By Taylor J. Kovar, CEO – Kovar Capital

 

–Hey Taylor – My wife keeps telling me to find a better work/life balance, and while I know she has a point, I’ve got no clue how to do it. I can’t afford to work less, and that’s what throws off the balance. Any tricks for fixing this broken system? – Shawn

–Hey Shawn – Let’s get this system back on track! I believe in working hard, but never at the expense of your happiness. When you’re putting in 40+ hours a week, it’s hard to find time for anything else – that’s why you have to get specific in the ways you make time and prioritize your non-work life.

  1. Start the day on your terms. This is one of the simplest ways to relieve yourself from the stresses of work, and yet it’s incredibly difficult for a lot of people. If you currently roll out of bed when your alarm goes off, stumble to the shower, shove a piece of toast in your mouth and head to the office, that’s a pretty dreary morning. While you probably can’t start your workday later, you can get up earlier to make more time. Most people bristle at this suggestion, but after a few mornings of getting up a little earlier to go for a jog and read a book or catch up on an episode of a TV show you like, you’ll feel much, much better. Do something you enjoy before heading to the office instead of letting the rat race dictate your entire day.
  2. Shake up your schedule. Part of what makes the daily grind so tedious is being stuck in routine we don’t love. If you can break that cycle, you might be able to get more work done and have more personal time. Think about taking an extra 15 minutes at lunch to do something more than eat, and then make up that time at the end of the day. Or plan to do some paperwork at 10 pm after your wife goes to bed; that way it won’t interrupt personal time and you also won’t have to deal with it the next day.
  3. Find a new outlet. Sometimes the biggest problem with work is the pressure we put on ourselves. It’s good to be motivated and driven, but there’s a line that can be crossed when you start worrying and thinking about work all the time. If you start a new hobby or workout routine that takes up a little brain space, you might feel less overwhelmed. Meditate, do a jigsaw puzzle, make paper airplanes, whatever. You don’t need to put a ton of time into it, just enough to take your mind of work every now and then.

The common thread with these ideas is to change your schedule a little bit. That’s the simplest way to start. The concept of improving your work/life balance is daunting when viewed as a singular undertaking. If you break it down into little steps, it’s much more manageable. Good luck, Shawn!