Work Life Balance

A New Year’s Resolution Of Giving Back

A very popular New Year's resolution is to give back in 2010.  This is definitely a great way to spend your time and money.  There are a lot of different ways to give back.  And there are countless organizations out there that would love your help.  So how do you decide?

The first thing that you need to consider is what exactly do you want to give back?

 

Your Time. Volunteering your time and talents to organizations has long been a great tool to help those less fortunate.  You can find a variety of volunteer opportunities on sites like volunteermatch.com.  The easiest way to volunteer is think of an organization you are already familiar with.  Contact them and see if you can be of assistance.  Chances are you will be welcomed with opened arms.

Your Money.  Donating your hard earned cash is another great way to care for those in need.  The most important thing to keep in mind when donating is to make sure your money is actually going to those in need.  Any non profit should be able to tell you exactly how they disburse their donations.  Some have little to no overhead, many have a lot of overhead.  If you are concerned about how they might spend your money, ask.  It is a very common question. 

Your Resources.  Money is not your only resource.  What about networking?  You might just know the exact person an organization is looking for.  Are you a softball coach looking for a team building experience?  Why not have your team work at a soup kitchen for a day?  A lot of times it is not what you know, but who you know.  Use that networking for the common good.

Here are a few things that need to be considered whenever you are looking for a new way to give back:

Reputation. Check with the Better Business Bureau or even do your own independent research on an organization before giving them your money.  Even well established non profits have had their share of scandals.  Don't let it deter you from donating, just be as thoughtful as you would expect them to be with your money.

Commitment.  If you begin volunteering with an organization, you might find the commitment a bit much to handle.  Make to be realistic of your time.  Be sure to let the volunteer coordinator know your limits.  The hardest word to use once you are in the volunteer mode is “no” but don't be afraid to use it.  Remember that volunteering is suppose to be fun for you as well.

Don't forget to be creative with your giving back.  If you are involved with any organization, think about the holes you might fill. Try to combine different areas of your life.  For example, a writer might enjoy doing a newsletter for the local neighborhood.  A painter could put together some greeting cards for a shelter.  Whatever your pool of talents, use them.  That's the real essence of volunteering.  Giving of your time and your treasures. 

A New Year’s Resolution For Giving Back

A very popular New Year's resolution is to give back in 2010.  This is definitely a great way to spend your time and money.  There are a lot of different ways to give back.  And there are countless organizations out there that would love your help.  So how do you decide?

The first thing that you need to consider is what exactly do you want to give back?

 

Your Time. Volunteering your time and talents to organizations has long been a great tool to help those less fortunate.  You can find a variety of volunteer opportunities on sites like volunteermatch.com.  The easiest way to volunteer is think of an organization you are already familiar with.  Contact them and see if you can be of assistance.  Chances are you will be welcomed with opened arms.

 

Your Money.  Donating your hard earned cash is another great way to care for those in need.  The most important thing to keep in mind whe donating is to make sure your money is actually going to those in need.  Any non profit should be able to tell you exactly how they disburse their donations.  Some have little to no overhead, many have a lot of overhead.  If you are concerned about how they might spend your money, ask.  It is a very common question. 

 

Your Resources.  Money is not your only resource.  What about networking?  You might just know the exact person an organization is looking for.  Are you a softball coach looking for a team building experience?  Why not have your team work at a soup kitchen for a day?  A lot of times it is not what you know, but who you know.  Use that networking for the common good.

 

Here are a few things that need to be considered whenever you are looking for a new way to give back:

 

Reputation. Check with the Better Business Bureau or even do your own independent research on an organization before giving them your money.  Even well established non profits have had their share of scandals.  Don't let it deter you from donating, just be as thoughtful as you would expect them to be with your money.

 

Commitment.  If you begin volunteering with an organization, you might find the commitment a bit much to handle.  Make to be realistic of your time.  Be sure to let the volunteer coordinator know your limits.  The hardest word to use once you are in the volunteer mode is “no” but don't be afraid to use it.  Remember that volunteering is suppose to be fun for you as well.

