Stop Stressing Over Work/Life Balance

work life balance doesn't exist

We have all heard the term “work/life balance.” It’s a catchphrase that has been used to describe an individual’s ability to balance the demands of work and life. Chances are that at some point in your life, you have tried achieving work/life balance as a goal, and I could almost bet that trying to achieve this balance has caused you quite a bit of stress. It’s caused you stress because, in reality, work/life balance does not exist. I am here to invite you to stop stressing over work/life balance and instead strive to achieve life balance. You may think this is the same, but it’s not. Most people seeking work/life balance are overworked, unhappy with their work, or are struggling with difficulties in their relationships inside or outside work, sometimes both.

 

If your work feels completely unrelated to the activities that stir your interest, enthusiasm, energy, and sense of meaning, then it may be time for you to transition to the next step of your career. While your work doesn’t need to satisfy all of your needs for purpose, meaning, social connection, and challenge, you should expect work to provide you with moments of satisfaction, accomplishment, and connection. If it doesn’t, then you do not need work/life balance…you need a new job, or you may need to change careers. 

 

However, if you are getting fulfillment and satisfaction from your work but feel that you just don’t have time for anything else, then that may mean you have to learn how to delegate or create boundaries. You may also need to establish priorities to learn how to integrate your personal and work life and ultimately find life balance.

 

Technology and work-from-home flexibility have contributed to much of this “off-balance” feeling. We work from home, and our devices are connected 24/7, which can adversely affect our mental health, emotional well-being, and relationships. So how do we disconnect, and how do we find this “life balance?”

 

Rewire Your Mindset:

Yes, mindset is key when seeking life balance. When life is busy, or all your energy is focused on a special project, it’s all too easy to find yourself off balance, not paying enough attention to important areas of your life. While you need to have the drive and focus if you’re going to get things done, taking this too far can lead to frustration and intense stress. We must understand that we are one person with many responsibilities and interests that can be balanced. The key here is that we are “one person” and to look at our life as one life vs. dividing our life into two different areas. You are one person that enjoys hobbies, family, a significant other, kids, pets, and work. Work is an integral part of your life, so why try to keep it separate? Keeping this division adds to our stress. Instead, I recommend integrating all of the areas of our life, including work and finding balance.

 

Integrate Life: 

Life integration will look very different for all of us. Work-life integration involves blending both personal and professional responsibilities. Rather than viewing work and personal time as separate entities, is finding areas of compromise. If you arrange your work and home lives, so they fit together to fulfill all your needs, you can create a life with time for your work and relationships, family, and outside interests. The advantage of life integration is freedom. When we integrate our life, we feel free, and our stress levels decrease. Integrating means that you are scheduling hours around your priorities and when things need to get done. It also means understanding productivity times and setting boundaries.

 

Set Boundaries:

When integrating life to find life balance, it is crucial to set boundaries. This means that to have work and personal life coexist, you must maintain firm boundaries between home and office, allowing you to devote your full attention to each at a given time. This means scheduling office hours, time for emails, and conference calls and the same goes for your personal items. 

 

Understand Priorities:

Prioritizing is key to a life balance. We must understand that sometimes our work will require a little more attention, and sometimes our home or personal life will require that extra attention. As one person, we could only do so much, so it’s important not to feel guilty when prioritizing what needs the most time and attention and enjoy the times when we are smooth sailing.

 

Here are some additional tips that may help:

🌟 Create time to reflect: go for walks after lunch, take advantage of slow periods, go on mini-vacations, turn off email notifications on weekends

🌟 Align your work with your purpose and passions: do work that moves you and understand you’re why

🌟 Utilize your talents: challenge yourself at work or raise your hand for a project that excites you

🌟 Find time for high-value activities: volunteer, run or walk a 5k, collect for your favorite charity, or take an art class

🌟 Invest in your relationships: create time for your family and friends; go to lunch or dinner; plan activities; make a phone call

🌟 Be flexible: know that life is not perfect and that even challenging times can provide a gift or opportunity to learn

 

The key to life balance is enjoying your life without having to separate or compartmentalize life. 

