A good, solid work ethic is a healthy and noble trait to have, let’s be clear about that! But you can take it too far and risk burnout, you don’t have to necessarily be a complete workaholic 24/7/365.
In fact, there are many workaholics that are always ‘on’ but still manage to have a life, to enjoy leisure pursuits out of the office, to have a personal and private life, and don’t end up exhausted trainwrecks! You can find an equilibrium between your work and your life, fulfilling in both, but you need to step back and examine yourself to do so. You’ll not be any good for anything or anyone if you burnout early – including yourself.
So if you feel like you’ve been burning the midnight oil on both ends at work, if you feel like you spend more time at work than your own home, and if you are starting to feel like there’s no more gas in the tank no matter how well you sleep at night, then this article is for you. We’ve compiled a short list of ways you can scale back, take a breath, and strike a balance between work life and home life that won’t end with you checking into a ‘hotel’ with rubber wallpaper!
Ready? Take a deep breath and let’s go…
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1. DON’T MAKE PERFECTION THE ENEMY OF GOOD
This is not to say you take an ambiguous attitude to quality assurance, quite the opposite. Do the very best job you can do on any given task, but know when you’ve done enough. If there’s any subsequent corrections to be made then you’ll be informed and you can do so accordingly. Be a perfectionist but do it in moderation.
2. FIND YOUR NICHE
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, the trick is to learn not just yours but try and ascertain those of your fellow workers, especially if you’re in management. Discover what you’re best at, focus on that as a primary task. If there are other areas where you feel you’re not so strong, see if you can delegate it as much as possible to someone who is. Shore up your strengths and lighten your weaknesses and you’ll be amazed at the increase of productivity without undue stress in the process.
3. ONE TASK AT A TIME
The nature of some jobs is you having to necessarily multi-task numerous projects at once. This does not mean you become swamped with tasks and find yourself lost in a maze with no end in sight. Prioritize the most important tasks first, less important second, and so on. You may be even able to delegate some lesser tasks completely, and where not, take an hour out of each day to address them before returning to the major tasks. One task at a time, every task a success… then only move on to the next one.
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4. SET MINI-DEADLINES
This is an extension to the previous point; set yourself one task at a time, schedule your day like this. Assess how long each task should take you before you reach a stage of conclusion in performing it, then HOLD yourself to that schedule, don’t give up until you reach it and then move on. If you do this enough times, it will become second nature to you and you’ll wonder how you ever did it differently beforehand!
5. TEAMWORK
Simple as that, no kidding! If you’re in a position of major responsibility at work, understand that yes, things need to go through you ultimately, but you don’t have to micromanage everything. Know your team well, socialize with them, get to know them personally, ascertain their individual strengths and weaknesses. In so doing, you’ll find it so much easier to delegate tasks, lighten your workload, and actually make things that much more productive and positive. People want a good leader… be that for them and make things easier for you!
6. FACE TIME
Electronic communications are a wonderful thing if working remotely over distances, but if you all work in the same office, don’t bother… instead go and talk with them as needed face-to-face. Physical conversation is so much easier, quicker, and more communicative than a message on a screen. You’ll get things done faster and you’ll save having to wade through endless, needless messages in your inbox.
7. MAKE WORK GREAT AGAIN
Most people work better when they feel comfortable and relaxed… others thrive under stress and adversity but that is very much a minority. So arrange your working environment to such that you feel comfortable and able to focus. Bring plants and (occasionally) animals to your office, manage your team to make communication an easy two-way street that is both functional and fun. Don’t be afraid to say “no” when you have to but always try to be approachable to your co-workers, perhaps by leaving your office door open. And above all else, know how to switch off after you clock off! If you can, leave all work issues aside until the next morning and return refreshed, rested, and with a new perspective.
The article “Stop Being A Workaholic And Start Working More Effectively!” might also be of interest to you. We recommend giving it a read.
8. VALUE PERSONAL TIME
An extension to the last point, this cannot be overemphasized! Just remember that you’re not a cyborg, you need to rest and recharge! Not just in body but in mind also. Expending mental energy on work issues after you’ve left the office isn’t going to help you overcome hurdles to be resolved. If you can, determine for yourself to clear up as many tasks before you leave for the day and schedule what tasks to pick up on the next morning. Train yourself to not think of anything work-related for the rest of the evening and to concentrate solely on personal time. If successful, you’ll be amazed how refreshed you’ll feel the next day and how many fresh ideas you will have because your brain has had needed time and distance away from work. Try it out and see the results for yourself!
Being a workaholic is not necessarily a bad thing but just remember to not become it at the expense of your health or your happiness. Work to live, don’t live to work. Good luck!
