If you’ve ever felt like work-life balance isn’t really possible, you may be right.
Actually, I think work-life balance doesn’t exist. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a rising star in the corporate world, work is always going to overflow from your 9 to 5 into your personal life. And if you have ambitions of becoming successful in just about any capacity, you’re going to have to make sacrifices.
This is why, instead of striving for the unrealistic goal of “work-life balance,” I use a combination of rituals, tools, and coping mechanisms that allows me to thrive on a day-to-day basis.
Of course, moments still arise when I may feel overloaded with work and a bit out of balance, but with these daily rituals in place, I am able to feel grounded instead of feeling like I’m losing my mind.
1. Pause (Frequently!) to Remember That You Chose This Path
Regardless of which path you take in life, it’s important to remind yourself that you are the one who chose the path you’re on.
For example, one of the joys of being an entrepreneur is that you experience a significant amount of freedom. Unfortunately, in moments of stress, it’s easy to forget that choice goes both ways: you chose to go your own way, and you chose the obstacles that come with that journey.
Remember tomorrow, you could choose to leave your job, shut down your company, and go move to a farm in the middle of nowhere. The choice is yours.
Whenever I catch myself thinking, “Why am I doing this?” I simply remember, “Oh, wait. I chose this.” And if I want to, I can choose another option. But at this moment, I own it because I chose it.
That simple mental shift can help me move from feeling out of control to in control. It’s empowering.
2. Use ‘Rocks’ to Prioritize Your Tasks
Sometimes having a to-do list is more overwhelming than it is helpful.
The daily tasks of anyone in a high-stakes, high-responsibility role are never-ending. Literally. No matter how many items you check off your list, each day adds just as many new ones, and even after a full day, it can often feel like you haven’t accomplished anything.
So instead, I use “rocks”—a strategy I learned from performance coach Bill Nelson.
Say you have a glass container and a variety of rocks, divided into groups of large, mid-sized, and small rocks, and then some sand. If you put the small rocks in first, you’re not going to be able to fit everything in your container. But if you put the big rocks in first, then the mid-sized, and, finally, the small, they’ll all fit. And at the end, the sand fills the extra space.
The point of this strategy is to designate a handful of your biggest priorities for the week—let’s say five tasks—like the things you absolutely have to get done that week. Write them down somewhere.
