The document provides 17 steps to achieve work-life balance, beginning with examining work hours and company policies, getting help at work, limiting after-hours contact, and using systems to record work thoughts outside of work hours. It recommends flipping a mental switch to disengage from work, rein in distracting thoughts, embracing a non-work identity, treating time as a valuable resource, scheduling playtime, taking full vacations, unplugging from technology, getting exercise, restructuring obligations, limiting draining relationships and activities, fully disengaging from work when home, limiting volunteer hours, and replenishing one's energy. The key message is to invest time wisely and treat it as a valuable commodity.
13. Step 1: Look At Your Work Hours
Do you risk losing your job if you
work only the required hours?
Are you required to work
overtime or do you just do it?
Is your overtime paid
or unpaid?
Review your company’s
work and overtime policies
14. Step 2: Get Help At Work
Remember if your organization is doing more
work with less staff this is not your problem
Professional Development: time management
training can help you get 3X done
Virtual assistance takes away
cumbersome detail work
15. Step 3: Reduce After-Hour Work Contact
Don’t give them your cell
phone number if possible
Let work calls go to voice mail
– reply by email if needed
16. Step 4: Flip Your Mental Switch
Have a saying as you leave:
“Work Off!”
17. Step 5: Get Work Stuff Out Of Your Head
• Use “Brain Buckets” - A place to
capture work ideas that occur
during time off
• Microsoft OneNote – smartphone,
desktop, laptop or tablet
18. Step 6: Stop Your Monkey Mind
• “Work talk jar” - $1 if you talk about
work during play time
• Enlist your family’s help to catch you
WORK
19. Step 7: Check Your Identity
• When people ask who you are, do
you introduce yourself by where you
work?
• Is that the “real” you?
• Who will you be when you retire?
20. Work Is Only Your “Secret “ Identity
• Choose another when you leave
Artist
Superhero
Karaoke Queen
Lover
Adventurer
Rock Star
Collector
Dance Diva
21. Step 8: Treat Time As Valuable Coin
How will you invest it?
Make sure YOU are the one
choosing how to spend it
Dump time wasting
activities AND people
26. Play Time Tips
• Schedule play time first
26 27 28 29 30 31 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 4 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
M T W T F S S
30 1 2 3 4 5 6
NOVEMBER
Date Nights
Adventure Days
Hobby Afternoons
Friend Meetups
Artist’s Dates
27. Step 10: Take Vacations!
Getting away helps flip
that mental switch
Important to get away to feel
fully disconnected from work
When we do, we often
just do things that need
to be done at home
Many of us don’t take
our full vacations
28. Step 11: Unplug
Manmade stuff is just
“1st World Problems”
Nature is real
Turn notifications off on
smart phones
Low tech days
29. Step 12: Get Moving
• Exercise is revitalizing and releases
positive endorphins
• Helps you choose more fulfilling
activities than just watching TV
30. Step 13: Restructure Your Life
• Grocery delivery
• Cleaning services
• Personal concierge services
• If on a budget
• Exchange services
• Cook meals in batches and freeze
(perhaps with friends)
• Set up car pools to get kids to extra
curricular activities
31. Step 14: Stake the Energy Vampires!
• Dump people, activities and things
that suck the life out of you
…yes, even family
32. Step 15: If You Work From Home…Leave!
Have set work times
Turn business phone
off after hours
Don’t check business
email after hours
Close the office door
Go out for coffee or relaxation
33. Step 16: Watch Your
Volunteer Hours
Volunteering is great, but set a schedule
and limit so it doesn’t take over
34. Step 17: Replenish
Your Reservoir
You can’t keep drawing from the well –
you need to replenish daily
35. What is the Meaning of Life?
Do your time investments
reflect this?
What is most important
to you?
37. Work/ Life Balance Summary
1. Stop working extra hours
2. Get help at work
3. No after work contacts
4. System for recording work
thoughts after hours
5. Flip your mental work switch to
off
6. Rein in your monkey mind
7. Embrace identity beyond work
8. Treat time as valuable coin
9. Schedule play time first
10. Take vacations
11. Unplug
12. Get physical
13. Restructure your life
14. Stake the energy vampires
15. Play outside the home office
16. Schedule/limit volunteer hours
17. Replenish your energy and spirit
38. Key Point To Remember
Spend it like money –
invest wisely
Treat time as valuable
39. • I offer Time Management coaching
and consulting and I work with both
individuals and groups
• Contact me for a FREE 20 minute
consultation on how I can help
CAPTAINTIME.COM
MORE HELP?
Hinweis der Redaktion
I’ve been working on time management mastery for over 30 years
But the goal isn’t to “get more done” it is to achieve Work/Life balance
Perhaps you were in school or university
Low pay, crappy hours
But when you were done work, you were done
Your free time was your own
Better jobs
More responsibility
Workplaces started cutting back on people
You were expected to do more with a lot less people
We became “workaholics”
My 17 step program to stop being a workaholic and get your life back
Do you REALLY have to work all these hours
Are you really at risk or is it just fear
You aren’t 7-11, you aren’t open for business 24/7
Make a physical movement
Actually say the saying, even if under your breath
Don’t discount the power of this
My wife and I have a rule – no “work” talk on date night or adventure days
If you talking, thinking and OBSESSING about work – it’s like you haven’t left it
Many people identify themselves by their work
It is common that top busy executives die early after retirement because work is what kept them going – others tick off their spouses by trying rearrange household routines that have run great for 40 years because they don’t know what to do
I have a microphone and I’m not afraid to use it
Think of the hours of the day like 24 golden coins – how will you spend them
8 on sleeping
2 on getting ready for work and commuting
8 hours of work
Eating 2 hours
4 hours of off time – invest them wisely
1 hour a day is enough to master a new skill – play a musical instrument or write a novel
On weekends, add 8-10 hours back into mix – you have more to invest
As a child, you were a great explorer
Play was natural
They institutionalized you – forced you into those concrete walls
Could play only at recess and lunch hour
They gave you homework – WORK AT HOME – so much for work/life balance
They totally screwed up your ability to play
And often working after hours for now pay
No “if I get some time, I will do that fun thing”
Date nights – if you are in a romantic relationship and you don’t have date nights, you’re in trouble
Adventure Days – explore the world around you – nature, new towns, new places, new activities.
Hobby Afternoons – sewing, knitting, whittling, painting
Friend Meetups – think of friends you’ve lost contact over the years. My brother is still in contact and still sees several people from high school. He is excellent at maintaining friends. Yes, friends need maintenance – care and feeding. Set aside time each month to meet a friend or two
Artist’s Dates – time out that gets you inspired. Visit art stores, galleries, book store
Getting away takes a few days to help you totally disconnect and get into your “play” identity
Getting away helps more firmly flip that mental switch so you can relax