Situation: A CEO says that he typically works long hours and frequently works weekends. This taxes his family life and he is neglecting activities that were previously enjoyed. Are you living for work or working for a living? How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance?
Advice from the CEOs:
- Life is more than work. Just the fact of you’re asking this question indicates that you already know that too much focus on work is not good for you.
- Develop and devote time to your hobbies. The CEO and engineers in one company developed a company robotics club, and participate in robotic competitions. This has a number of benefits. It provides fun away from work while keeping their creative engineering skills sharp. As they compete, they meet and form relationships with potential business partners and customers. It builds camaraderie and cohesiveness within the team. They have the opportunity to involve their kids in this activity. In addition, they translate this into a public service by assisting local schools who have their own robotics clubs.
- Regular exercise, particularly with a group, helps you to be more effective at work. This is supported by substantial objective research.
- Involve other people – friends and family – in your hobby or exercise activity. It will help to both strengthen relationships and resist distractions.
- To assure that this becomes part of your life, put it on the calendar and don’t let other priorities displace it.
- Learn to say “no” to things that would displace this activity.
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