5 Tips for Maintaining Work-Life Balance

The idea of maintaining work-life balance might seem to be a myth and many times in our careers our work lives can feel overwhelming.

Instead of struggling for a balance that might not exist we can instead seek out a way to work that works for us and our unique lifestyle, while allowing us to maintain sanity.

Consider the following five factors when thinking about work-life balance and what is best for you.

Learn to say no. An important key to getting to a balanced place in your life is developing the ability to say no. Your mental health will thank you. Your stress level will thank you. And your work life will thank you. No one can do it all. Understand your limits and be willing to protect them with a well-calculated “no.”

Set structure and boundaries. There will always be exceptions, of course, but we need to be clear about the boundaries we set for our work lives and give it an appropriate structure. For example, you might choose to avoid working past a specific time each day or decline to work on the weekends. Additionally, you might add a walk around the block to your work schedule or after-lunch routine. Perhaps a brief nap or time for reading in the afternoon is what you need to regain focus and energy.

Take advantage of time off. You have time off for a reason. Use it. Whether it’s for a holiday or personal days off, be sure to take time off from your job and recharge. This time should be carefully guarded and carefully planned to ensure that it provides the maximum benefit to your personal like and to your career.

Use technology wisely. There are many problems for which tech companies claim to have a solution for. Unfortunately, some technology solutions simply add to the stress and busyness of life. Be sure that when you add tech to your plans that the technology actually solves the problem you need solving. If you have a work phone, consider getting a personal phone, too, so you can turn off the work phone at times without being available 24-7.

Focus on your health. Perhaps the most important thing you can do for your work life balance is to pay attention to your health and get adequate rest, eat healthy foods, eliminate harmful habits, and be sure to have an exercise regimen. Also, pay attention to your emotional health and mental well-being and seek out professional help when necessary.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 5 Things You Must Do in Order to Be Successful

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from Inc. shares 5 things you must to in order to be successful, according to Bill Gates, starting with learning to say "no". Check out the video to learn more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 10 Tips to Change Your Life for the Better

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 10 Tips to Change Your Life for the Better: "
  If your day-to-day doesn’t revolve around projects you’re truly passionate about, take a step back and outline activities that do align with your strongest feelings."

• 15 Traits of Unstoppable People: "Without a healthy dose of self-confidence, you’ll be tempted to accept defeat when you should be finding a way to bounce back from failure."

• Want to Win? Write Stuff Down: "good documentation fuels your company with fluid communication and prevents it from being dragged down by cloistered knowledge."

• When is it Acceptable to Say No to Your Boss?: "Whether you have a great boss or an overly demanding one, you’ll most likely land in a scenario where you’re asked to do something you don’t want to do."
• 9 Hacks to Help You Save More Money: "The higher your net worth, the more passive income potential you have. The more passive income you have, the less you need from your next paycheck."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 3 Types of "No" You Need For Your Career

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In the video below, Rich Bellis from Fast Company, discusses how to say "no" in different situations at work to put yourself at an advantage.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Ways to Work Less But Get More Done

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 6 Ways to Work Less But Get More Done: "Say no to more things than you say yes to. Choose your projects carefully and purposefully. A general rule of thumb is to focus on one thing at a time. Have one goal, or one big thing, that needs to get done everyday, and focus on that."
• 11 Easy Ways to Boost Your Energy in the Afternoon: "The best way to combat a slump is by getting something done. Instead of tackling a tough issue that you’re likely to give up on midway through, send one sincere thank-you email to someone who has helped you on your journey."

• 5 Reasons to Make a Lateral Career Move: "When you take a new job, even if it’s a role you are very familiar with and even if it’s in your department, you learn a lot. Your 'learning muscles' get revved up and your confidence grows."

