Relationships aren’t just with people, relationships fill our lives, from food to exercise we have relationships with multiple factors in our daily lives. Our careers or our businesses are no different, they need to be managed carefully so they don’t consume all our time and energy. It should be a healthy relationship, just like any other, that is mutually beneficial and respectful of your life.
Here are a few tips to try and get your relationship with you career into shape:
Establish Boundaries
Every healthy relationship needs boundaries, clear ones that unless in exceptional circumstances should not be compromised. You need to be strict on when you will be in work mode and when you will be in home mode; you need to take time for yourself to relax and rejuvenate and you can’t do that if you job is screaming at you to pay it attention. Set strict times of working, don’t answer mails or calls after 7pm; whatever you have to do to get some space will be healthier for you.
Learn to Execute
The ability to execute is a difficult skill to master, being motivated daily to achieve tasks can be draining and many find it hard to do this but your ability to execute efficiently will mean a lighter workload and therefore more time to take for you. Set goals for the day, whether your career or business, and achieve them that day and then set yourself more goals for the next day. Set monthly goals and yearly ones too, make a plan of how you will achieve them and the steps you need to take to get it done – never underestimate the power of a ‘to-do’ list.
Utilise Technology
There is so much technology out there now to help with your career and/or business. Utilise apps for task managers, project plans or customer presentations – it is an easy way of streamlining your execution of tasks and being properly organised allows you to have a better view of your time. This in turn will lead to a better relationship with more time for you and with more work getting achieved.
Fight Feeling Guilty
Guilt is an emotion that niggles at the mind, undermining you and casting doubt onto your relationship. If you don’t answer calls all the time, immediately respond to emails or be available 24/7 then are you really putting your all in? Well yes you are and a defined boundary will help you feel more in control, helps with focus and will improve your production rate. Ignore your guilt, take time for you and if your work is done there should be no need for you to feel guilty.
Feed It
Your relationship with your business and/or career should be fed a nutritious diet. Podcasts, books, training days and up skilling yourself though time heavy in the beginning will pay off dividends in your career. You will be aware of all the newest innovations in your field, have good anecdotes for networking opportunities and it will give you a sense of achievement weekly. Have you heard of the 5-hour rule? Oprah, Mark Z and Steve Jobs all use(d) this rule to take an hour a day during the week to learn something new – feeding your career in this way will reward you in years to come.
Now that sounds like my idea of a mutually beneficial relationship. Let me know if you have any tips for getting your relationship just right with your career.
