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All work and No play?

Having just come back from a holiday in sunny Cyprus, my focus is most definitely not on work!  Staring at my PC for inspiration on how to handle the mountain of emails in my inbox got me thinking of life outside of work.

Don’t get me wrong. Work is great (well, it should be and if not, that can be a topic for another article). Work gives us an opportunity to achieve, contribute, develop, make friends, pay bills etc. 

Many people do great work at work but are less successful outside of work, either at getting time for themselves and their friends and family.  They make the mistake of putting other’s needs ahead of their own.   Often, they feel stressed or just tired and stale.   You
see work, life outside work and relaxation have to go together. We need to work hard at keeping our life in balance, or else we can drain our energy, lose focus, and experience a drop in productivity.

So, are you working hard at living the life you want or are you tolerating things?   Sounds good in theory but is hard to apply in "real" life.  With the constant demands from our work and families, it may be difficult to imagine a life that allows for all the things we would like to do.  There is a Chinese proverb, “a journey of a thousand miles starts with a small step” and here are some small steps we can take to get back into balance.

Before you start deciding on any changes you want to make to your life, you need to know where you are and where you want to be. I came across these deceptively simple looking questions (author, Caroline Righton), which can be tough to answer honestly.  I think they are a good starting place, to think about how things are. Ask yourself:

• What happens in your day-to-day life that makes you grumpy (irritated)?
• What things in life do you look forward to?
• Is there a theme you keep coming back to when you think about something you regret?
• In terms of a day, a week and a year, what would be your ideal life?

The minutes of each day are your currency and it is important that you have a clear idea about where you are spending your time and where it could be spent, in your ideal life.  This is where the Wheel of Life can help. It helps you consider each area of your life in turn and assess what’s off balance and identifies areas that need more attention.  It is powerful tool because it gives you a vivid visual representation of the way your life is currently, compared with the way you'd ideally like it to be. It is called the "Wheel of Life" because each area of your life is mapped on a circle, like the spoke of a wheel.

How to use it!

Consider each dimension in turn, and on a scale of 0 (low) to 100 (high), write down the amount of attention you're giving to that area of your life. Mark each score on the appropriate spoke of you Life Wheel. Now join up the marks around the circle. Does you life wheel looked and feel balanced?

Next, consider your ideal level in each area of your life. A balanced life does not mean getting 100 in each life area: some areas need more attention and focus than others at any time. The reality is our time and energy is not elastic and can’t be stretched to fit all our needs. So what are your priorities? What would be the ideal level of attention in each area? Plot the “ideal” scores around your life wheel.

There are almost certainly areas that are not getting as much attention as you'd like. However there may also be areas where you're putting in more effort than you'd ideally like.  Can your energy and enthusiasm be better directed elsewhere?

Remember that Chinese proverb? So, now you have identified the areas that need attention, what small steps are you going to take to regain your balance? What can you STOP doing or reprioritize or delegate to someone else? Make a commitment.

Good Luck on your journey….and a concluding quote to galvanise you to take that small step!

“Don't wait till you hear the knock on the door to do your thinking and saying. Death is a tough exam to cram for at the last moment.”

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