more for the partner
Or more for the dog
And then the chatter that goes on when you are home
thinking you should’ve done that project differently
Or
You shouldn’t said that to your client
Think of the time and energy you spend telling yourself how you are doing it wrong
There is no upside
Zero
We sometimes think if we do this enough we will finally figure it out
It’s not how it works
When you catch yourself going down that path stop
And listen
This is how our brain works
It’s always looking for the negative
You didn’t do it right
Don’t do it unless it’s perfect
You should know better
All of that chatter is normal
But you don’t have to believe it all
So when you hear that track going in your brain
Stop
Instead try giving
Yourself some credit
Recognize
That in this moment
What you are doing is important
What you are doing
is something you are choosing to do
In this moment
And friends
In my opinion
Balance of time is not about 50/50 all the time
I don’t really believe that exists
I think the balance comes in you
Giving yourself credit for all you do
Being present when you are doing what you are doing
So you are not wasting energy tearing yourself down
Make sense?
Sometimes work takes more time
Sometimes life needs more time
But the power –
or maybe since we are coming up on the 4th
we say – freedom
Comes in knowing you are in charge of it
Because from that place
You can start making the changes you want most
So – two pieces of follow up for you this week
Do the activity to write down your priorities
Look back at how you spent your last 24 hours
Decide if you wAnt to make any changes
And when you hear those voices in your head
Be sure to make them kind
Ok – that’s what I have for you today.
Let’s circle back next week
But for now –
Stay healthy and
Make it a great day – enjoy the 4th
Take care!