Independent Strategic Partners for high potential individuals and businesses 952.937.8687
Do you fear being blackballed?
The recent union of Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates has hopefully sent a message to corporate America that the ability to make money is just as noble as the ability to give it away.
Although we would like to believe differently, executives who “step out of the game” to pursue “other interests” rarely are allowed to “re- enter.” Whether you have pondered taking time off to raise children, care for aging parents, start a new business, or help rebuild New Orleans, corporate doesn’t like it when you stop being useful “to them” and if you ever think you can “just step back in,” you better think again...
Here are 3 tips to help you "stay in the game" AND honor your priorities:
Establish Priorities:
Make a list of the top 3 people/things/commitments in your life
Force yourself to rank them
Block Time Each Week:
Honor your priorities by scheduling time each week to be with them
Write down your schedule and color code it by priority (blue-family/yellow-work, etc---visual reminders are easier for our minds to process)
Unplug from all your other commitments while you are "on task" with that priority---(it's ok to tell your family to only call during certain hours of the day and likewise with your work colleagues)
Communicate and state your expectations
Accept that you may not achieve your goal within the time frame you've allotted
Reevaluate:
Priorities shift
Acknowledge when you may have to change your schedule...for example, you may have to spend more time at work while on a special project or during the summer you may focus more on family, etc.
Communicate the shift and restate your expectations
Accept that you may not achieve your goal within the time frame you've allotted
“Balance” is bad
Yin-Yang - Knowing when to Yin and knowing when to Yang is very different then always trying to balance in the middle.
Dare I suggest that you ponder the notion that balance, as promoted in contemporary ideology, is ineffective. In essence what we are doing is asking ourselves to be mediocre at everything.
Imagine an Olympic hopeful that decided to only practice one hour a day, or a musician that decided to record after only a few practices. Balance, as defined in our current culture allows us to believe that we can actually do more in less time and be happier ~ How does that happen?
The Eastern yin-yang symbol has become a universal symbol for balance. Yet if you study the yin-yang symbol, there is no grey. There are equal parts black and equal parts white both separate and equal.
Balance I suggest is not about “doing everything” halfway, it’s about knowing when to say yes, and kicking butt and knowing when to say no, and not feeling guilty.
Balance is about boundaries.
Balance is not about going to bed with your spouse AND your Blackberry. It’s about choosing which one on which night.