Steps Towards Achieving Work Life Balance

Work / Life balance is a goal that every one of us deserves. With balance, we can do what we want to do with greater ease and feel great about the results. When we feel balanced we are also more comfortable in our skin. I don’t know how you feel about it, but I am a firm believer that we all create our daily doses of reality.

To achieve our goals and move into the reality we wish to create, it pays to be clear about our intentions.

What is it exactly that we want to create? How will it feel when we arrive?

Combining the feelings of success with actionable steps takes your goals from a percolating thought into a manifested reality.

Here are 10 action steps that you can take to create a life full of balance, joy and greater success.

How do you plan your days for more balance?

1. Why set weekly goals?

When you know what you want or need to do every week, you know at the end of that week, what you did not do.

Knowing what you need to do helps you know what you did not get done. This knowledge will help you create the goals for the next day, and the next day.

Knowing what you did not do is key, so take a minute to let this one settle into your mind . . .

When you take time to plan and then review what happened each day, you will stay on track with your weekly goals and get more done with less stress.

2. How do you keep it simple?

Every day as you are working on your daily goals, take 5 minutes to see what you can do for yourself that provides pure joy and fun. This might be to walk outside and notice the flowers, or to stop and really listen to the birds. Bring fun and joy into every day, rather than putting it off for the next vacation. Bring a tiny bit of the feeling of vacation into your world today. It changes the feeling of the day.

3. Why choose only 3 daily goals?

Choose three things that you want to accomplish each day, only three. These main tasks are ones that will move you forward the quickest towards your end goal for the month or the year.

Three is often called a magic number for goal setting. We can easily handle, remember and tackle three things each day without overwhelm.

Accomplishing these tasks early in the day will allow the rest of your day to unfold naturally.

And guess what: once you have tackled your three goals, you will often accomplish more! After you are used to meeting your 3 goals a few days in a row, you become more confident and more powerful and often tackle many more.

Which daily habits bring more joy and calm?

4. Why show gratitude every day?

Take two minutes every day to show appreciation to someone in your life. Everyone can use a boost of acknowledgement. Acknowledgement is not just something to do; it is a way of being with big rewards. When you offer your heartfelt appreciation to others, you ignite a spark of appreciation for yourself as well. This makes showing gratitude and appreciation for others a win!

5. What does it mean to move forward boldly?

Every day take a big step and bold movement towards your goal. Momentum happens automatically when you take a huge leap forward so don’t take baby steps: jetapult towards your dream with bold action!

Believe it or not, bold actions help you create work life balance. You will naturally readjust and make progress in other areas as you move forward. Take bold actions in every area of your life and watch how they all complement each other!

6. How does simplifying help?

Eliminate things that you do not use or love every day. Keep a donation bin inside your house at all times and let go every day. Be clutter free. Messiness and accumulating “stuff” creates negative energy that truly leaves us feeling more heavy, more unbalanced, and adds to our “to do” list. Live your life in a clutter-free space. Download your FREE 7 Clutter Clearing Tips Guide Here.

7. How can you move your body more during the workday?

Since most of us are now sitting at home working, it is easy to turn into a couch (or chair) potato. I know that I did for a few months until I realized that my body was becoming stiff and cranky. So now I do yoga when I wake up, right after coffee (of course).

Every day take time to do whatever you need to do to get your body up, out of the chair and moving. Maybe it is taking 10,000 steps and tracking it on your smart watch; try to also work in five minutes a day of stretch/flexibility exercises.

Every little intentional movement will help you become more clear minded and give you a greater ability to focus when you get back to work.

8. Why spend time in silence?

Take 5 minutes every day to pause and listen to whatever sounds are happening in your world. There is more silence out there than you typically notice and taking the time to stop, listen and quiet your mind will help you easily achieve inner balance.

9. What does it mean to focus on your good?

Every day take small moments to recognize and appreciate the little things that bring joy. Choose to focus on what is working in your life. Maybe the hibiscus has just blossomed or a hummingbird hovered nearby to say hello outside your window.

Maybe your business just experienced an uptick in revenue or a client showed appreciation for your good work. When good things happen, take a moment to pause and be grateful. Gratitude brings joy and joy makes your world shine more brightly.

10. Why take time to reflect?

Notice your life. Notice your body. Notice. Notice. Notice. Be curious. It is amazing how much of life we miss and how much you will see by just reflecting. It is the only way we see our progress, others’ progress, and the world’s progress. Reflect. Notice. Be curious and grateful of your new awareness of all of the good you receive every day! It is always nice to find easy ways every day to bring more joy into your life!

Several of these steps grew out of a talk Kathi heard from Lorin Beller Blake; you can read her notes in 10 Things We Can Do To Achieve Balance. For more on daily goals, see Mastering Your Goals Through Thought, Speech and Action.