Your work/life balance is simply the way you balance your time and energy between
your personal and professional life. Depending on the type of career you have, it might
be hard to draw the line between work and home, especially if you are a business
owner or have a very demanding career.
What you define as a good work/life balance is entirely up to you, and there is no
perfect balance to aim for. But what is most important is that you pay attention and keep
checking in with yourself to make adjustments as needed.
Here are some tips to help you get started on improving your work/life balance.

Consider Your Desired Quality Of Life
Improving your work/life balance is meant to improve your quality and life and make you
a more balanced, happy, content person. But if you don’t know what your desired
quality of life actually is, it’s hard to know where to start.
To figure out what your desired quality of life is, think back to a time when you were
completely content. How was your life different than it is now? Were you working more
or less? Did you spend more time with your friends? Were you traveling? Is there an
activity you had time for then, that you don’t now?
You are not a victim of circumstance. You create your life to be whatever you want it to
be, so now is a great time to figure out what that is.

Take Time Off for Yourself and Your Personal Life
This is a really important distinction when it comes to taking time off for a better work-life
balance. It is not just about taking a vacation or spending time with loved ones, though
that is of course essential for a happier life. You also need to have time off just for
yourself, for self-care and to do what actually brings you the most joy.
Try not to consider what others want you to do or expect you to do when you need rest
or take time off from work. This should be entirely up to you, with absolutely no guilt.
What is good for you might not be good for others, and that is totally okay.

Have Both Business and Personal Goals
Setting goals is a great way to stay focused and productive, and also to schedule out
your time, but goals should not only be about your professional life. Having personal

goals is also a great way to improve your work/life balance, since you know how to allot
time in your personal life and where that time should be spent.
Start with 3-5 small personal goals and 3-5 small professional goals. Each goal should
be realistic, attainable, and very clear with how to accomplish it. Once you can break
down your goals into actionable steps, you will be able to add the steps to your
schedule and accomplish everything on your list.

Create Routines, But With Flexibility
With proper routines in your life, you are able to add healthy and productive habits that
improve your life and that balance you are seeking. But they should also be flexible and
allow for adjustments. If you are too rigid with your routines, then when something
unexpected happens, it just creates more stress and you end up getting even less done.
But if you can find a way to be flexible and still have a solid schedule, you will be able to
move things around and still have enough time for your professional and personal life.

Try Not to Multi-Task
Multi-tasking always seems like a great idea until you realize your attention and energy
is so spread out. People often multi-task with the assumption that it will help them get
more done. And while you might get a higher quantity of tasks done in the same amount
of time, the quality often goes down. Your focus is constantly split up between multiple
projects, and no single project gets 100 percent of your concentration.
A better strategy is to work on just one task at a time, give it all your attention, then
move on to the next. It will feel like it’s taking longer, but if you give each project or
activity your full focus, you will be so pleased with the results.