Future Leaders of Whittier

Work Life Balance

Have you ever felt burned out from work? Ever thought if I just worked a little harder, for a little bit longer, I can relax?

A Work-life balance means something different to every individual and there are seasons when we are called to put in the overtime. But if leaders are supposed to be an example to their team, how do they lead in a work life balance? Below are quotes from two online articles:

“We believe that it is important for us as workers and leaders to cultivate broader professional identities, ones that leave space for family, community, and that find meaning in activities beyond work. Once we begin to value our leisure time, we will more easily be able to find balance between — and separate — who we are at work and who we are outside of the office. We need to start viewing free time as time for rest, recharge, and the cultivation of new skills and interests, some of which may eventually benefit our work roles as well.” - Harvard Business Review

“The only way to achieve balance is to be open to a much broader perspective. It’s not that everything you think you know and believe when you’re young and immature is wrong. It’s that your viewpoint is based on limited experience and therefore tends to be narrowly focused and subjective. And the only way to gain wisdom and maturity is to be willing to let go of the notion that you understand how things work and embrace the possibility that you really don’t.” - Entrepreneur.com

There is no universal standard for a work life balance but there are some universally helpful guidelines. Below are 6 helpful tips to help you and your team to enjoy a health work life balance:

1.    NO Perfectionism: Perfectionism becomes out of reach, and if that habit is left unchecked, it can become destructive, says executive coach Marilyn Puder-York, PhD, who wrote The Office Survival Guide.

2.    Unplug & Relax: “There are times when you should just shut your phone off and enjoy the moment,” says Robert Brooks, a professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School.

3.    Physical Exercise: Exercise is an effective stress reducer. It pumps feel-good endorphins through your body. It helps lift your mood and can even serve a one-two punch by also putting you in a meditative state, according to the Mayo Clinic.

4.    Limit energy drainers & time wasters:  Like the airplane metaphor, if you have a child, you put the oxygen mask on yourself first, not on the child.” When it comes to being a good friend, spouse, parent or worker, “the better you are yourself, the better you are going to be in all those areas as well.” Get a hold on what drains you and who/what wastes your time.

5.    Change up your schedule: Sometimes we fall into a rut and assume our habits are set in stone. Take a birds-eye view of your life and ask yourself: What changes could make life easier? 

6.    One step at a time: We all want to make huge changes and improvements but it takes time. It is believed that it takes 2 months to develop a habit. It takes much longer to develop a lifestyle.

Leadership is 80% in the Mind

For some getting outside one’s self is a real challenge. Regardless of your ability to self-assess participate in the following Mindful exercise. Imagine writing to your future self fives years from now.

• What would you like to tell your future self?

• Where would you like to be in life?

• What goals would you have achieved?

• How would you look at the following: Career/Business/Education? Family/Friends/Love? Health/Spirituality/Self-Image?

This mindful exercise can be done with little to no effort but like many exercises you get what you put in. As you write your letter, you will start to think about the actions you will have to take to realize make them a reality; in a selected time frame. This can help clarify where you are, how you think, and develop you as a person. This will tell you much about you and your mind.

“The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly. ”

Albert Einstein is one of the greatest minds of the 20th century. He is regarded as a great scientist but he is also a great leader. He changed how the world looks at science. Yet Einstein’s accomplishments was not driven by his intelligence, or his 300 plus scientific papers, it was driven by his mindset. What is a mindset?

A MINDSET IS AN ATTITUDE OR BELIEF THAT ORIENTS THE WAY A PERSON HANDLES SITUATIONS — THE WAY WE SORT OUT WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHAT WE SHOULD DO. OUR MINDSETS HELP US SPOT OPPORTUNITIES BUT THEY CAN TRAP US IN SELF-DEFEATING CYCLES. -GARY KLEIN, PH.D.,

Oprah’s mindset is that of a queen.

Oprah is the first African-American billionaire, a philanthropist, an entrpreneur, and a media juggernaut. She defied stereotypes, over came abuse, and broke through numerous social barriers. Her humble beginnings is a testimony to how powerful the mind is. . Her mindset drover her to succeed despite the multiple set backs of poverty, sexual abuse, racism and her struggle with weight. Oprah’s drive, spirit, attitude, philosophy, goal-focused and hard-working mindset is a huge factor in her success

LEADERS SET UP THEIR TEAM TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS

We all have desires, not everyone has goals. A person's mindset can shift a desire into a goal, essentially making a dream into a reality. A mindset is a person's established set of attitudes; an inherent philosophical perspective that manifests in all aspects of life ie. challenges, opportunities, dreams.

What is the difference between Goals & Desires?

Goal: the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.

Desire: a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen