Things You'll Need:
- An open mind
- Time to reflect
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Step 1
Think about your daily routine. What situations tend to cause you to want to stay at work late? Write these situations down. Example: For some people the cause may be last minute deadlines. For others, a lack of boundary between work and home -- example: Are you the one on your blackberry during a date night? Or emailing on a laptop while "relaxing" at the beach?
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Step 2
Think about why you're doing the actions you are. Write down what good things you get from keeping things the way they are. Do you get more work done and more praise form your boss or clients? Can you avoid difficult relationship discussions? Can you have an easy excuse for things you want to avoid "oh, I have to work that night."? What reward are you getting for keeping things the same?
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Step 3
Is that reward worth it? What are you losing by keeping this reward? Are relationships suffering? Do you barely know your children? Do you have no free time to relax? Are you single with no time to date? Is your health becoming a problem? Is stress wearing you down and aging you early? What parts of your life are suffering? What will your future look like if nothing changes?
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Step 4
Once you've decided to make a change, start planning. Create a daily plan for what you are going to do differently. Start with just 1 thing to do a day differently. Which 1 thing do you want to start with?
Here are some example ideas: Leave your laptop at home when you go on vacation. Delegate work to others. Hire additional help. Get an assistant to help you prioritize. Use your calendar to ensure you are meeting deadlines on schedule (to avoid chaotic "emergencies" that require extra work). Ignore unimportant "busy work" tasks and use that time to make personal calls to build relationships. Take an evening you'd normally work late and go to the gym instead. -
Step 5
Write your other priorities on brightly colored notecards. Example "health" or "my children." Or "friendships." When you have a decision about working late, pull out your cards and look at them. Ask yourself which decision will bring you closer to achieving balance. Which decision will only maintain your current grind?
