In college I worked as a branch manager for Kinko’s –hands down one of the best companies I have ever worked for. It was in that role I learned about aligning team goals to corporate goals, using the correct measurements to drive performance and results and about having work-life balance.
Part of the Kinko’s philosophy said:
“We strive to live balanced lives in Work, Love and Play”
So, what does that mean and how does one achieve it? I have worked for big companies; I have started new companies and invented new products – sometimes doing more than one of these things at the same time. All take a lot of time, and can create periods of time when life is out of balance – and that is ok. You cannot always be balanced, but when you forget what balance is, and fill your life with only work you run the risk of waking up one day wondering where it all went, or if there was a point to it at all.
Schedule time for work and time for play: My personal approach is to use my Outlook calendar and task list. Blocking out big chunks of time to play with kids, connect with old friends, read, write and exercise. No one can schedule over the top of an hour that shows as full on my calendar. (they’ll try, you decide if it is worth it)
Manage your task list, don’t let it manage you: Write it down, assign it a date and if appropriate, a time. Prioritize tasks. I use an “A, B, C” model. A’s get done first, B’s Second, and C’s can be pushed to tomorrow if need be. (Note, if C’s get pushed to too many tomorrows, why are they even on the list)
Follow your dreams and passions: Not everyone can do the job they would be most passionate about (I never did get to sing in a rock band), but find a role or job that fulfills more than just the paycheck need. Life can feel more balanced when you are passionate about work. I work hard and play hard. Many times I play hard at work, because work is so much fun! In both my companies I love the clients, team-mates and industries I get to play in. And I get paid for it.
Authored by: Zack Clark, MBA
Zack is a Senior Consultant and one of the founding partners at Five Degrees Consulting. This is a blog we share between several of the Consultants at Five Degrees, guest authors and colleagues. We work with companies large and small on People and Organization strategies. Our work specializes in organizational development, leadership effectiveness and executive development. With a focus on working with leaders at all levels to create an intentional corporate culture, we help organizations increase employee engagement, energize working teams, develop critical leadership competencies and enhance strategic communications for more information about our services, please connect with us.