With any new endeavour or change (or even sometimes without one) it can be easy to slip into a pattern of automation where we distort our life balance to facilitate the needs and expectations of others. This can come in many forms but perhaps one of the most simple examples is emails. In a world of automation we have an expectation to always be available, always be online and reply immediately to the requests, queries and demands of others. As a consequence we can find ourselves for example spending all of our time answering emails leaving not a great deal of time for any work or progress or family life. Perhaps the most simplistic way of overcoming this is to only view emails at certain periods of the day to maximise output (or relaxation) in the other periods.
Utilising this example, we can extrapolate this type of ‘streamlining’ to other facets of our lives to lead to better outcomes. You could then say that this would lend itself to being more engaged in what you are required to be engaged in e.g. watching your child at their swimming lesson rather than responding to 3 emails, or committing your exercise time to a specific part of the day so it is done with as much consistency and engagement as it needs. Sure this won’t always work, as we don’t live in a perfect world, but it allows and builds a structure that is easy to return to when you find your ‘systems are overloaded.’
So perhaps it is worth ‘spending’ some time working on the planning and management of your day, week, or month so as to give you the best chance of success and the least chance of burnout, frustration and poor health.
Some food for thought.
