Balance: Taking Time for Yourself

From the June 2008 issue of The Pioneer Strategist:

This month's column ventures off the beaten path, but I believe the topic to be an important one. The topic is balance -- something that often seems like an impossible dream for many of us.

Balance can be defined as "a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc."

Unfortunately, this kind of balance is all too rare in the business world. Many businesspeople, especially business owners, with whom I come into contact feel like their workdays -- and their work lives -- are spinning out of control. They find themselves working an inordinate amount of the time. They are always stressed and always exhausted. They are always on the go and always burning the candle at both ends. They feel like they are always responding to whatever comes up next. They feel spread too thin. They rarely take time for themselves. This list could go on and on...

This kind of work-life imbalance eventually takes its toll. It impacts workers' families and health. It impacts job satisfaction.

From an employer's perspective, it also impacts productivity. If you are worn out and frazzled, your work will suffer. Your accuracy and efficiency will suffer. Your creativity will suffer.

If you are to be at your best, it is important to take some time for yourself. I write this from the perspective of someone who spent last week out of the office, on vacation at the beach (the photo below was taken at sunset over the sound at Topsail Beach on Friday, June 27).



Take some time for yourself. Set aside time to:
- Spend uninterrupted, quality time with loved ones
- Do something you enjoy that has nothing to do with work
- Read
- Think, strategize & plan without interruptions
- Rest & recharge

Taking time away from the "busyness" of the daily rat race will enable you to clear your head, clarify your thoughts and recharge your batteries. It will improve your business, and it will improve your life. As Stephen Covey said in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, this is "sharpening the saw."

At first glance, taking time for yourself may seem like time wasted -- but it is in fact an investment in your long-term effectiveness and happiness.

Recommended Reading:
Ordering Your Private World, by Gordon MacDonald