R and R for Sunday, May 1st, 2011

R and R Tip # 47: Refuse to let the competition between home and work get you down.

Two areas which often compete with each other for our attention and energy are those of our work and our family. People today often have misplaced priorities with respect to these responsibilities. We have become a country of workaholics who often pursue careers at the expense of family.

There was a time when the boundaries between work and home were fairly clear. Today, however, work is likely to invade your personal life and maintaining balance is no simple task.

All of us know that occasionally it is necessary to burn the midnight oil. While everyone finds occasions which require extra effort and longer time commitments, the workaholic is one who has made this a pattern. They have failed to appreciate the delicate balance between the need for work and the necessity of rest.

Trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each of your various work and personal activities is usually unrewarding and unrealistic. Life is and should be more fluid than that.

When you're tired, your ability to work productively and think clearly may suffer. If you're working too much, you may miss important family events or milestones.

The danger in trying to do it all is that you risk things falling through the cracks.

Between work and family, surprises are inevitable. Be prepared by creating backup and emergency plans; always have a contingency.

Boundaries and limits define how you take charge of your time and space and get in touch with your feelings. They express the extent of your responsibilities and power and show others what you are willing to do or accept. Without limits it's difficult to say no. Remind yourself often that your boundaries are necessary for balancing work and family.

Live by your own standards rather than someone else's. Standards are about YOU and refer to the behavior and actions you are willing to hold yourself to.

Taking some time off for yourself will not only benefit you, but it will benefit your work and family tremendously, as well!

Be flexible and forgive yourself when things don't get done. So maybe you don't cross off every single item on your daily TO DO list. Do what you can do, and don't be too hard on yourself. Tomorrow is a new day. Remember that as much as you may want things to go exactly according to plan, life often has a way of changing those plans for us.

Set your priorities, get some REST, do what you can do, and don't be too hard on yourself. Tomorrow is a new day.

See you all next week!

Love, Live, Laugh and Be Happy!

ma