A few days ago, we posted on YouTube a Generally Speaking video with Bob Snyder titled Balance Is A Myth (Italics). In that video Bob talks about when he learned from a good friend that you can’t have balance and accomplish everything you want to accomplish. The fact is we spend most of our time working and commuting and very little time is spent with family and friends. Bob gives us some great advice on how to counteract the lack of balance in our lives.
Bob suggests that it is not about equal time, effort or energy given to certain people or projects, but it is about good time management. If we can schedule out our days and weeks in advance, we can give time to our work and to our family. Instead of always trying to juggle the two we can dedicate time to each and make sure that the time we are spending in each area is spent well instead of wasted. This way we can ensure that the time we do spend with family is of a high quality and the time we spend at work can be efficient and productive. As we manage our time effectively, we can essentially create a counterbalance to the imbalance we have between our work and family life.
Scheduling is key for your time management, but it can be hard to stick to a schedule. Sometimes emergencies pop up, require attention and disrupt our plans. Distractions can also throw us off course and the world is full of them. If you are struggling to manage your schedule, you might try searching on Google for time management techniques. One great resource is Stephen Covey’s time management matrix which helps you judge your activities based on whether they are Urgent and Important, Urgent but Not Important, Not Urgent but Important and Not Urgent and Not Important. Take the time to learn and practice how to manage your time and you will find you have more power to counterbalance the imbalance in your life.
If you missed out watching previously you can watch it
here