I spent time with the IPWS members during their Breakfast Conversation to talk about how we can shift our mindsets to achieve true work-life integration. A few pieces of advice were:
- You can use all your energy trying to equally balance two different things, or you can do a paradigm shift and consider work and life together as one.
- Shift away from a ‘sacrificing’ mindset. If you feel as if you are sacrificing parts of your work and life (for example, you ‘sacrifice’ a dinner or a meeting to spend time with family), you may soon feel as if someone owes you for making the sacrifice. This sense of feeling as if you are owed something creates stress and frustration. Instead of viewing choices as sacrifices, see them as conscious decisions and gains as part of living a purposeful and intentional life.
- Communicate what you need to have work-life integration. For example, if you need time for a weekly run, schedule and communicate your needs to those around you to make sure it can happen.
- Try to not do too much at once. I try to have no more than 3 big things going on at the same time.
- Know your limits.
Watch the Work-Life Integration video on my YouTube channel here.