You have been hearing over the last several years that people are always trying to balance work and life. You might often hear “I am just trying to create a little work/life balance.” Your organization might have started a work from home program or offer flexible hours and benefits to support healthier lifestyle habits. Let’s face it, in our world trying to achieve a work/life balance is often hard work unless people are willing to undergo some serious lifestyle changes. You might even feel it’s impossible to achieve this phantom work/life balance, and you know what? You are right! Life/work balance is next to impossible.
However, you might know someone who has several things on the go at the same time, a busy professional life, raising a family, social commitments etc. You know how they often say “If you want to get something done, give it to an extremely busy person”, that type of person. You are left wondering how they accomplish all that, all at the same time. Well, to shed some light on these types of high performers, I turn the world of high-performance athletics and let you in on a little secret. What these types of people have mastered is the art and science of “blending” everything they have going on in life to become great performers in the workplace and other areas of their life.
Here are five tips high-level performers use that you can start implementing to help you become a blended high-level performer within your organization.
5 Tips for Blending
1) Determine what’s really important.
Ask yourself what is really important. Gaining insights into what really motivates you to come into work each day is very important and often overlooked. Are you looking to climb the corporate ladder or are you hoping to put two of your children through university? Determining what’s truly important will help you establish a solid performance foundation.
2) Be ready for sacrifices & opportunities.
What are the sacrifices you have to make in order to develop a blended lifestyle when it comes to work and living? There is no way around it – if you want to climb the corporate ladder, there are going to be sacrifices in other areas you need to make in order to put in extra work hours, upgrading your education, or even just pay your dues. It really comes down to the concept that you can have anything you want in life, just not all at once.
3) Start small.
Get clear on what small changes you have to start making. They are often something you can start immediately. The changes are usually not too big, but they will have meaning and impact, and they will start moving you towards achieving a blended work/life, enabling you to give each of those areas 100% energy and focus when required.
4) Get support.
Be clear and up-front with the person you report to each day. They need to have a clear understanding of what type of balance you are trying to achieve in order to ensure they are able to leverage your skills and abilities best. Also, look into your organization’s policies. This will give you greater insight and direction on the type of support you can expect from your organization.
5) Find role models.
Are there people on your team or within your organization that are masters of the work/life balance model? Discover what they are doing that is working and maybe what they have tried that didn’t work well. It will save you some time and energy. They may already have work/life balance tips unique to your organization that you can start using.
Within a very fast-paced culture trying to have a work/life balance might seem impossible for you to achieve. Not to worry – lots of people feel the same way. However, living a more blended life leads to improved individual and organizational performance. Just ask any high-level performer how they do it all and I am sure you will see the habits of someone who has mastered the art and science of blending work and daily life.
Turn Your Knowledge into Action
1) Determine if you are currently achieving work/life balance, or a work/life blend.
2) Take one of these tips and perform three actions that will move you towards achieving a work/life blend.
NEXT STEP
If you would like to learn more about how I can assist your organization to elevate performance, please contact me at 416-429-1247 or email at paul@actusperformance.com.
All the best in achieving your highest performance.
Paul
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