Work Life Balance:
Self Care, Whether You Deserve It Or Not
by Molly Gordon, MCC
Do you ration the self-care you need to maintain work
life balance based on how well you have behaved or performed lately or
how much you have left to do? If so, you run the risk of running out of
gas in the middle of the night on a deserted highway.
The image is vivid, yet it can still be difficult to
care for ourselves and for each other when we lose work life balance getting
caught in a frantic pattern of busy-ness. It can even be hard to get enough
perspective to acknowledge that we are running in circles and on empty.
I'm no stranger to these difficulties, and I have good
news. Even the most frenetic busybody can learn to treat herself at least
as well as she would treat her car.
1. Make a list of things that
fill your tank, without which you cannot expect to function as a loving
human being. For example: Exercise; eating well; prayer and meditation;
petting the cat; eight hours of sleep. If you are really stuck in busy-ness,
ask a friend to gently point out what you are overlooking.
Keeping gas in the tank is a non-negotiable precondition
to being able to drive. It needs to be tended to every day. Take a few
minutes to fully appreciate that when you skip these things you are running
on fumes. With this in mind, make the decision that these tank-filling
activities are the functional equivalent of work and will no longer be
treated as optional extras or self indulgence.
2. Make a list of things that
are akin to getting the oil changed in your car. These do not need to
be tended to as often, yet, when you are honest with yourself, you will
find that know what the appropriate intervals are. Schedule them into
your calendar and keep your commitments. Breaking these commitments reduces
the life of your engine! Examples might include getting a bi-weekly massage
or having your teeth cleaned every six months.
3. List those things that are
the equivalent of getting a car wash. Strictly speaking, these items may
not have a direct effect on your car's performance, but it sure seems
to run better and it is definitely more fun to drive. (In my family, we
call a good car wash the poor man's tune-up.) For me, a visit to the hot
tubs, a pedicure or a haircut fall into this category.
The above examples are of personal self care. How about
doing this exercise with your mate or with the whole family as the basis
for setting priorities for the future? How would establishing these priorities
affect your ability to enjoy work life balance?
* * *
 Learn
more about Authentic Promotion - a comprehensive small
business marketing resource that turns marketing and self promotion into
a path of increasing self-awareness, authenticity, and right livelihood.
In particular, the strategies of maintaining your work-life
balance you learn to apply will build the solid foundation for your
authentic prosperity as an entrepreneur.
* * *
Contact an acknowledged expert
on work-life balance issues for small business owners Molly Gordon at:
Shaboom Inc. Life could be a dream…
PO Box 195
Suquamish, WA 98392-0195
mgordon@authenticpromotion.com
As a business coach and small
business marketing consultant, Molly Gordon, MCC, is available in Greater
Seattle Area and internationally |
