I got some great feedback from last week’s leadership challenge on how to find more time to spend with your family at the weekend. A lady from the US messaged me and told me how she involves her son in her weekend choirs by making them fun. It takes more time, but precious time spent having fun with her son.
Did you come up with any great ideas and follow them through?
You did, I would love to hear about them as well.
Most of the leaders I know allocate a lot of time to work and the rest of their time for family and friends. But what about the time for you?
Personally, I have learnt that this time gives me back energy, stress relieve, motivation and sparks new ideas.
This week, I am going to challenge you to set up some work boundaries to get some time back to spend on you. Time that will allow you to recharge your batteries.
Spending You Time
First things first, if you can find some time for yourself, what are you going to do with it?
Are you going to spend it on learning, side business, gym, walk, pampering, sleep?
What can you think of that relates to you?
Take a quiet minute now and think about doing it. Does it feel good?
Shall we make it happen?
What’s Your Work Boundaries?
I want you to quickly jot down as many work boundaries you can think of. Remember that no idea here is wrong. If you think it, ink it.
Love that statement, so I proudly stole it.
Here are some I have to spark some ideas in you –
- Leave at a certain time every day, or several days a week?
- Never answer emails after work?
- Only call me after work hours if it is urgent?
- Have a POETS day
Lunch for One
One of the boundaries I always set is that my lunch hour is my time and not the companies. I either go for a walk or find an empty room and
- Listen to an educating podcast
- Watch an inspiring TEDx talk
- Read an interesting book
- Or call my loving mum and dad
I achieve this by setting up a daily reoccurring appointment in my diary with the status set to busy. If conflicting meetings come in, I ask the organiser to reschedule as I have another commitment (a commitment with myself).
Time for Action
Have you got a list?
Great, now which work boundaries do you need to put in place to free up the time you need? – write them down
Do you need to talk to someone? – write down when you will have this conversation
What do you need to do to set up these work boundaries? – write it down
Who can hold you accountable? – tell them what you are going to do, why you are doing it and when you will have it done by.
If you haven’t anybody to hold you accountable, I am more than happy to be your accountability partner, just email it to me at nick@nicholas-foster.com
It’s a Wrap
What’s going to stop you surfing away and not following through?
I hope you found this useful and you have found a way of clawing back some time for you.
Next week’s challenge will help you with email hell.
Nick
P.S. – Please share this with a colleague as we could all use help with our work-life balance.