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There are some things during the day that need to get done, and others that can wait. Concretely, you need to answer all of your pending e-mails, but you don’t need to take a Facebook break every time you complete a task. You need to set up your daily non-negotiables, both in your personal and professional arenas.
You have a doctor’s appointment? Don’t skip it, your health comes first. Your clients are waiting for a reply but you have a meeting in five minutes? Ring them up, tell people you’ll be late, and never let your clients suffer.
Defining your daily non-negotiables will also help you maintain mental clarity, get more done, and stick to your schedule. This leads us to the next crucial point.
Create a schedule and stick to it!
Realistic weekly and daily schedules can mean the difference between crushing your goals and trying to figure out where your clients and customers went and why the house smells like cat poop. A schedule will provide the necessary timeline for your personal and professional tasks and chores, making sure you’re right on track and that nothing slips through the cracks.
But you need to keep it realistic, and this is where most people make the first and only mistake. Got a significant other, a dog, two kids, and a business? You probably won’t get to see your friends all that often. Got a ton of work to do but you also love working out and meeting up with friends? You can manage it all, but you will need to optimize your daily routine to work like a Swiss clock.
So, train in the morning, work hard during the day, meet your friends at a reasonable hour, go to bed early, and repeat. Remember, prudent planning will be the key to sticking to your schedule.
Stay sharp
If you’re expecting to crush your goals and push your mind, body, and soul to their limits day in and day out, you’ll need to supply yourself with the fuel to keep the engine running, and one of the biggest mistakes people make is forgetting about their personal health. You are what you eat, and if you want to be productive, feel good, look good, and achieve greatness, your diet needs to be on point.
This means getting in the right amount of proteins, fats, and healthy carbs for energy, and also taking vitamin and mineral supplements to reach your daily needs, such as glucosamine and magnesium supplements for energy and mental acuity and a multivitamin for immune system strength and resilience. Keep in mind – within a healthy body resides a healthy mind.
Clutter, both at home and the office, is the killer of productivity, and no matter how much you’re used to thinking that you’re able to thrive surrounded by chaos, you’re actually doing nothing more than hindering your performance long-term. One of the best ways to establish a work-life balance is to declutter your office and you home thoroughly.
A neatly organized working environment will inspire creativity, enthusiasm, and productivity, allowing you to get more done in less time, which will in turn allow you to lead a more productive lifestyle outside the office as well. Keeping you home clutter-free will also help in managing your daily chores and maintaining a thriving household.
Focus on yourself
Finally, not only should you learn how to set your decisive foot down, you should also learn how to focus on yourself, your needs, and your inalienable rights as a human being. You are on this planet for a finite amount of time, and no one has the right to strip away your free time or push aside your needs.
Therefore, be sure to set up your own rules, both at the office and at home, not allowing anyone to jeopardize your mental and physical well-being simply for achieving their own goals. Never forget that you are a human being, so be brave enough to say no!
Achieving a continuous work-life balance in the modern world can seem like an arduous task, with one of the extremes always threatening to hinder your progress towards success. Be sure to implement these five crucial steps and you will be able to pave the road to a happy, productive, and prosperous future both in and out of the office.
