A common quote says that getting the best out of life is all about balance. The right amount of work balanced with the right amount of play, or family time.
Balance is a balancing act however. If we want to get ahead at work or school we have to work a bit harder. (Don't suggest that we can work smarter rather than working harder because you have to think about how you can work smarter which in itself is working harder).
So what does balance mean? It means different things to each of us. The best way I have found to get the balance right in life is to list my values and then my goals.
Values are those things that are important to us and if broken, will break our brain. Our life won't have balance because it will now be filled with guilt and regret. You will spend your days thinking about why you shouldn't or should’ve done something.
You will know what your values are, they are intrinsic, they come from inside. List just three. They could be honesty, loyalty, and happiness. Ask Dr Google for help if you need to find a value that resonates with you.
Goals are next. What do you want to achieve in three areas of your life - home, work, and personal. Why did I list them in this order, because for me home and family are my foundation. Work is next on the list for me. I have a business to run and need it to succeed so that my family is taken care of. You may wish to reorder work and personal goals.
Now list the goals, three is a good number, five is okay, any more than this and you may end up disappointed when you go through your goals and see that you haven't achieved as many as you listed. Some say not to set limits, I like to be realistic. Your goals must be aligned to your values.
Every so often, have a look at your goals and see if they are still appropriate. You may have to modify them as you start to work on them because our life changes. Remember to concentrate on all three areas of your life, so often we focus on work to the detriment of our home and self.
As life is so busy these days we need to take a breath to centre ourselves, to refocus. Listing our values and goals is a good way of doing this. Try it and watch how you actually achieve more as your brain focuses on what is important to you, not what is important to others.