A recent study found that Americans work longer hours, are more likely to work weekends, and are much more likely to work nights than our European counterparts (Hamermesh and Stancanelli). It’s no wonder that “work-life balance” continues to be a hot topic! Still, many argue that “balance” isn’t even possible, so we should strive for integration. No matter how you phrase it, the challenge is how we can best seek fulfillment in both our personal and professional lives. How do we defy the statistics? One tactic to consider is managing our lives more like how we run our businesses. Here’s how:  

Rate Yourself

Chances are you have at least one formal evaluation at work each year. Hopefully, these evaluations give you a chance to reflect on what you’re doing well as well as areas you can improve. The same should go for your personal life! Take time to consider key areas of your life (family, career, community, fun/relaxation, health, etc.) and rate each area from one to ten based on your current level of satisfaction. Now, take a step back and think about what you want to focus on going forward.  

Create a Vision for Your Personal Life

Businesses spend a lot of time and money crafting the perfect vision for their organization, but how often do we do the same for our personal lives? To begin, consider what your top priority is right now. If you have a family, this is a great exercise to do together. Choose one area to focus on in the next three to six months. Then, compile an action plan to help you achieve this focus. For example, “Between now and fall, we want to carve out two nights a week to sit down and have dinner together as a family. To accomplish this, we will pare down the kids’ activities to one per season and create a weekly meal plan on Sunday, so we’re prepared.”  

Record Your Time (Even Though it’s Not Billable!)