With a family of 7 and a small business to grow and manage, time management is a very important topic to me! As we look at the year ahead, it is always a good idea to see if our work life and family life is balanced. Here a few things I have learned from others and trial/error.
- Turn it off at the end of the work day. Checking emails and voicemails after hours will take a toll on you and your family. Your family can tell when you’re not fully present (you may be missing out on precious moments.
- Try to stop working at 40 hours a week. Research shows that every hour worked past 40 hours a week is at a much lower productivity level. In addition, workers are more likely to make more mistakes. Give 100% during work hours so that there are no regrets at the end of the day or week.
- Make a list of what you need to do the next day so you don’t think about it all night while you are with your family. Then start working on the list as soon as you get to work in the morning.
- What do you think about? When you are home, do you find yourself thinking about work a lot? Then maybe it’s time to really reflect on what your priorities really are and make an adjustment.
- Take at least 2 weeks off per year. You have to take a break a few times a year to be your best during work time. Vacation time is a great time to spend time with family and friends and get back a proper perspective on life.