Want to learn more about following an integrated life balance approach to work and life without stress? Schedule a free consultation: www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

 

About Be Productive:

Speaking at WEC Annual Conference

Founder Vimari Roman changes lives by helping professionals achieve peak performance and fulfillment through career strategies, coaching, professional branding, and mental fitness.

She began her career in Hospitality, and after over 20 years, she realized she had outgrown her career; in 2013, she transitioned her skillset, earned her Certificate in Meeting Management, and started her first company, Be Productive Meetings & Events. After a great start, she felt that something was still missing. She went inward and discovered that she missed the coaching and leadership of her teams. A year later, in 2014, she received her Global Certificate in Leadership Coaching and founded Be Productive Coaching, a boutique firm based in Miami, Florida. With over twenty-five years of experience in leadership, Vimari has mentored and coached hundreds of high-performing professionals in various industries, amplifying their unique talents and strengthening their mental muscles to help them achieve peak performance, fulfillment, and growth.

Vimari is a Certified Leadership and Positive Intelligence Coach who speaks on Mental Fitness, Professional Branding, and Career Strategies and Transitions. She is a proud and engaged member of the South Florida ICF Chapter, and in 2019 she was recognized by LinkedIn as a LinkedIn Career Expert.

Know someone who could benefit from working with a coach specializing in career strategies, professional branding, positive intelligence, and mental fitness? Personal Introductions are the lifeblood of solopreneurship! www.beproductivecoaching.com

It’s Halftime: Steps to Navigating Your Transition

“I had a successful career yet I knew there was something even more significant I wanted to do with my life.”


This was me when I hit the “halftime” in my career and personally. I had achieved success, titles, corner offices, bonuses, and the six-figure salary in a 22-year career but I knew there was much more to life. I also knew that I didn’t have the right partner to spend the next half with. 🤯

I knew that I needed to serve at a higher level. NO that didn’t mean a higher title or salary. It meant that I needed to utilize my God-given talents to serve others and truly leave a legacy.

I knew I wanted to feel honored and loved. I wanted a life partner that I trusted and enjoyed being with, and that supported my need for service.

My halftime took place in 2013. Within a few months, I separated from my last corporate job, got divorced, and started my own business.

That transition took guts and it took strong mental muscles. It took me believing in myself and what God had planned for me. 💪🏼🙏🏼🧠
Today, I feel blessed to have had that halftime awakening because I now get to use my talents to do work that fulfills me while serving others. I get to share my life with a partner that I enjoy spending time with. A partner that loves and honors me. I’ve done more in the last eight (8) years than I did in 22 and the good news is that YOU CAN TOO!

Whether it be in your career or personal life, you’re in “halftime” when you face a transition that leaves you asking “what’s next?” Halftime is not determined by age but rather by stage.

You are in the halftime stage if you…

💥 You leave work each night feeling stressed, deflated, sad, and uninspired.
💥 You are no longer excited or challenged in your position or workplace.
💥 Your relationships and physical health are suffering from the anxiety you feel.
💥 You want to feel confident again.
💥 You want to feel excited and fulfilled doing work that will make a difference.
💥 You want to feel closer than ever before to God, your spouse, and your family.
💥 You want greater clarity to redefine your goals, passions, and purpose.

If this sounds like you then this means that you are ready to venture and journey towards your life’s purpose. You are ready for greater significance!

Now you are probably wondering, okay, so what’s next? How do I move forward with this transition?

I am not going to lie, transitions take time but the good news is that you are not alone and there are many steps you can take to help you navigate this halftime. The first thing is to take action – Action Always Beats Intention!

💥 Align yourself with other leaders making a difference in your areas of interest.

💥 Keep moving forward – have faith that you will soon discover your next steps and take one action each day that will help you get closer.

