Some thoughts on making your life work better for you.
Many of us are about to take a holiday, or work from home during the Olympics. Regardless of where we are this summer, we will probably still be connected to the office 24/7. Did you have an eye on your blackberry during your child’s sports day? Where are you reading this email? When do we disconnect and how do we allocate our time between work and non-work?
What is “work” anyway? Professor David Clutterbuck (visiting professor to the coaching and mentoring faculties of both Oxford Brookes University and Sheffield Hallam University) defines work as “the time and energy people contract to a third party for a defined reward (not necessarily monetary)”. And to him, life is “the opportunity to achieve in a diverse range of contexts”.
The difficulty is that the more our attention is fragmented, the less productive we become. We are less likely to achieve in any context. The boundaries between work and the other areas of our life become blurred, and we don’t build in time to refresh, rebound and become resilient.
Clutterbuck divides life into six streams:
- Job
- Career
- Domestic/Family
- Health/Fitness
- Self-fulfilment
- Spiritual/Community
In order to manage the conflict between these areas or streams we have to define which are most valuable to us. How do we see ourselves (work first, family first, a blend of the two, etc) and how do we distribute our time, emotion and energy?
Something to ponder over the summer might be how to put boundaries in place between these areas in future. And how you can build space in between them. Who defines what’s important to you and how can you get more control over your time? Are you clear on your larger goals and priorities and who have you shared them with? How do you stop worrying about work? You might work out one strategy to put in place after the holidays. (I’d love to know what it is and if it works for you). The evidence is that the greater the sense of control we have, the more productive and satisfied we become.
Have a great summer.