Eat-work-sleep: finding the right balance

Is it possible to be career-driven while being present at home? Here are some tips that will help you achieve this balance more easily.

Family life: to each his own

It’s all a matter of time management. Whether you travel for work, work on the road, telework or work irregular hours, you have to find ways to spend quality time with your family. Fortunately, with these four simple tips, you can better organize your family life and make it so that everyone wins!

1. Do some spring cleaning

Sort out your paperwork, hours spent watching TV, activities and friendships. Things will become much clearer when you focus on the essentials.

2. Learn to do nothing

Taking a few moments out of the day to do absolutely nothing will allow you to refocus and appreciate what is truly meaningful in your life. Silence and free time can be scary. Why? Because they make us feel useless because we’re used to living at a fast pace!

3. Stock up

Preparing meals in advance is a great way to save time. To spice up your menu, why not swap dishes with friends or neighbours? Also, stock up on paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products and school supplies. That way, you can avoid the hustle-and-bustle of shopping centres!

4. Family fun night: make it official

For example, clean the house on Monday nights, play board games on Thursday nights and no cooking on Friday nights. By planning ahead, everyone can save the date and spend more time together. This makes it easier for everyone and everyone will look forward to it!

Work

Your reasons for working are: the job itself, the sense of accomplishment and the desire to maintain your lifestyle. Never lose sight of your motivation! Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Be sure to keep the following tips in mind.

1. Get off on the right foot

In the morning, your energy levels are at their peak. Experts agree: you should do your most important work first rather than just read email, which takes precious time away from more important and pressing business. In fact, it is best to read emails only three times a day, with one time being at the end of the day.

2. Being focused and organized boosts productivity

If you are constantly fishing around for items or documents in a pile of paperwork, you’re wasting precious time. By keeping your workspace clean, you’ll increase your efficiency. Whether paper or digital, choose an agenda that can contain all your tasks and help you plan your week while helping you keep your long-term objectives in mind.

3. Split your responsibilities into smaller, more manageable tasks

Always start with the most important, pressing tasks. Make sure each task is fairly easy to complete. Ideally, schedule your day or half-day to help you reach optimal cruising speed. While it’s true that completing small tasks is never as gratifying as completing a big project, in the long run, you’ll work much more efficiently.

4. Do you know the Pomodoro technique?

If you’re struggling, then try some tried-and-true techniques to help you. For instance, the Pomodoro Technique teaches you to focus all your effort on specific tasks for a specific period of time. To learn more, watch this What is the Pomodoro Technique? article (PDF, 672 kB).

It’s all about attitude

Life is about attitude! Always live the moment, whether it’s at work or at home. Give 100% at the office but also five 100% when spending quality family time at home.

Enjoy your back-to-normal!