1. Business doesn’t stop when you stop working. And success certainly never waits for you to take a break.
2. Don’t kill yourself with your work and professional development, but don’t kid yourself either; when you aren’t taking opportunities you are passing them up.
3. Instead of thinking about how many hours you work, think about how many hours you don’t work. It will certainly change your perspective.
4. It’s much easier and satisfying to focus on what you have accomplished than what you haven’t, but successful people are motivated more by challenges than achievements.
5. You will always be able to find a reason not to do something; it’s just a question of whether you let yourself look for an excuse.
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2 Comments
1 Mike Zavarello wrote:
I think these points are all valid, but I would strongly stress that a healthy work/life balance is integral to maintaining your sanity. Many careers are 24/7 in this day and age, but we should all have time to clock out and turn off our smartphones to relax and enjoy our lives. I, for one, always 1) make certain my work is top-notch and on-time as I can manage, and 2) take time out for myself where I’m not checking e-mails, staying late, or working weekends unnecessarily. I have peers that are obsessed with the thought that they need to stay longer or work on days off in order to stay ahead. Depending on your line of work (agencies, real estate, etc), that may be what’s needed, but if you can help it, don’t do it.
2 EF wrote:
Mike, thanks for your comment! I know we have chatted about some posts via Twitter, but it’s nice to see your thoughts laid out here in more than 140 characters.
You are absolutely right. A work-life balance is not only important for our sanity and health, it is also important for our work. It’s the time spent not working that is what makes us work harder and more efficiently when we go back to work.
I’m not advocating for anyone to act like a machine, and always be working, but I do believe in and deal with more extremes than I think most people. For me, I like to think about things like this to put my work-life balance in perspective a bit. Everyone has to find their own balance, and what works for some people may not work for others.
Best,
Eric