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Article from The Straits Times, 27th August 2004
Strike A Balance
In his maiden National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance. Here are some tips to help you do just that.
Given the demanding work world that we live in, it is not uncommon to hear someone sigh in despair and say that they have "one thousand and one things to do". Though an exaggeration, many of us do have many tasks and duties to deal with in the course of our daily lives.
If you are not careful, you may become exhausted both physically and mentally, and find it difficult to climb back up again. This could further impact on your personal life and family relationships.
How can you achieve a healthier work and life balance before you burn out? Here are some tips:
§ Recognise the juggling act: One of the fundamental things you can do is to acknowledge that you have many things to take care of, and that everyone has the same 24-hour day.
This acknowledgment, like other performance gaps that you may want to fill, is the beginning of your journey towards a healthier and happier life. The realisation, which in essence is an acceptance of a problem, is a first step towards addressing it.
§ List priorities: Next comes the delicate act of prioritising, putting the most critical and time-sensitive task first, the next most critical second on your list, and so on.
Another way of going about this is to group all tasks into main headings and then go about completing them according to these key areas.
For example, you may place your business above everything else in your life as it provides for the basic and fundamental needs of your family and loved ones.
The next most important key area could be your family, followed perhaps by volunteer and community work, and so on.
§ Learn to say "No": Sometimes, because of your good nature, you may take on too many things and do too many favours. Be conscious of your plate filling up and be prepared to say "no" without feeling too much guilt. If in doubt, fall back to your list of priorities and check if the request fits in anywhere - if not, be happy to decline involvement.
§ Be creative: When asked, "Do you read?", eight out of 10 people tend to give the excuse that they have no time. But if they look carefully, they may find that if they adjust their schedules, they can actually make the time, such as sleeping an hour later.
Reading to keep abreast of current developments is crucial in this kowledge-based economy, so make the time for this necessity.
If you stick to your priorities as much as possible, you should be able to manage your time and stress levels better. Be conscious of the need to re-visit your priority list on a regular basis, and should you feel the need to re-jig your list, do so.
Many times, we forget that we are individuals, with unique needs to fulfil. In addition to making time to play the roles of parent, child, boss, employee and so on, it is also important to set aside quality time for your own development - spiritual, emotional, physical and mental. You have to continue to nurture yourself and grow as a human being.
There are, of course, many areas that you can work on, such as your pysical, spiritual and mental health.
Take a walk at MacRitchie Reservoir, for example. Just enjoy the solitude in natural surroundings. Or read up on a variety of topics – they could be health or management magazines or books.
Express yourself by writing out your thoughts, even if it is just to vent about issues that bother you and which you have little control over.
It is important that we focus on attaining a better balance between work and life - start taking steps and make the time to smell the roses!
Article contributed by Paul Heng, managing director at NeXT Career Cnsulting and founding president of the Asian Association of Career Management Professionals. Websites: www.nextcareer.net and www.aacmp.org.sg
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