Christian Work Life Balance and Family Values

Simplicity, Family and a Healthy Work Life Balance

Attaining a work life balance that is good for both your work and the rest of your life can be daunting. When you have a family it can be even more intimidating because you have other people who need your attention.

Luckily you don’t have to overwhelmed when the demands of work and those of your family conflict. By developing a habit of simplicity you will be able to find the time to attend to both in such a way that the necessary demands are met.

Simplicity

Living simply means eliminating elements of your life that are not necessary or those that are placing demands on your time that detract from those things that are most important. This can be as straightforward as choosing to limit your television watching or as complex as deciding to sell all the items in your home that you don’t use on a daily basis.

Learning to find joy and love within a simple version of your life will make an effective work life balance much easier to attain. When you simplify life, there are fewer things to focus on and therefore fewer things to balance.

Creating a simple life also gives you more time to focus on the things that are most important to you, because you have removed many of the things that usually distract you from the work life balance you’ve been trying to achieve.

Simplicity also lends itself to a certain mental clarity. When your mind is no longer cluttered with thoughts about different possessions and activities, or when you’re no longer so focused on work to the exclusion of family, you can release a lot of stress and frustration. This clarity can help you focus better on whatever is in front of you, whether it’s your work or your family.

Achieving the Simple Life

Simplifying life looks different for every person, because what you find complicating your neighbor might find incredibly satisfying. However most people who want to simplify life find that eliminating distractions, such as the television, internet, or other media, gives them the time and clarity to focus on what is really important to them.

To figure out what you need to eliminate, look at your priorities and where you actually spend the bulk of your time. If you’re passing significant amounts of time doing activities other than the ones that are high priorities, you should act to eliminate those other activities.

Learning to prioritize your daily tasks can be difficult, especially at work. The demands of your colleagues and employers wanting you to spend more time and effort at work can seem impossible to say no to, but anything that’s keeping you from your priorities is not something you want in your life. So evaluate and simplify life and you’ll be better off for it.

Family

Many Christians choose to maintain a simple life for the sake of their family. When your life and your mind are cluttered with unnecessary stress, it can be difficult to find a balance between work and family life. However the clarity that comes from simplicity can help you find this balance.

Choosing simplicity is often another way to choose your family, because you decide to place your focus at home instead of on other things. The long-term benefit of reducing stress, building a stronger bond within your family and achieving a good work life balance will be worth it in the end.

Finding a Balance

When it comes down to it, finding the right work life balance that’s best for you and your family is an individual decision. However cultivating habits of simplicity can give you the time and clarity of mind to focus on what is truly important.

We have some great reports on this topic in our Reports section.

Finish Strong,

Matt Peters

How He Loves

Here is a wonderful song from the David Crowder Band called “How He Loves”.

Finish Strong, and Happy Thanksgiving. 

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.

Jeremy Camp – There Will Be A Day

Here is an awesome song from Jeremy Camp that brings hope and inspiration to many.  Have a blessed weekend.