The juggle of balancing a work life with a personal life can seem nearly impossible. Balls drop, plates fall, and sometimes things get left in the air. So, how do you get sh*t done (also known as #GSD) without feeling like you are part of the circus?
Productivity can come in many forms. To start, you can be productive through task completion, self-development, increasing efficiency, or mental rewirement. All of these, and many others, add to your productivity and can give you the feeling that you are on the path to overall improvement. However, I believe that while on the path to productivity and self-improvement, you must ask, are you also being successful at maintaining relationships outside of the office? As important as it is to work towards a goal and #GSD, as with anything worth doing, it can come at a cost. Through many rounds of trial and error, I’ve landed on five ways to, #GSD, maintain balance, and nurture relationships – professional and personal – along the way.
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Set Clear Goals
What do you really need to get done and on what timeline? Understanding if things need to be prioritized today or can wait can help you clear out your calendar for personal time. Setting goals can include daily tasks, long-term projects, or general commitments – both professionally and personally. Once you have a clear sense of your priorities, it is much easier to get realistic about what you can accomplish and when.
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Establish Boundaries
Often when you think of boundaries, they fall into the personal category. I challenge you to stretch your definition to personal and professional. Some work boundaries are unnecessary like attending every event you are invited to or working extended and unnecessary hours. ‘No’ is not a bad word, it’s okay for you to say it sometimes. For socializing, let friends and family know your availability and commit to being fully present – which translates to not sneaking and checking emails or text messages. Setting these boundaries upfront on both the personal and professional side allows you to set and manage expectations to #GSD.
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Be Present
In my view, 30 minutes of your fully present mind with a person or on a task is better than 3 hours of fragmented and distracted time. When you are working, silence your notifications and fully focus on the task at hand – you might be surprised how much you can accomplish when you don’t “task hop.” When you are with family and friends, put your phone aside and really enjoy that time together. Being present can be a challenge if you have built a habit of “task hopping” but it is absolutely possible. In fact, once you build (or rebuild) your focus muscle, you might wonder why you ever participated in life in a different way.
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Embrace Flexibility
Even with the schedule you set out, understand it can and will change. Things come up on both sides that you might need to attend to quickly. Your internet goes down, and now you can’t do the research you intended to. Your kid is sick, now you are rushing to get them and take them to the doctor. Your boss or client calls with an urgent request, now you have to step away from a family dinner to answer the call. These things happen. Just be mentally prepared for them and it will make the transition easier. It’s helpful to also prep those around you to know that if you have to flip into work/personal mode quickly they understand it is a necessity and not a want. You are a whole person and that means that the other side of the equation sometimes will win, even when it isn’t their scheduled time.
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Give Yourself Grace
If you can’t accomplish everything you planned in a day, it’s okay. Those suboptimal days happen. Mental agility and flexibility are important, especially for high-achievers, like myself, who want to get all the things done. Every. Single. Day. This is not realistic, friend. So, take a breath (and a break if you need), recalibrate, set a new goal, and give yourself some grace. Then, get back to it, tomorrow.
It can feel sometimes like an upward battle that will never happen, but don’t forget that productivity and relationships aren’t mutually exclusive. With proper planning, mental focus, and communication, you can make it work. Even top executives at Fortune 500 companies often have found time for a successful personal life. You know it is possible. So, start with outlining your priorities, then set a schedule, and consistently work at being present. Take it one day at a time and allow yourself to be imperfect. Those imperfections don’t come at a cost, rather they can often inspire better work at the end. So go out there and #GSD!
