If you’re reaching for the top of your field of expertise, chances are you are working ridiculous hours, neglecting your health, self and family. This is counterproductive if you want to have it all.
Your hard work should be contributing to your life, not be the sum of it.
Here are some tips to help ensure you maintain your performance without compromising the rest of your life.
1. Be Ruthless with Time.
The more ruthless you can be about managing your time, the greater the benefit. However, the secret of success in making this tip really work for you is flexibility.
I can guarantee despite the military precision of your planning, the rest of the world is not going to play along. Be prepared for this, have contingency plans ready.
Also, lower your tolerance of time wasting activities and people. Rather than spending 15 minutes on social media to snatch a mini-break, go for a walk. Spend more time with positive people who support, encourage and promote you.
Related: Smart Goal Setting - Goals on Track
2. Be a Healthy Mind.
Guard your mental health ferociously. Manage your stress levels and choose stress-reducing strategies that are good for you in the long-term.
Meditation, exercise and activities like yoga all are proven to be very beneficial contributing to your wellbeing and ultimately, to your productivity.
3. Be a Healthy Body.
If you’re asking your body to get up early, work late, carry you through stressful situations, meet with people who don’t believe in keeping their germs to themselves, it stands to reason that you help it out.
Make sure you eat good food regularly, drink loads of water, exercise and keep the hand sanitizer close by. Stock up on supplements during the cold and flu season. Have regular check ups.
4. Be a Healthy Spirit.
Whatever your particular beliefs about religion and/or spirituality, it’s important that you make space for regular opportunities to lift your spirits.
If you follow a religion or spiritual path, reconnect and maintain that connection. If you are an atheist, consider visiting more art galleries, go to music concerts or consider volunteering in your local community.
Whatever makes you feel more connected, do it and don’t neglect it.
5. Maintain Strong Personal Relationships.
Your primary relationships i.e. your partner and family need to be nurtured too, especially when you’re under pressure. Don’t take your loved ones for granted.
I don’t mean to be negative, but there may well be a time when you regret passing up on that cuppa with your nana, or you’ll wish you brought home a bouquet of flowers to your partner.
Never pass up on an opportunity to tell the people in your life, how much you feel for them.
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Remember you always have the opportunity to make your life even better. There is always space for more fun, more pleasure and more of the activities that enrich and expand your life experience.
Are you balancing all areas of your life to have it all? Tell us in the comments how you do it.
Image by Khánh Hmoong.
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