* The story told by Anna Nazarenko, CEO at SoftGeneral

I live by the principle of work-life balance. This is why I feel harmonious and fulfilled every minute of my life. I really mean it. But things were not always this way. See, to keep this life-work balance, it’s crucial to know how it is upset and how to deal with it. Ready? Here are my top three ways of disrupting the work-life balance. Take a look. 

1. Overtime work

People are obsessed with quick results. To get them, they literally sacrifice family time, hobbies, and even sleep because ‘Oh, I need to conquer this mountain top!’ The truth here is that this all-hands job method might bring about amazing short-term results but afterward, you’ll have to pay for recuperation. Is that what you really want?

2. No achievements and satisfaction 

Achievements in any affair are an indicator of success and fulfillment. But it’s super important to enjoy the process. Without it, there’s no harmony at all!

3. Sacrifice for the sake of career

There’s no doubt – to get maximum performance, we need to zero in on a goal. But life is not just about career and achievements. Family, friends, kids, sport, hobby, traveling – underline what makes you happy! Overfocusing on only one of the areas of life will never lead to happiness.

Ok, now we figured out what potentially could disrupt the work-life balance. To avoid this ‘overdoing’ or the state when things are falling apart, you need to keep in mind these three main reasons. Of course, you might also say, “We only have 24 hours in a day! How to do everything in time?” 

This is where planning comes in handy. In the early morning, I do my exercise routine and then start working. My family time lasts between 6 PM and 10 PM. As a result, I feel fulfilled as a woman, mom, wife, daughter, friend, entrepreneur, and coach!

Obviously, the Web is full of practical advice on how to manage time smartly. Or, you might read the books of Brian Tracey or Robin Sharma. By the way, the biggest piece of advice that helped me out in due time was Robin’s 90*90 method of pursuing a goal. 

It’s about spending the first ninety minutes of your day focusing on one goal during ninety days. This makes 2,700 minutes per month, which is so powerful. But what makes it highly efficient is that it’s never at the expense of other areas of your life. Find more information about this method here. 

Ok, but what to start with to fix the situation I’m in right now? Here are a few tips. 

Simple steps to curb this work-life imbalance cycle

 I am a big fan of baby steps. Every single day you can make tiny steps to fix the imbalance if you already got into the vicious cycle. 

• Do not take more tasks than you can tackle right now. Your personal resource is not ‘rubber.’
• Keep track of time and deadlines. Take fixed time for work and projects. Usually, I use a calendar, and my family is aware when I do not work. So, I spend the rest of my time with them. 
• Learn to say ‘No’. It’s a pivotal skill for life!
• Forget about multi-tasking. Focus on one thing and do it to good quality. 
• Organize ‘me-time’ and make room for your hobbies. This makes you pumped up and refreshed.

When trying to deal with any imbalance, it’s important to realize: you need to find what works particularly for you. Nowadays, when things are super erratic, people need to have a tailored, customized approach to their life. And this is where a life coach can help you out. At SoftGeneral, we organize bi-monthly life coach sessions with each of our employees to support them on this difficult path to balance their lives. Join our team and benefit from not only career promotion but personal growth, too.