During the holiday season, maintaining a work-life balance becomes even more crucial, and proactively setting realistic expectations, planning time off, and fostering a supportive work environment can help entrepreneurs enjoy the festivities without compromising professional responsibilities. Coach PJ Weiland's article "Tackling work-life balance" explores the challenge of a work-life balance that we face, especially during the busy holiday season.
As a business owner or entrepreneur, you may have the freedom to control your work schedule, but that doesn’t make it easier to achieve a work-life balance. In fact, a study conducted by Melissa Milkie and her colleagues at the University of Toronto found that people who set their own working hours and work over 50 hours a week tend to have more, not fewer, work-life conflicts.
If it seems the work will never end, making changes in how you work can reduce your workload, free up time for your non-work life, and prevent burnout, can help move you in the right direction. Here are three ways to better manage your work hours by delegating, being productive, and segmenting smarter.
Delegate
If you’re just starting out, you may not be in a position yet to delegate much of what you’re doing to get your business off the ground. But experts say that three years in, you still shouldn’t be putting in 70 hours a week. Hiring right and training well will keep you from doing the job of two people.
How to Delegate Effectively - ActionCOACH
Be Productive
There are so many distractions to draw us away from the task at hand, and I don’t just mean the obvious ones like social media. You can get sidetracked from pursuing your most important goals by day-to-day emails and calls. If you’re not achieving what you set out to do each week, look closely at how you spend your time at work and consider trying a different time management system. We have a default calendar we share with our clients to help them more effectively manage their workdays, that we're sharing with you!
Download Sample Calendar for Balance
To Segment Smarter
Achieving a work-life balance doesn’t mean sticking to traditional working hours of Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, and not working the rest of the week. You might find mixing work and non-work segments throughout your week is more effective for your schedule and workflow. For example, managing email in the evening when there are fewer distractions might help you get through your inbox faster, and work more efficiently the following day, opening up time for a non-work activity.
As we navigate between professional responsibilities and personal well-being, the importance of maintaining a harmonious work-life balance becomes even more pronounced during the holiday season. By proactively setting realistic expectations, planning intentional time off, and fostering a supportive work environment, business owners can embrace the joy of the holidays while safeguarding their mental and physical health.
Edited from the original article by ActionCOACH PJ Weiland
https://www.actioncoach.com/blogs/tackling-work-life-balance/
November 17, 2023
