Recently I read an article on Managing Yourself: Work + Home + Community + Self by Stewart D. Friedman and the following quote caught my attention:
“Balance is bunk. It’s a misguided notion that assumes we must always make trade-offs among the different aspects of our lives.”
Exactly!
When we look at managing ourselves as a whole rather than as pieces of that whole (business owner, wife, friend, daughter, mom, etc.), everything changes.
In order to be the best fill-in-the-blank (biz owner, wife, friend, mom, etc.), we need to start with ourselves. We need to live a richer life on all fronts.
The article goes on to discuss the 3 skill sets needed to integrate your work and life:
- Being Real
- Being Whole
- Being Innovative
Let’s dive deeper:
To “be real”, you:
- Know what matters
- Embody values consistently
- Align your actions with values
- Convey values with stories
- Envision your legacy
- Hold yourself accountable
To “be whole”, you:
- Clarify expectations
- Help others
- Build supportive networks
- Apply all your resources
- Manage boundaries intelligently
- Weave disparate strands
And, to “be innovative”, you
- Focus on results
- Resolve conflicts among domains
- Challenge the status quo
- See new ways of doing things
- Embrace change courageously
- Create cultures of innovation around you
As Friedman goes on to state, “Leading the life you want is a craft. . .you can always get better by practicing.”
If you’re feeling overcommitted, distracted, stressed, pulled in a million different directions, ask yourself “what needs attention”.
When you look over the above lists, where do you need to dive in?
Then take some time, however you need to, and work on those areas that will make the most difference in the shortest period of time.