Knowing how to set goals while keeping your life in balance can be tricky.
In today's fast-paced world, it can seem like a far-fetched goal of achieving the ever-elusive work-life balance.
At the end of the day, it comes down to understanding what balance means to you.
Work-life balance isn't about getting everything perfect. Do you want to know how to set goals while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
Yes, you can do both. Keep reading to discover how!
Watch the video below:
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Keeping your life in balance can be tricky.
If you struggle with work-life balance, you're not alone. Many of us have competing priorities that need our attention. Finding time to do everything can be challenging. Oftentimes, it's our mental and emotional health that is the first to take a hit.
A Gallup Wellbeing Index study found that 45 percent of entrepreneurs reported being stressed about their job and company and another 34 percent said they “worried a lot.” Can you relate? As an entrepreneur, I know all too well how difficult achieving ‘balance' can be.
However, over the years I've learned that if I don't make my health top priority, my business suffers, as does every area of my life. Don't get me wrong… if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur you have to be willing to ‘hustle.' However, it's equally as important to take care of yourself.
You will not be able to effectively add value and show up in the world if you are constantly living on autopilot. When it comes to creating work-life balance, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The concept of balance means something different to everyone.
I had the opportunity to sit down with my good friend, Matt Clark and talk about how to set goals while keeping your life in balance. For those of you who don't know, Matt is the Executive Chairman and Co-founder of Amazing.com. This is a company that helps Amazon entrepreneurs build their own physical products business. Here are some questions that he asked me and my responses to them.
Let's dive in!
What does it take to get the most value out of a year? How do you structure things to make sure that you accomplish a lot?
Before I start planning for the year ahead, I like to reflect and debrief the previous year. I have a process for doing that. I look at all of my wins, successes, and accomplishments. If you just take that in, it will help you build momentum that you can carry forward.
I also look at the challenges and the struggles that I faced and what I learned from those experiences. If you don't learn from your failures, you will carry them with you into the next year. When it comes to planning ahead for the New Year, I first like to get clear on what my vision is.
I really believe that your goals are merely stepping stones to the ultimate vision that you have for your life. Your goals should bring you one step closer to where you want to be 10-20 years from now.
I think about the goals that I want to achieve in each area of my life – health, business, finances, relationship, spiritual, and contribution. Once I'm clear on my vision, I do a brainstorming process where I think about the different goals that I want to set in each of those areas.
I narrow down what I'm most excited to accomplish in each area.
Lastly, I make sure that I'm setting goals that are S.M.A.R.T., which is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. I have a system for following up to ensure that I'm on track with my goals. If I'm not making progress, I make the necessary adjustments. Setting goals is easy, but 98% of people who set New Years Resolutions don't follow through on them. I want to be one of the 2% of people who do follow through.
What strategies can people adopt to ensure that they stay motivated to achieve their goals?
Accountability is huge. Oftentimes when we set goals, we say, “Hey I'm going to achieve this”, but because we are only accountable to ourselves, we can easily back out. With my brand, Project Life Mastery, I publically share my goals every year. It's uncomfortable for me to do so because it creates a lot of pressure.
However, it ensures that I am more likely to follow through because I don't want to lose respect and credibility from my audience. Accountability can be found in the form of a Mastermind group, an accountability buddy, a coach or a mentor. You want to find someone who can help you stay on track.
Is it better to be balanced or it is better to be hyper-focused in one area of life?
It depends on what you want in your life and what that looks like. A lot of people want to build an online business so that they can create more freedom and spend more time with their family and friends. I have always valued balance. From the beginning, I knew that spending all of my time and energy on my business wasn't going to fulfill me.
I believe that there are areas of life that are much more important than making money.
For me, that's my health, emotions, relationship, and spirituality. At times, you will have to go out of balance and make sacrifices, especially if you are building a business. Fully being in balance doesn't exist. There are times in my life where I fully immerse myself in a project, to the point where I may be neglecting other areas of my life.
However, it's only for a short period of time. I always return back to the balanced state. You've got to have a purpose for your day. Being proactive and strategic with your time will ensure that you are present in everything that you do. When you know what the outcome is for each task that you carry out, you will get so much more out of the experience.
This is how to set goals while keeping your life in balance.
Get clear on what work-life balance means to you and then set goals that align with the vision that you have for your life. If you push yourself too hard you will only end up suffering.
However, when you make it a priority to engage in healthy habits every day, you will set yourself up to win. Taking care of your mind, body and soul will give you the energy and motivation that you need to achieve your goals, especially on the days when you feel like giving up.
Are you ready for 2022 to be your best year yet?
Ready to succeed faster and master every area of your life? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program!