Enhance your performance levels
and Overall effectiveness
Here are 5 practical lessons for bringing balance to your everyday life and, in the process, enhancing your performance levels and overall effectiveness at work:
1. Take a Serious Daily Break. The power of a regular period of renewal should not be underestimated. Even 10 minutes of relaxation in the face of a busy day will restore you to your natural state of balance and calm and rekindle your creativity in the process.
2. Develop A Daily Action Plan. As my mother used to say while I was growing up "failing to plan is planning to fail." Taking the time to create a structured game plan for your day that includes not only your work activities but extracurricular pursuits such as exercise or hobbies will ensure that your days are not only balanced but rewarding.
3. Focus on Your Priorities. The real secret of working and living with a greater sense of harmony is to concentrate your energy on your personal and professional priorities. All those trivial activities that might seem important in the moment ultimately count for very little in the long term. Peak performers focus their time on only those things that contribute to their life goals and say no to the rest, Perhaps the great philosopher Thoreau said it best when he observed "it is not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is what are you so busy about?"
4. Establish a Personal Sanctuary. As a corporate speaker, I'm often on the road for weeks on end. So when I'm at home, I carve out plenty of time to be with my wife and kids. But I always make certain that I start my day alone in a quiet room that I call my "personal sanctuary", my own quiet space where I can go to reflect, plan, relax and envision the day ahead. This habit is one of the most important things I do for my personal effectiveness and one that is used frequently by top performers in business, sports and the arts. Remember, life management begins with self-management and you can't lead a team or a family unless you first learn to lead yourself. Start your day on a peaceful note. The results will speak for themselves.
5. Simplify Your Life. Is your life too complicated? Are there too many urgent demands on your time? Then simplify. Cut back on your social commitments and spend more time relaxing at home, enjoying basic pleasures such as reading a good book or working in your garden. Break the habit of spending hours in front of the TV and start working on enriching your relationships instead. Take regular walks in nature or watch the sun rise once a week. Watch the balance return to your life.