 

Don't forget to be creative with your giving back.  If you are involved with any organization, think about the holes you might fill. Try to combine different areas of your life.  For example, a writer might enjoy doing a newsletter for the local neighborhood.  A painter could put together some greeting cards for a shelter.  Whatever your pool of talents, use them.  That's the real essence of volunteering.  Giving of your time and your treasures. 

Failure Is A Perception

Have you ever held back on doing something because you were afraid of failure?  Most people have!  I can count on my hands the number of times I took advantage of an opportunity and went for it, but I lost track of the number of times I held back.  Let’s face it; no one likes to fail.  You want to achieve your goals in life.  None of us likes to feel like we’re ineffective, weak or lacking in any way, and that’s exactly how failure makes us feel. However, you may be surprised to know that failure doesn’t exist – until YOU say it does.  In the dictionary, failure has several definitions: 

1)  a failing to do or perform 

2)  a state of inability to perform a normal function adequately 

3)  a fracturing or giving way under stress 

4)  a lack of success.

Look carefully at those definitions and you’ll probably realize they have one thing in common when it comes to goal achievement:  failure is a PERCEPTION. If you believe you have failed, then you have.  If you believe you don’t have the ability to succeed, then you don’t.  If you believe you can’t handle the pressure of achieving your goals, you can’t.  If you believe you’re not successful, you aren’t.  Failure only exists in your own mind!  The moment you decide to give up or stop working toward your goals, failure is born. But what if you never do that?  What if you continue working toward your goals, one step at a time for as long as it takes?  There’s no failure then, is there? Achieve Your Goals This insight should be very encouraging if you’ve been working toward goals and not yet seeing positive results.  Simply keep going and you cannot fail! Here are three tips to help you stay strong and focused on your goals:

1. Never give yourself an out.  Most people do this without even realizing it.  They are willing to work hard on achieving their goals, until the going gets too rough or their motivation dwindles.  Don’t do that!  Commit to making your goals happen, no matter what!  Never quit, never contemplate admitting failure, and never lose your inner determination.
2. Don’t get hooked on a specific timeframe for completion.  It’s okay to set a general timeline, but be aware that some circumstances will be beyond your control, so you can’t say for sure when your goal will be achieved.  If you do that, you’re just setting yourself up for failure!  Instead, get a general idea of when you’d like your goal to be completed, but then take it a day at a time and focus on making progress, not reaching the finish line in as little time as possible.
3. Finally, be sure that you don’t view obstacles and setbacks as failures.  The two are completely different.  An obstacle, setback or delay means only one thing:  it’s not time for your goal to be completed yet.  That’s it!  It doesn’t mean you failed; it doesn’t mean you’re weak; it doesn’t mean you’ll never achieve your goals .  It simply means you’re not done yet.  You’ve got to keep moving forward and find a way around or through the obstacle.

Now go out, achieve your goals, and Finish Strong.

Time Management

A New Year’s Resolution For Time Management

Times are tough and people need to be ready for anything.  Of course you have obligations to fulfill but, you also need to roll with new ideas and concepts.  The essence of time management is not to fill your days with a to-do list.  Rather, it’s a way to get the most of the time you do have, while having some breathing room for the unexpected.

 

The first step is to make a list of priorities.  These are the things that need to be done no matter what.  Paying rent, grocery shopping, going on a date, you are in total control of what your priorities are.  Write down those priorities on a sheet of paper.

 

Now consider all the other things that need to get done.  These are things that would be nice, but are not a priority to you.  Mowing the lawn or cleaning the windows might be an example.  Try to think of all the things you typically do in a month.  This list should be long.  Put these secondary items on another sheet of paper.

