Getting the Balance Right….

Put simply, Work Life Balance is about having enough time to be able to work AND to have outside interests along with catering for your responsibilities for example time with your family.

Does this sound like YOU?

• I often have to cancel arrangements to see friends at the last minute due to work commitments."
• “At weekends I am so tired from the week I rarely do much”
• “Hobbies are non existent during the week”
• “Monday to Friday is like an Operation”
• I rarely get home much before the children are asleep."
• I accept time –poverty as the price I must pay to escape money-poverty
• With today’s hectic pace of living, normal every day life takes so much out of me, there never seems to be any ‘me’ time left over.

If some of the above sound familiar then the chances are you haven’t so much chosen this unhappy pattern as drifted into it under the false belief that there is no other way. Unfortunately we all too often equate working hard with long hours. It doesn’t have to be that way, working hard is about working SMART and prioritising through effective time management. When an employee chooses to work smartly you can allow yourself be very competent at what you do and give the message of being “in control” this in turn can make you indispensable to your employer. When you do this your employer won’t want to loose you and may even work around possible work life balances measures in order to retain you. Adopting the work SMART strategy is a WIN/WIN all round.

BE CLEAR about what Work/Life Balance means to YOU?

Striking the right balance is very much about how YOU define balance and how would view yourself being successful in terms of work life balance

It has much to do with your priorities and your use of time, which in turn depends on your goals and personal values. Simply ask yourself what are your top 3 professional and personal goals/needs in life right now and consider what values these goals embrace. Once you do this you will get a clearer picture of how to prioritise in line with your goals

TIPS for upgrading your Work/Life Balance:

·          Determine what you really want to be spending your time on.

·          Look at all the essentials such as relationships, work/career, health,   hobbies and interests, personal development and work   on what you need to do to give sufficient attention to each, and on a consistent basis .

As a practicing coach I see an alarming number of clients who cannot understand why they feel so unhappy when they have the trappings of what is perceived by many as success- good job, nice car, house, family but there is a still a void. The usual causal factor is LACK of Work/Life balance. When a client becomes aware of this and takes control and decides not to accept these things and learns he/she has choices their world opens back up for them and their life is upgraded.

If you are one of those people that believe that exploring issues of Work-Life Balance is a luxury you simply cannot afford at this juncture in your life, then I urge you to think again.

Simple daily steps YOU can take to strike a successful Work/Life Balance:

1. Know what is causing you stress – once you can recognise this you are in a position to do something about it.
2. Slow Down. Life is simply too short, so don't let things pass you in a blur. Take steps to stop and enjoy the things and people around you..
3. Learn to Better Manage Your Time. Avoid Procrastination. For many people, most of the stress they feel comes from simply being disorganised and procrastinating. Learn to set more realistic goals and deadlines - and then stick to them.
4. Put your job in Perspective It is simpler said than done, but learn to let things go once in a while. So what if you didn’t file that paperwork away last Friday or make that unimportant call.
5. Take Charge. Set Priorities. Ask yourself what is the benefit of me getting this done? What will this give me?
6. Be pro active rather than reactive – move out of fire fighting zone and add a planning element to your day. This is the key to effective personal time management.
7. Ask for help – don’t be afraid to do this. Delegate or knock off your to do list if you do not have time or the task does not fit in with your current priorities. You wont be in a place to do this is you are not crystal clear on YOUR work priorities.
8. Get Help. If you are feeling overwhelmed with your work responsibilities, please get help and seek coaching for yourself. In many cases, you have options, but you need to take the time to find them.

About the Coach:

Jane Downes lives in Dublin and practices personal and executive coaching and runs her own business Clearview Coaching Group www.clearviewcoachgroup.com from Pembroke St. in Dublin City Centre. In addition, Jane Co Owns Irelands first Development, Assessment and Coaching Centre for Emotional Intelligence – Emotional Intelligence Ireland www.EiIreland.com Jane works with clients within a Personal Coaching context or Professional /Career coaching context.

Jane strongly believes in working on both personal and professional goals. She feels the line between personal and business life has blurred and it’s so important to work with ALL aspects of your life. You will find Jane’s coaching style to be sensible, no-nonsense and – yes – balanced.

Contact Clearview Coaching Group to discuss how Coaching can work for YOU - www.clearviewcoachgroup.com or Ph: 086 3952761

  Coming Soon!   – Jane Downes and Paul Mullen of Measurability have teamed up to deliver one of Ireland best Career Coaching Workshops. Commencing Autumn 08. Find out more by visiting www.clearviewcoachgroup.com