Part 3:  What is Work – Family Balance Worth to You?

Last week we started to uncover your incredible secrets for creating Work – Family Balance by:

1.  Identifying some of the times in which you notice more work – family balance in life.
2.  Strengthening the muscles that you use to create that balance.
3.  Committing to continue the process by taking small steps forward.

The next step is to congratulate yourself for all you have achieved so far to create the Work – Family balance that you are after.  The recipe is simple; self-awareness, willingness to take small steps and a commitment to making a significant change.  You’ve got all the ingredients and you are beginning to put it together – BRAVO!  I can tell you are ready to zoom ahead.

But I have a surprise for you:  it’s time to take a short break in the action and pat yourself on the back!

And I mean it!  If you are not acknowledging yourself, you are missing out.  Not only does acknowledgment feel good, it also helps to anchor in positive behavior, thoughts and actions – so pile on the acknowledgment and see your progress move more quickly.

I will wait just a minute while you close your eyes and take a moment to give yourself credit for what you have achieved so far.

How was that?  Nice right?  Keep doing it, and you will get hooked.  Start acknowledging people more often in life, and you will become even MORE popular!

Okay, onward.  This week, we are going to add fuel to the fire you’ve ignited by figuring out WHY you want Work – Family Balance in the first place.  What can having that kind of balance do for you in terms of concrete results that show up in your life?

Everyone is talking about balance – We are over-run with the “mommy-wars.”  Everyone has their own take on this subject and that includes you – but how often do you find out what your “take” on balance, is?   When a concept is “in the culture” like the value of Work – Family balance, it is easy to sign up for it without really asking ourselves “why?”

Here’s why it’s important:  when you identify the value that Work – Family balance offers you specifically, you will create the energy required to make it happen.

Are you ready?

Let’s go back and build on Thinking, Moving and Connecting in order to learn more about why we want Work – Family balance and why it is worth taking some small actions to get it.

THINKING to create Work – Family Balance:  Did you catch yourself taking a bit more time in the last week at work?  Did you commit to allowing yourself an extra moment here and there with your family and if you did, were you able to make it happen?

Whether you did or didn’t, doesn’t matter.  What does matter, is that you build self awareness  so that you are empowered to make perfect choices in the moment, for you.

The value of THINKING:  What do you think you might gain in terms of Work – Family Balance if you took a few more moments for yourself?  How would these gains show up tangibly in your life?

Here are some of the results that I have noticed in my coaching practice and in my own life:

1.  Less time is wasted.  When we slow down, we often are more efficient in the long run.

2.  We intervene before a problem erupts.  If we slow down we may notice something brewing at work or at home that we were too busy to notice before and be able to nip it in the bud!

3.  See opportunities and possibilities that we might not see when we are in a hurry.

What are the benefits that you see are possible?  See if you can list at least 3.

MOVING to create Work – Family Balance:  Did you physically move more?  Did you find opportunities to move with your family by taking family walks or walking to the local frozen yoghurt store instead of driving?

Again, if you did or you didn’t – it doesn’t matter.  What does matter is that you notice what happened and decide if things are going the way you want them to go.

The value of MOVING:  Taking care of our physical bodies is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves personally and professionally.

Here are just some of the benefits to Work – Family balance that I have seen time and time again:

1.  Mental clarity to problem solve and stay calm when the world is chaotic.

2.  Better health which leads to productivity.

3.  Modeling a healthy lifestyle for our children.

4.  More energy to “get it all done” with ease.  (and there is so much to do!)

Take a look and see what the value is for you – how does it help you at work?  How does moving make a difference at home?  How can moving more create that balance you are working towards?

CONNECTING to create Work – Family Balance:  What does connecting mean to you?  What kind of results do you get in your relationships with family when you truly connect with another person?  What do you notice with your children and significant other?  How about connections with your co-workers?

Ever thought about your connection with yourself?

The value of Connecting:

1.  Learning about new resources and strategies.

2.  Giving your full attention to another person – one of the greatest gifts you can give.

3.  Sharing your challenges allows you to step outside yourself and gain new perspective.

4.  Allowing others to support you.

How can connecting with others benefit you in your day to day life?  How can connecting support your efforts to create more Work – Family Balance.   Can you identify three tangible examples?

For the next week, take the time to answer these questions above.  Notice what is going on in your world moment to moment.  Notice the strategies that are working for you to create balance and notice where you would like to put more effort.

Be curious.  Discover new things about yourself.  And stay tuned for next week and Part four of the Work-Family Balance Series – Making it Happen! where you will get the chance to put what you have learned into action.

One of the best ways to create Work – Family Balance is to to be good to yourself and strengthen your own peace of mind.  Please help yourself to my free tool that makes it easy for you to build your ability to experience a little more peace in between the natural chaos of the life of a working mom: Be Good to Yourself Now.

Related Post:

5 Essential Tools Make Work Family Balance Easy: A 5 Part Series

Discover Your Work-Family Balance Secrets TODAY!