You’ve seen it online; I know you have, because I have, too: success has become synonymous with a non-stop work and hustle culture. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with enjoying work; quite the opposite, in fact. There are times when I’ll get back from a good day at work, having achieved a lot, and then spend the evening working on my blog or writing creatively.
Do I enjoy the process? Of course; I wouldn’t do it otherwise. I love the idea of working for yourself for that very reason. If it’s a passion project, it might not even feel like work. As I learned from Ali Abdaal’s Feel Good Productivity*, one of life’s greatest hacks is about making the process far more fun. I’ve written countless times about the hacks that I use to make my work more fun.
True success is about more than just relentless dedication to your work and to your career. It demands a balanced approach that’ll nurture your professional ambition and personal wellbeing at the same time. It’s also about being strict with yourself. I’m about to explore the significance of balance in fostering sustained productivity and wellbeing. You’ll learn how to employ some actionable strategies to optimise for success while also prioritising your health and happiness.
Balance as the cornerstone of success
Life is hard work. It’s tricky knowing exactly how to harmonise all of the facets of your life, including work, relationships, health and your personal interests to create a more fulfilling life. If you prioritise balance, you’ll be less likely to fall victim to burnout, which is one of society’s biggest sappers of success. Burnout means that you’re either over-working or taking on too much. If this happens, it’s imperative that you reprioritise and get yourself out of that position.
If you avoid burnout, you’re more likely to feel more productive into the future. Maybe then you won’t need to rely on strategies like the Pomodoro method, or a second brain, to keep you on track with your goals.
Strategy #1: Establish clear boundaries.
Set specific times for work and play, and stick to them as much as possible. You could time block by designating certain hours of the day to work-related tasks and others for leisure, like family time or self-care. Generally, it’s easier to create a balance by establishing physical boundaries and setting up specific spaces for work and relaxation. This is even more important if you’re working from home, like I was during the pandemic, or else you’ll find it tricky to ever switch off.
Prioritise health and wellbeing
Be mindful whenever you practise self-care to ensure that your body and brain continue to function at their maximum capabilities. By investing in your health, you’ll be laying a solid foundation for not only being productive at work, but being sustainable in your work ethic.
Strategy #2: Prioritise self-care.
This includes your morning and nighttime routines, which I think are the cornerstones to success. Establish what you’ll do every morning before work and every night before hitting the hay to help your body either gear-up for the day ahead or wind-down for a restful night.
Equally, don’t neglect moving your body. You might prefer bounding and martial arts, or the gym, like me – or perhaps you’re a fan of five-a-side at the weekends. Whatever you prefer, your body will generally be a lot less grouchy if it’s getting in adequate amounts of movement time.
Take back your time
Effective time management and goal setting are vital if you’re planning to achieve balance between work and play. By setting realistic goals, prioritising tasks and leveraging whatever tools work for you, such as to-do lists, Bullet Journals, or apps like Google Calender to block out time, you can streamline your workflow and minimise distractions.
If distractions are minimised, you’ll be able to stay focused for longer. I find it especially useful taking my phone and placing it face-down on my bed or, better yet, in a different room entirely. My Samsung Galaxy smartwatch stays on my wrist but enters Do Not Disturb mode so that no one can get in between me and my projects.
Strategy #3: Create a Second Brain.
Use a Bullet Journal to track your most important goals for the day, block out your time on Google Calender to dedicate time to specific tasks (like blogging), and use your phone’s tools to keep you off social media until your work is done for the day.
Equally, define what success looks like before you’ve started something and you’ll never find yourself over-working again. The more that you actively practise these actions, the more likely they are to be turned into habits, which James Clear suggested in Atomic Habits* can be used for training us into taking on positive habits and letting go of the more negative ones.
Then, once you’re done for the day, let loose and have at a bit of relaxation.
Life isn’t all about work. By incorporating these simple strategies, you should be able to stay focused while leading a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle.
*Items marked with an asterisk are affiliate links and using them may earn me a little commission at no extra cost to you*
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Hardly Hamilton 
5 thoughts on “The work-life balance rule”