Balancing work and home schedules used to feel like drowning on a sinking ship of deadlines!

BY Lynn Lessell

Me Monday 9-2-19
Balancing work and home schedules used to feel like drowning on a sinking ship of deadlines! It was difficult to focus on any one thing at a time, make clear decisions, eat healthy or even stop for lunch.
Do you know anyone who feels this way too?

Lately, I have spoken to numerous professionals who have expressed there just isn’t enough time in a day. ‘Things HAVE TO get done. There is no choice. I don’t have control’, is what I hear. All projects seem to merge and appear to become one big monster project. AHHHHH!

The pressure of work deadlines and the time limits we impose on ourselves at home can affect our mood, our clarity, and ultimately can impair our physical health in the long term. Without clarity and focus, it is difficult to produce your best work in any area.

Though we think we have NO control, all the power is actually in our hands within the choices we make every day of the week!

Recently, I experienced a pile up of projects with time limits. For a while, I felt the impending doom of incompletion. Thinking was difficult. As a matter a fact, all I could think about was the next thing I had to do.

An acquaintance happened to mention how great it felt to take time from work to visit a dear friend and how important this was for her to take time for herself. At that moment I realized, I was just about to cancel a visit with a dear friend I haven’t seen in awhile because of all the ‘to dos’ on my list. This made me realize I was pushing myself, placing unnecessary deadlines on myself. So, I confirmed my visit with my friend, determined to take some “ME” time. After my visit, I felt rejuvenated and ready to tackle everything. It was the best decision I could have made. The tasks were prioritized and deadlines were met with clarity and focus.

Many of us tend to look at the various deadlines we face as one large mass. What if we try to schedule multiple progress deadlines in our calendar so we can monitor what we must accomplish in smaller increments?
Tasks and projects can seem less overwhelming and easier to complete. This allows us to focus on the content and quality of our work in smaller, achievable segments rather than concentrating on the clock.

Plan time for lunch in your schedule so you don’t have to grab the fastest thing to eat on the run. By scheduling a break in your day, you give yourself a chance to mentally and physically reset; therefore, allowing yourself to return to the tasks at hand doing your best quality work with a more relaxed mindset. Simultaneously, you are also taking better care of your health.

Another benefit of scheduling progressive time limits in your calendar results in a more relaxed attitude when you return home at the end of the day. Regardless of who is waiting to greet you when you return from work, you get to choose what your mood is and what progress time limits you set for the ‘to do’ list at home. You even get to choose what you complete on your list at home, after all, it’s your list!

With clarity, focus and positive intention you can be productive at work, happy at home and create the quality of life you want. This is your time.
A client I worked with, gained great clarity about how to best restructure her schedule. Her business has increased, and she has more energy to enjoy time with friends and family. She patched her sinking ship!

There is no better time than “ME” MondayTM to own your power, manage your schedule and plan time for yourself! More tips: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217408

If you could do something for yourself right now that you are not doing, what would that be…?

To your health!

Lynn Lessell