4 Ways to Manage Your Schedule for Work-Life Balance
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BusinessDictionary.com defines work-life balance as “a comfortable state of equilibrium achieved between an employee’s primary priorities of their employment position and their private lifestyle.” How you manage your schedule has a lot to do with whether or not you will be able to reach this state. Finding time to do the things you want means setting aside time for them, then protecting it fiercely.

Managing Your Schedule for Work-Life Balance: 4 Tips

I’ve learned that an empty calendar manages to fill itself up really quickly! If you keep putting off the things you want to do until you have some free time, chances are that might never happen. Instead, fill-in non-work time in your schedule with those things you want to do in life so that other things don’t find a way to creep in and take over every nook and cranny of your time!

1. Schedule Downtime

You can’t stay busy all day, every day. The fact that there is some open time on your calendar doesn’t mean that you have to give it to someone else. Keep time open for yourself, and treat that commitment just as seriously as commitments that involve other people. If you don’t take care of yourself first, you won’t be able to function at peak capacity in the other areas of your life.

It is not a lie to say, “Sorry, I already have plans on Tuesday evening” if your only plan is to take a nap, read a book, watch television, color in your adult coloring book, stare at the wall, or anything else that you want to do. This is important not just for alone-time, but also for family time and time with friends.

2. Make Appointments for Fun

If it seems that your friends are booked up every time you try to schedule a get-together, be proactive in scheduling gatherings and treat the events you schedule like any other important appointment.

I have a few groups of friends that I try to meet for dinner a few times each quarter. We always plan the next month’s meet-up before we leave the table, marking it on our calendars and holding the time open (barring emergencies, of course). This saves time, as it eliminates the back-and-forth of trying to find a time that will work for everyone, and also helps make it easier for people to plan other activities around much-needed friend time.

3. Establish a Routine

If there is something you want to do on a regular basis, look for an option that allows you to fit it into your life as a pattern that becomes a habit. For example, a friend and I have tried for over a year to get in the habit of meeting for lunches once a month. I think we made it twice out of 12 months. We’re both small business owners with schedules driven by client needs, so this is just not feasible for us.

We could have kept trying to do the same thing over and over, but the result would be the same. So, we came up with a different strategy. We’re both fitness-focused, so we have now set aside a time to exercise together. Every Wednesday that both of us are in town, we go walking early in the morning (before daylight). It works for us and helps us make progress toward fitness goals while also strengthening our relationship.

4. Plan Family Time

It can be just as hard to find time for busy families to get together as it is to set aside time for yourself and your friends. Failing to make time where family comes first sends a message to loved ones that they’re at the bottom of each others’ to-do lists. Instead, it’s important to reinforce and nurture family relationships. When I was growing up, no matter what else was going on, my family went to church on Sunday and out to lunch afterwards. This time served as a touchstone to make sure that we didn’t go a week without having the opportunity to just “be” as a family unit.

What you do together isn’t important – it’s the fact that you are together. Whether it is holding family dinners, going to sporting events, taking camping trips or enjoying family game night, the time you set aside for those who are precious to you really matters.

Be creative in finding ways to get together with family. For example, I have family in another state that I hardly ever saw for years. In my professional life, I travel frequently to teach seminars and corporate training workshops. I deliberately started scheduling seminars where they live so we would be able to see each other more often. They’re busy too, but we are at least usually able to get together for meals when I am in their city. That’s better than only seeing them once every few years. I’d be on the road anyway, so I figured that I may as well make the most of the time.

Time Management Matters Too

Of course, scheduling time for the things you want isn’t the only key to work life balance – you also need to manage your time effectively. It’s important to consider where your time is going and make wise choices. That’s the only way you’ll be able to find time to set aside for yourself and others. Making this a priority will help you be your best self, and also help you strengthen the most important relationships in your life.