 

The next step in time management is delegation.  First, delegate your duties by time.  Take a third piece of paper and make two lines crossing at the center.  This should leave you with four squares.  Assign each square a week of the upcoming month.  Look at your priority list and spread out the necessary items on that third piece of paper.  Some items might need to be put in more than one box, some only one.  Try to spread them out evenly by time.  You can even put a notation next to each activity of the expected time it will take to accomplish.  Paying rent might be 15 minutes, whereas grocery shopping an hour or more. 

 

Take the second sheet of paper with secondary items that you would like to accomplish.  Spread them across the four squares as well.  And just like the others, put a notation of expected time to do them.

 

Look over these four weeks and consider which items can be outsourced.  Do you have a friend or family member that can go grocery shopping for you?  Would it be a huge deal for your spouse to pick up the dry cleaning?  Can you get the dry cleaning delivered?

Consider your schedule and the value of delivery.  It might be worth the extra charge. 

 

Now for each square you will need another piece of paper.  This is when you are going to break down your time into days of the week.  Consider the days you feel the best.  Are you always groggy on Monday? Then make the list lighter on that day.  Do you get a burst on Friday? Add some extra items there.  Also, consider items that can be done together.  Instead of two trips, get your oil changed while you are grocery shopping or spend time with your kids while running errands.

 

The key is to keep your schedule as flexible as possible without forgetting important items.  If you are breezing through your list and still feel ready to take on more, tackle items for the next day.  You never know when a great opportunity might fall in your lap.  If you are pulled away by an emergency you don’t have to worry about all the different things on your plate.  Just find time to fit in those few things assigned on the day the emergency happened. 

 

Use these basic concepts and your whole world will become more productive as you improve your time management skills.

Christian Work Life Balance and Family Values

Effective Time Management

We all lead very hectic lives right now.  It isn’t always easy to manage your time in the ways you want to with so many external demands capturing your focus. Some things can make your work/life balance even harder to keep straight, such as holding down more than one job or owning your own business. So how do you deal with this?

Learning good time management skills can help to increase your productivity and reduce your stress levels.  In order to create the best work life balance, you need to make sure that your work is getting the time and attention it needs, but you need to be sure your personal life is being tended to as well.  This is important for everybody but particularly if you have a family to take care of.

To manage your time more effectively you need to first figure out what tasks need to be completed every day.  Add to your list those things you want to spend more time doing. This could be spending time with family or finding ways to give more to the community.  Try to make this list as comprehensive as possible.  If you leave things out you will have a harder time figuring out how to be efficient.

Making time for God and your family is an important part of creating a healthy work/life balance, but check your list and see where you’ve placed your family and your time to reconnect with God in your list of daily tasks.  Are they near the top of the list or have they been relegated somewhere further down?
Look over the list carefully and see if there are any things on there that can be cut out altogether.  Sometimes you need to prune things from your schedule in order to be productive in other areas.  In other cases, you might decide to set limits on the amount of time you devote to some activities in order to allocate more time to other things.

Efficiency comes from learning to prioritize and time management is much easier to handle when you understand what’s most important to you and what can be left for later.  Take a careful look at your current list of priorities and ask yourself honestly if those items are what truly matters in your life.  You’ll find that when you work on the important tasks first, you’ll suddenly be more productive and you can manage to get more done in each day.

The same prioritization principle can be applied to your work. If you are a leader at your job or if you own your own business, see what you delegate to other staff members.  If you have your own business sometimes you can still have your family help you with the little projects.  It’s especially important if you own a business to make sure that you are achieving a work life balance and not letting work eat up your family time.

By improving your time management and getting a better grip on how to be productive you will be well on your way to creating a healthy work life balance.  Be efficient in all areas of your life and you will also find you’re less stressed and able to find more time to enjoy those things that are important to you.

Above all things, when you are figuring out how to manage your time and be efficient you need to make time for God and for quality time with your family.  When you can spend time with those who are important and still take care of necessary things, then you’ll know you have achieved a work/life balance and you should be proud of yourself.