Eps 24: Prioritising what matters – How to juggle your work, family and lifestyle

Prioritising what matters most and finding the delicate harmony between your career ambitions and the needs of your family is an ever-relevant topic I want to deep dive into.

It’s a constant juggling act that many of us face, but fear not – we’re about to explore strategies that will help you achieve this integration with grace and confidence.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why balance is not the key when it comes to work, family and lifestyle
• How to integrate all the beautiful facets of life
• Setting clear boundaries with yourself and prioritising what matters
• Grasping the intricate harmony between your aspirations, loved one’s needs, and work demands

Shownotes for this Episode

The elusive work life, family life, and self balance. Is it actually possible?

Remember when you took that first bike ride when you were a kid and your training wheels came off? And maybe your mom or your dad, your sister, your brother gave you a gentle push and before you knew it you were off and cycling and perfectly balanced in equilibrium on your bike. Remember when you realized that they’d let go of the seat behind you? How long will balance really last?

Balancing your career and family life transcends mere time management; it’s about grasping the intricate harmony between your aspirations and your loved ones’ requirements. Here’s how to tread this path with intentionality:

1. Open Communication

• Family Meetings: Begin by scheduling regular family meetings where all voices are heard. These gatherings provide a platform to discuss thoughts, concerns, and evolving needs related to your career and personal life. Josh and I have our Life Pilot check-in and reflection every single Monday. As Leo grows older and he is able to be part of that, we will start having family meetings.
• Digital Connection Tools: Consider using family-oriented communication tools like Slack or Trello. Create dedicated spaces for discussions, ensuring that everyone is informed and engaged. I really love the app Signal. It’s private. They don’t sell your data and you can have groups or individual chats that you can have on your laptop or your phone.

2. Negotiate with Employers

• Flexible Work Arrangements: Explore your employer’s flexible work policies. Many organizations now offer options such as flexi-hours, compressed workweeks, or remote work. Understanding and leveraging these opportunities can be a game-changer.
• Negotiation Skills: Enhance your negotiation prowess with resources like books, online courses, or career coaches. The insights from “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss, for instance, can be invaluable in the art of negotiation. It’s a really good thing to keep that open line of communication with your employer or employers, managers, or whoever may be in your world, and to advocate for yourself and what you ideally would like out of your work situation.

3. Setting Clear Boundaries

• Digital Calendar Mastery: Leverage digital calendar tools to set distinct boundaries for work and family commitments. Employ color-coding and visual cues to distinguish between the two realms. You 100% need to have a calendar where people can book in at certain times for meetings. They should never be able to book in when you’re just about to go home and go see your family. People really respect it when you put those boundaries in place and you lay down the law of when you’re going to get back in touch with people as well. And again, you can give them a turnaround for when they might expect a reply from you.
• Focus-Boosting Apps: Explore apps like “RescueTime” or “StayFocusd” to stay on track during work hours. These tools can help you remain productive and reduce distractions. And then if you’re effective and efficient, you feel like you really smashed out your work day and you got everything you needed done. Or you just felt like really on top of it, you’re going to go home happier, healthier, and a better place to then enjoy your family or your friends or whatever it is that you have prioritized.

4. Quality Over Quantity

• Mindfulness Practices: Embed mindfulness into your daily routine.  Take a few moments for deep breaths in the morning, deep breaths right before you think you’re going to react to your two-year-old, a five-minute guided meditation, or a 10-minute walk in nature with meditation, you can essentially have a little dance party if you want, whatever it takes. A few minutes of meditation or deep-breathing exercises can enhance your presence and elevate the quality of your family time.
• Tech-Free Evenings: Designate certain evenings as “tech-free” family time. Unplug from screens and devices to foster genuine interactions and shared experiences. This means that you get to connect more. If you go to bed, you get to read, and relax, you’re not looking at your screens, you’re not with blue light, and you’re not getting distracted and surfing apps that you don’t need to.

5. Self-Care Matters

• Self-Care Apps: Download self-care apps like “Headspace” or “Calm” for guided relaxation, sleep improvement, and stress reduction. I love my Oura ring, which is epic. It tells me about my sleep performance, my heart rate variability, and my readiness score. Remember, nurturing yourself is a vital component of the equation.
• Scheduled Self-Care: Allocate specific time slots on your calendar for self-care. Book those massages, timeouts, and spa dates with friends. If you need to put it in your calendar – reading time, relaxation time, nature walks, swimming, yoga evenings, guided retreats, do so. Whatever it takes, prioritize your self-care and you’ll turn up for yourself in an amazing way and for everybody else too. Treat these moments with the same reverence as any other commitment – because your well-being matters.

6. Plan and Organize

• Digital Planning Tools: Harness the power of digital planners and productivity apps such as “Notion” or “Todoist.” These tools streamline task organization, and deadline tracking, and offer helpful reminders. Streamline your work responsibilities to lighten your own load. Same thing at home, the same thing at work. Honestly, take what’s working there and see how you comply at home
  
• Project Management Principles: Apply project management principles to both your professional and personal life. Apps like “Asana” or “Trello” facilitate collaboration within your family, ensuring that tasks and projects run smoothly. Everybody has visuals on the commitment, and they know who’s doing what and who’s assigned the role so don’t be afraid to use those tools.

Remember, these tools and resources are your allies in the quest to balance work and family life. Adapt them to your unique circumstances and make necessary adjustments as you journey toward a harmonious coexistence of your aspirations and your loved ones’ needs.

Balancing your career and family life is not the aim here, integration is.

It’s not merely about managing time; it’s about grasping the intricate harmony between your professional ambitions and your family’s requirements.

By aligning your values, fostering open communication, embracing flexibility, and putting these practical tips into action, you can nurture this delicate balance with grace.

Life is ever-evolving, and so are your career and family needs. Embrace this journey, treasure each moment, and continue fine-tuning what works for you.

You hold the power to nurture harmony between your career and family, prioritising what matters most, and creating a life that resonates profoundly with your values and aspirations.

Here’s your action step:

If you feel like you’re even lacking in your aspirations and what is your big picture plan and how does this beautiful big life look for you five years from now, or maybe your life is a freaking crazy mess, tune in to Episode 10, and Episode 6 of the LifePilot Podcast.

Ultimately if we’re talking about prioritising what matters and integrating all of life and you want to work on this together as just one part of your life pilot journey, please consider jumping on a evolve discovery call with me because I want you to evolve into the person that you want to be and to have the life that you truly deserve. You can do that at lifepilot.co/coaching

It’s a 30-minute complimentary chat with me to see if we’re a good fit for working together, be your coach, your cheerleader, and help you achieve more financial abundance in your life and across all areas of your life.

So until next time, stay financially empowered, stay mindful of your money story, and always be the pilot of your own financial destiny.