7-step plan to create work-life balance
Are you struggling to balance work and personal life? Are you missing your personal time? Then, it’s time to think about work-life balance. Modern life is quite hectic, and there is always some urgent or important task to do. Some days, it feels like our to-do list is never-ending. Then, how to create a work-life balance? In this blog, I will share with you some tips that helped me strike a balance. By practicing these tips, the quality of my life improved, and life became more fulfilling. I could strike the right balance in my life. I hope these tips will help you as well.
Work-life balance in my life
Like everyone, my life, too, is pretty hectic. I have so many things to do in a day, like work, family commitments, self-care, etc. My work consumes a significant amount of time and effort. I love to spend time with Jaanu and understand her world. Sanjay and I have our hectic schedules, but we both believe in spending quality time together. It is important for me to spend time with my parents. I am also passionate about keeping myself fit, and I love working out. And I need to rejuvenate every day by practicing meditation, morning ritual, evening ritual, etc.
I have all these things to do in a day, and time is limited. When our heart longs for different aspects of life, time becomes a precious commodity, and how we spend every minute matters.
Importance of work-life balance
From my experience, I understood that work-life balance is very important. Undoubtedly, work is an important aspect of our lives. It gives us purpose and helps us live our passion. But neglecting other aspects of life like health, relationships, etc., in pursuit of work is not worth it. A person may achieve great success at work, but if his relationships are messy or his health is in a poor state, he cannot truly enjoy the success of his work.
We need all areas of our life like health, relationships, finances, work, spirituality, hobbies, etc., to be well-balanced. We cannot sacrifice one for another. I understood this truth through an experience.
When I made the Nani movie, I was very excited. I had the best talents onboard like Mahesh Babu, S J Surya, A R Rahman, Ameesha Patel, and I gave my best to the project. I did not even dream that this movie will be a flop. But it flopped. And when it flopped, it hurt me badly. In that low phase, three things helped me come out of it quickly.
- Love and support of my family members and friends
- My meditation practices
- Working for my fitness
If I did not have the support of these three aspects, it would have taken me a long time to bounce back. I could work on these aspects because I already created a balance between work and personal life, and this balance helped me to bounce back from difficult situations. This experience reinforced the importance of having a proper work-life balance in life.
7 Steps to create work-life balance:
So, how to create a work-life balance? Here are 7 steps that can help you do it.
- Before you start working on your work-life balance, first understand what it means to you. Work-life balance means different things to different people. To some, it may be spending more time with family. To some, it may be focussing on all aspects of life. It depends on what stage of life you are in. Be clear as to what it means to you and write it down.
- Identify areas of your life which need your attention. Sometimes, we neglect certain aspects of life. Identify all such areas.
- For each area, be clear as to what you want to achieve. Don’t be vague. Be clear. Clarity about your goal helps you in achieving it.
- Think of the action steps you want to take to achieve your goals.
- Plan your day to accommodate these action steps.
- Have a schedule in place.
- Every day, at the scheduled time, practice these action steps. If you are in the beginning stage of your journey, start with small steps and work on them consistently. That gives you great confidence.
An example:
For example, say you are a working mother. You are busy with your work and taking care of your family. You neglected your fitness for many years. So, how to start working on your fitness? First, understand that your fitness is important for you. Prioritize this goal and start with 15 minutes towards fitness. Commit to spending 15 minutes every day on your fitness. Schedule a specific time. Will you spend 15 minutes at 9 AM or 10 AM? Be specific and have a schedule.
Every day, you probably can do some Surya namaskars or walk or workout in a gym or play any sport in these 15 minutes. When you start working consistently for your fitness, very soon, you start seeing results, and you will be motivated to do more. Fitness will gradually become a non-negotiable part of your life. In this way, identify the areas of your life which need improvement and work in small steps consistently. Consistency is the key. And don’t forget to have a schedule.
Take action today.
Work is amazing and exciting, but work alone cannot fulfill us. We need many other aspects of life to work for us to experience peace in life, and it is in our hands to make these aspects work. We need good health, fulfilling relationships, financial savings, a peaceful mind, spiritual experiences, a lifestyle we desire. Figure out what work-life balance means to you and come up with a plan on how you can achieve it. Today, start your journey towards creating a work-life balance in your life. Want to read more on this topic? Then check out this great book – The 4-hour workweek.
I wish you love and peace.