• How to Make a Great First Impression: "Before meeting someone new — whether it’s a potential employer or a new client — do your homework. Know who you’re meeting, what he cares about, and what he might need from you."
• 3 Brain Hacks to Boost Your Motivation When You Need it Most: "When we know that our work will make a difference to someone else, it makes us work harder."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Say No in Order to Achieve Your Goals

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In the video below from Entrepreneur, Emily Richett shares some tools to help you learn to say no and properly budget your time and energy.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Things to Stop Doing at Work

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 5 Things to Immediately Stop Doing at Work: "You may be so used to trying to knock three things off of your to-do list at once that focusing on a single task seems like a luxury. But ... research from Stanford University has shown that your productivity seriously suffers when you attempt to accomplish too much at the same time."


• 10 Career Lessons You Should Learn by Your 30s: "It’s not always easy to spot the "good eggs" from those who are insincere or who have a bad reputation that could tarnish yours. And if you’ve made professional enemies, their impressions could come back to haunt you later in your career."


• Stop Trying to Please Everyone: "While saying yes to every assignment may initially please senior execs, it usually leaves people over-stressed and inundated with work — a lot of which ends up half-finished or forgotten. In the long run, no one is happy."


• 6 Ways Women Sabotage Their Professional Success: "What message do you want to send? Pay attention to your language, choose your words carefully and for goodness’ sake, do not use minimizing language that takes away the power of your message."


• If You're Not Happy Make a Change: "Simply taking action doesn’t guarantee results ... But if you don’t take action there is only one guarantee, and that is your situation will never improve and you will remain unhappy."

High Five Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 6 Must-Ask Questions Will Keep Your Career on Track
"You must manage your career – or fall victim to someone else managing it for you. Here are six questions that you must manage in order to keep your career on track."


2. How to Say No Without Burning Bridges
"If you thoroughly weigh the pros and cons and decide that the job isn't right for you, don't be shy about letting the employer know."

3. Don't Ignore that Gnawing in Your Gut; It's Your New Career Calling
"Most career change dilemmas come down to this: You want to be happy. But then again, you want security. It’s either one or the other in most people’s minds."

4.  Building Trust Through Skillful Self-Disclosure  
"There is considerable evidence that leaders who disclose their authentic selves to followers can build not only trust, but generate greater cooperation and teamwork as well."

5. 4 Things Your Dog Can Teach You About Starting a Business
"Dogs can be constructive influences on our personal lives, and they can teach us a lot about how to be better, happier entrepreneurs. Here are just a few things humans can really learn from them when starting up a business."

Learning When and How to Say No

I must admit, my initial research of this subject was entirely self-serving. I am guilty of superhero syndrome. You may know it as well. The symptoms are an unrealistic idea that you can take on anything that comes your way and a severe allergy to saying "NO." This inability to say no has led me to lose sleep, neglect taking care of myself and my own priorities, resentment of those that I am helping, and a plate full of stress and frustration.

Let's examine some of my, and many other people's, reasons it is so hard to say "NO." In addition, let's look at how we might politely, gently, and diplomatically say "NO" once in a while.

A genuine interest in helping other people
I am a kind and generous person who genuinely enjoys the opportunity to help other people. However, what I need to work on is not letting someone else's lack of preparation become MY emergency. Here is how I am going to try to respond to this situation.

"It is not a good time for me right now, as I am backed up with other projects. How about if we make an appointment to speak next week, so we can both give the project our full attention and not be rushed."

Fear of missing out on opportunities
For many of us, we fail to say no and over-extend ourselves or agree to something we really don't want to do because of the fear of closing a door. I suggest we analyze the opportunity that is being presented against the cost at which it will come. In the future, if I am presented with an opportunity that has too great a cost for its potential benefit, here is how I will try to respond.

"This sounds like an exciting opportunity and I would love to work with you when my schedule permits. I can not participate, but I hope you will stay in touch so we can work together on future projects."

Fear of being rude
Sometimes, I say yes simply because I do not want to hurt someone's feelings or burn a bridge because of rejection. Saying "NO" does not always mean you are being rude or even disagreeable. There does not always have to be a disagreement, especially when you are honest with the person who is asking. I think next time I will try this response.

"I can't help you at this time because . . . "

Notice that I did not include the words "I'm sorry" in any of my responses. Don't apologize for being busy and having priorities, revel in your success! I will check back in and keep you posted on my progress at saying no. Send me comments about how you go about saying no and avoid over-extending yourself.