The Struggle for Work and Family Balance

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air," began Brian Dyson, CEO of the Coca Cola Company during a recent speech. "Name them work, family, health, friends, and spirit and imagine that you are juggling all of these in the air."

Assume ownership of your time. We'd all be surprised if someone reached into our wallet without asking and grabbed the money found there. How different is that from letting others help themselves to your time? Take ownership of your own time and don't allow others to make commitments of your time without your permission.

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. Check often to see that you are working on the most important things that need to be done each day. Helping your child talk through a problem he/she is having or discussing the day's events with a spouse or friend may be more important than getting the dishes or laundry done.

Learn to say no. Saying the word is not what's difficult. It's the feeling of guilt that many people experience as soon as they say it. Try focusing on the important things that will get done because you used that two-letter word to decline something which was not a part of your priorities.

Think of your day as several large blocks of time (morning, afternoon, and after-dinner) with the blocks separated by natural interruptions. Where you have control, keep your blocks whole, scheduling appointments and meetings, running errands at the beginning or the end of a block rather than in the middle.

Delegate. There's that "D" word. Delegating means assigning the responsibility for a task (not just the work) to someone else. You'll no longer have to do the job or remind someone else to do it. Free up some of your time for the jobs that only you can do.

There is a close relationship between time and money, where one can often be substituted for the other. The more hectic your schedule, the more reasonable it is to buy time by selecting goods and services you don't have time to do. Paying someone to mow your yard or transport your children after school are examples of purchasing time.

Learn to work with your biological clock. Each individual has a peak time of day when their energy is at its highest and concentration at its best. Determine which time of day is your peak performance time and plan your work accordingly.

Develop systems to keep things running smoothly at home. Busy individuals often keep personal calendars. In a family setting a master calendar is also useful. Make each family member responsible for noting their time commitments on the calendar and consulting the calendar for potential conflicts when they make plans. Also have one place where all family members post messages for each other, and where they check messages when they get home.

At home and at work you need a filing system so that you can find important papers when you need them. Searching for important papers can be a real time waster. Keep your system simple using broad categories. For example, one file labeled "automobiles" can hold everything from the bill of sale to receipts for auto repairs. A simple system will make filing go faster and there will be less temptation to put filing off.

Reward yourself. Celebrate when a major task is completed or a major challenge is met. One of the problems with a hectic life is that you can be so busy that you fail to notice the completion of a major piece of work. You just move on to the next job without celebrating your success. Instead of always focusing on what still needs to be done, take time to celebrate what you have accomplished!

For more detailed information contact your local Extension Center and ask for guide sheet GH 6653 Prioritizing Your Time or get it on the web.