We start with a great idea that we believe we can turn into profit. We hit the ground running and make the rest of our lives fit around the business – or career. The world is full of help for people suffering from lack of ‘work/life balance’. We finally understand the dangerous effect that stress is having on our lives.
For everything you get, there’s something you have to give up… or work around. Not many people take the time to list the criteria of what a successful life means to them. Sometimes with my clients, we find contradictions in their goals because they haven’t defined what success means to them.
Take time to define YOUR idea of success – it’s not only money! Other things to consider are:
- How many hours do you want to work a week?
- How many weeks of vacation a year? When?
- Time to commit to your health?
- Time to commit to your family?
- Time to commit to YOU?
- What on your bucket list do you want to achieve this year?
- How are you going to contribute to your community?
Remember, you are much more than your work. That out-of-whack feeling usually happens when we’re not feeding all the other areas of our lives. When someone asks you how you’re doing, don’t wear the answer, “Oh, I’m soooo busy”, as a badge of honour.
Originally published in Work Better, Not Harder on February 3, 2011