💥 Go back to your younger self and ask “what did you want to be when you grew up?” Listen to your younger self and write down what he/she tells you.

💥 Go inward: think about what moves you, what brings you joy, and what you would want more of in your life. Then do start doing more of that.

💥 Strengthen your mental muscles. Transitions take strong mental muscles, motivation, and peak performance. You’ll need to be dramatically calm and clear to create lasting change. The best leaders, athletes, and entrepreneurs have strong mental muscles. Yet 80% of people score below the minimum level of mental fitness required for peak performance and happiness. You’ll need to implement mental fitness to build strong mental muscles to help you navigate your saboteurs when they attack you. Take your free saboteur assessment so that you can recognize your saboteurs and be ready when they get ready to hijack you: https://assessment.positiveintelligence.com/saboteur/overview

💥 Get someone in your corner that can help you. This could be a friend, an ex-colleague, a mentor, or a coach. If you hire a coach make sure it’s someone who works in this area of expertise and has some references.
If you find yourself in “Halftime” then I want to congratulate you. Take these steps and you’ll find that your second half can be even better than your first.

If you want someone who’s in your corner to help you navigate this transition, I can help. 👋 Schedule a free coaching session: www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

10 Job Search Tips to Keep Your Search Productive

These Job Search Tips Will Keep Your Search Productive Even During Covid-19

Many often say that the best time to look for a job is while you have one. But we all know that things aren’t always perfect. Many times we find ourselves having to do something unexpectedly. COVID-19 for many has proved to do that with the lay off’s and furloughs. Yet, life must go on, and the job search must continue. That job search can be a daunting task, and especially when we do not have one. Here is a shortlist of 10 tips that have helped many of my clients get back into the marketplace within just a few weeks. Note that during this pandemic, it may take a little longer, but don’t get discouraged; the show must go on, and businesses are still hiring!

  1. Get clear on your job search. Know what your ideal next step is and what positions interest you. Think about what is essential for you, i.e. money, growth, being challenged, culture, etc. (wants, needs, bonus).
  2. Polish your professional tools. Once you get clear on your strategy, it’s time to update your resume, LinkedIn profile, and also have a cover letter template ready to customize and send. No, this is not so 1989, cover letters are still required in 2020 even if they don’t ask for them.
  3. Make a list of target companies or industries. Having a strategy includes knowing what companies you want to target and industries that interest you. These will be your focus at the beginning and where you will begin your search. Remember where attention goes energy flows.
  4. Write out an action plan. How many positions will you apply for daily or per week? When and where will you start your search? What platforms will you use? Who will you contact and when?
  5. Schedule time daily. For example: Search on Indeed from 10-11 am, type cover letters from 11:30 am-12:30 pm, and apply for ten jobs from 2 pm-4 pm.
  6. Network. Use LinkedIn to get in touch with old colleagues and friends that could help you. Identify people you could connect with within your industry that may be hiring. Reach out to recruiters, email, and make phone calls, etc.
  7. Don’t forget self-care. The job search can be stressful. Take breaks, skip a day, go for a walk, exercise, journal, meditate, do anything that makes you feel good, and keeps you motivated.
  8. Keep the momentum. Consistency is key! Even when you are not in the mood. Keep going, and you will get the job eventually. It may take longer than you expected it. It may be daunting, but if you stop, you will lose momentum. Do not quit!
  9. Prepare for what’s next. Get your interview skills in order by practicing with a loved one. Be ready for an on-line zoom interview. Create a follow-up schedule (yes, you may follow up on applications). Have your thank you notes or emails available.
  10. Ask for help. If you need help with your tools or interview skills or a professional reference, do not hesitate to ask. People love helping people. Use your resources. If you do not feel comfortable asking for help, then hire a professional. Do not be afraid to invest in yourself and your career. You are not alone!

 

Let's Chat. Have questions or would like a free consultation?

Schedule a time that’s most convenient for you.