Are you stuck in a world where ‘work’ takes over your life and it feels nearly impossible to get a breath of fresh air? Girl, I’ve got you! I’ve been there, done that and FELT that. When you’re career driven and love accomplishing your goals, you will easily find yourself overwhelmed in the everyday of ‘never enough time’ and finding joy becomes less and less. I’m here to tell you that the crossroads of your CAREER and LIFE can meet, overlap seamlessly and provide you with a more full-filled you!
Sharing my best tips on how to improve work life balance here!
Enjoyed New York City for a couple of days while also attended a few meetings for ‘work’. I loved my time here where work seamlessly blended with ‘fun’!
Sometimes, life is all about mindset.
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A few books that have (literally) changed the way I think & helped me grow in my career
What is Work-Life Balance?
Work-life balance is all about finding a seamless sweet spot between your professional life and your personal well-life! It means intentionally managing your time and energy so you can meet both work commitments and personal desires, all while making self-care a priority.
Ideally, once your workday ends, you should be able to dedicate time to activities that truly nourish you. This is also where the real growth happens! In my opinion! This might involve enjoying moments with friends and family, diving into a favorite hobby, or pursuing personal passions.
A healthy work-life balance often includes:
- Setting Boundaries: This means drawing clear lines between your work and personal life. Define your specific working hours and make a conscious effort to separate professional tasks from your personal time.
- Effective Time Management: Learn to organize and prioritize your tasks efficiently. This ensures you allocate enough time for both your work responsibilities and personal pursuits, whether that’s family time, hobbies, or personal goals.
- Stress Management: Develop strategies to keep stress in check. This could involve practicing mindfulness, getting regular physical activity, taking intentional breaks, and completely unplugging from work when you need to recharge.
- Flexibility: Cultivate the ability to adjust your schedule as needed. This allows you to accommodate unexpected circumstances or personal needs without compromising your work commitments.
It’s important to remember that a healthy work-life balance isn’t one-size-fits-all. It looks different for everyone, depending on individual circumstances and preferences. The key is to discover a balance that supports your unique goals, needs, and overall well-being.
10 tips to achieve a healthy work-life balance
1. Time Management is Your BFF: In finance, time is money, and the same principle applies to work-life balance. Master your schedule. Create a daily to-do list, prioritize your tasks and get FOCUSED. Utilize calendar blocks for focused work sessions and schedule personal commitments with the same respect you give business meetings.
2. Prioritize: I know, it’s cliché, but it’s true. If your the one with endless to-do lists, focus on what truly matters. Learn to say no to projects that don’t align with your goals or drain your energy. Remember, it’s okay to delegate or outsource tasks. Trust your team, and give them the opportunity to shine!
3. Reshape Your Thoughts: The always-on culture can blur the lines between work and personal life. If you are working towards your dream career- it should never really feel like just ‘work’. You can create a seamless blend of work and life where you’re present in both. That’s not to say you’re creating this ‘i’m clocked out’ mentality either. Thats a toxic mindset to have when working towards your dream career. Maybe think about reshaping your thoughts around what your day looks like. We are what we think and so is our life. I know it’s not so ‘simple’, but at least from experience, I can tell you that once I started saying positive words in my mind about my work day- my day turned around.
4. Learn to Delegate: Don’t be a one-woman show. Empower your team! You have to learn to delegate tasks and not always expect only your version of perfection. Delegate tasks effectively, providing clear instructions and trusting the team’s abilities. In my role we use the 10.80.10 method. This is 10 percent instruction and direction/ clarity. 80 percent completion (team member) and the last 10 percent is for polishing/decision making. This frees up your time for strategic initiatives and allows your team to shine.
5. Embrace Efficiency, Not Perfection: Striving for perfection on everything all the time is a recipe for burnout. Focus on efficiency instead. Identify the most impactful aspects of your role and dedicate your energy there (‘perfect’ those tasks). Get really good at what your good at! This will make your work feel less like ‘work’. Delegate or outsource non-essential tasks that don’t require much perfection ‘right now’.
6. Recharge and Refuel: You are not a machine. It’s okay to prioritize self-care. Schedule regular breaks for walks, meditation, or simply disconnecting. Take advantage of your lunch break to nourish your body and mind! I do this all the time when I feel overwhelmed. I’ll grab me a smoothie or a coffee and sit outside for a bit- reflect on my thoughts. Ensure you get enough sleep – a well-rested mind is a productive mind! (easier said than done.) 🙂
7. Be Kind to Yourself: Life throws curveballs. There will be days when achieving a perfect balance feels nearly impossible. Don’t beat yourself up. Forgive yourself for mistakes and recommit to your goals the next day. Celebrate small victories and acknowledge your progress.
8. Romanticize your career: When you view your work as more than just a means to an end, you’re more likely to find fulfillment and purpose in your daily tasks. By focusing on the positive aspects of your career, such as the challenges you overcome, the relationships you build, and the impact you make, you can create a sense of passion and excitement that carries you through even the most difficult days. This positive mindset can lead to increased productivity, creativity, and a greater sense of accomplishment.
9. Set Goals for Yourself: One of my favorite things about my career is setting goals for myself and setting goals in our marketing department. Make these qrtly and semi annually. This will give you something exciting to think about when you get up in the mornings! Knowing how you can make a difference….makes a difference. How are we going to impact people for the year? What events are we planning and why? How can we become better leaders? These are a few of the goals we like to be thinking about at all times.
10. Take inventory of where you are: what I mean by this is start taking one day at a time and figure out if where you are actually makes YOU happy. A lot of times we tend to feel stuck because of places we’ve been pushed by those around us. Start asking yourself if this is what you want, is this where you want to be?
Remember, achieving work-life balance is a continuous process. Be patient with yourself, adjust your strategies as needed, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. By prioritizing your well-being, you’ll show up to your career not just as the ‘marketing director’, but as a well-rounded, fulfilled individual, ready to impact those around you, build relationships and think of work on an entirely new level!
Be sure to check out a few other career related blog posts here!
I’d love to hear from you! What are your top tips for achieving work-life balance in the fast-paced world of marketing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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