Work Wednesday
Work-life balance is hard anytime of the year, but the summer months prove to be especially challenging. My hope is that these 3 tips for achieving work-life balance will enable you to enjoy a stress-free, productive summer with family and friends.
Not too long ago I went on vacation with my family. With my 3G card in tow, I figured that balancing work and family would be a piece of cake. I'd have extra hands to tend to my daughter and I'd tackle outstanding work-related tasks with time to sip cocktails while enjoying the sunset.
A recent article from CNN.com notes that in today's society we struggle with unplugging. Working mother or not, unplugging from your email, cell phone, home phone, or other communication gadgets is hard. If the thought of cutting the cord makes you nervous or simply isn't feasible, know that you're not alone.
Identify priorities. What do you need to get done versus what do you want to get done? Will you want to unplug and disconnect completely or will you want to touch base occasionally with a few people at work? Answering these questions will enable you to divide your time based on what needs to be addressed daily.
Establish guidelines. Once you know what you need to accomplish, it's time to determine how. Specifically when and where. Will you be checking in each morning from your hotel room or vacation home? Decide on what works best for you and for those you may be traveling with.
Set expectations. Once you've identified your priorities and established some personal working guidelines, then you need to set expectations with others. Communicate your plan with your home office and/or clients. Let them know what to expect and what you expect in return from them.
While these tips will look and be implemented slightly differently for everyone, they offer a starting point. Prior to your next vacation, take a moment to go through them. My hope is that you'll feel less anxious going into your vacation and be able to enjoy every moment matter what you're doing.
Happy vacationing!
(Photo credit: Joe Dsilva, Flickr)
I've gone from being someone who bought her first cell phone 11 years ago "just for emergencies" to someone who never travels without her IPhone and netbook (of course, my excuse for that is that I'm a writer, so I need it to write whenever the inspiration hits.) I am also a consultant, and always have the feeling that I should be able to see if a client needs me or if a potential client is trying to find me, even on vacation. I've been thinking about this as our family vacation looms in August, and I'm wondering if I have the power in me to completely unplug.
I really do write almost every day, and that is both relaxing and pleasurable to me, as well as necessary - if I can't write, I get agitated. I do not have the discipline to open up a computer without checking email (from all 3 accounts!) and Facebook. So I'm not sure what I'm going to do. So this post is very timely and thought provoking. I guess I'll use the answer for my own blog!
Posted by: Karen | Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 03:03 PM
I had a similar situation this summer. I work remotely for my corporation so hubbie and I packed up the kids and spent June in Italy and July in Michigan, visiting relatives. Sounds so glamorous, right? It was tough! Oh, how I missed my daycare and routine! Dad and the grand parents were in charge of the kids, but the interuptions as I tried to work a proper work day were too frequent and the level of care for the kids not what I wanted. There were definitely some amazing bright spots, too, like not touching laundry or cooking a meal for almost two months! But next time we take an extended trip, and I have to work as well, two things will happen - we will rent our own place and not stay with relatives (though that means hello again to laundry and the kitchen!) and we'll bring along a mother's helper to help keep the kids busy and give Dad a rest.
I just came across your site and am really enjoying it. It's sooo needed!
Phaedra
Author of the children's book, My Mommy's on a Business Trip.
Posted by: Phaedra | Thursday, September 02, 2010 at 08:57 AM