Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 5 Things to Do Sunday Night to Prepare for the Week Ahead

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 The Art of Improvement identifies fives practices to implement into your Sunday night routing in order to be better prepared for the coming week, starting with reflecting on what you've already finished. Check out the video to learn more.

4 Tips for Work-Life Balance

What is work-life balance and is it even attainable? For many people the stresses of the day-to-day job can impact home life and make it difficult to focus on anything other than the demands of work and career.

If you are one of those struggling with how to maintain a healthy and stress-free personal life consider the following four tips for achieving a healthy work-life balance:

1. Identify and set priorities and boundaries. Be sure to be clear about your priorities. If you need to get in a daily run ensure that you go to bed at a reasonable hour so you can get up early and get that run in before the busyness of the work day hits. Determine the things you want to get done in the morning--exercise, meditation, breakfast, time with family--before you check in with your job. Are evenings just for your family? Do you need to schedule a weekly date with your partner? Identify the things you need in your life and block off the time, preventing work and job demands from infringing on this time.

2. Turn off communication. Once you've determined your priorities and boundaries be sure to turn off your work phone or log off your email. Set yourself up for success, rather than making it easy to fail by checking your email when you should be focused on your personal time.

3. Recharge on the weekend. Set aside your weekend for recharging your batteries. Do the things that you enjoy and that increase your energy. If you need to do a work-related activity limit it to a specific task that you can complete in an hour or two. Take care of yourself on the weekend, avoiding late nights and excessive caffeine or alcohol.  

4. Reduce stress with meditation and sleep. Even a simple and brief practice of meditation in the morning can bring significant benefits to your work and personal life, and can greatly reduce stress. The importance of adequate amounts of sleep cannot be overstated. Focusing on those two area--adequate sleep and a meditation practice--can set you up for greater success throughout your day.