Balance Boosts Work, Lifts Life

Everyone is running a race of some sort: running to bag that order; running to win that deal; running for that coveted post; running to achieve sky-high targets; running to be the best mom or dad or son or daughter or husband or wife or boss or manager. No matter what you do in life, you are responsible for something or the other. These responsibilities pushes you in all different directions, taking you further and further away from their core-your balanced, calm, grounded, collected self. Because life pulls you in so many different directions, you are often so overwhelmed by the weight of your responsibilities that we lose our balance and soon find that you are no longer in touch with yourselves.

If you can find your balance and take steps to keep that equilibrium, everything falls into place- your performance becomes better, your work shows great results and your private and social life begins to flourish. Once you achieve and maintain that balance, your life changes for the better and you can live a fuller, more meaning- and successful life. When you are more balanced in your mind, your body and soul also function together in harmony. Your mood is lifted and so is your output. A happier and more balanced person is sure to be a better and steadier performer in all areas of life.

Here are some tips to find and keep that balance in life to better your work performance.

Set Goals, Maximize Productivity
A goal is like the North Star that leads sailors home.Setting goals gives direction to your aspirations. You can separate different subjects in life to make it easy-financials, health, love life, career, etc.

Set small goals and milestones and proceed systematically towards what you plan to achieve. Once you set goals, follow it with discipline will save a lot of your life time too. Plus your productivity increases. Setting goals helps you make the most of what is on hand.

Stay Fit, Stay Healthy
It is important to take care of ourselves physically. Allocate a certain time each day to exercise. It doesn't matter if it's walking or swimming or going to the gym or playing a sport-you just need to make sure you do something to keep yourself fit and healthy. Remember to keep your body hydrated and relaxed. A happy body leads to a happy mind and hence to a balanced life.

Eat Right, Sleep Tight
Job pressures and killing deadlines often mean rushed meals, junk food, snacking and cups and cups of tea and coffee. Take time with your meals and stick to a schedule as far as possible. Eat what is right for your body. Consume the right amount and go easy on junk food. Job pressures and killing deadlines also lead to poor and inadequate sleep. As with food, try to hit the bed around the same time each day. Prepare your body for sleep; make the dinner light, indulge in a warm bath or shower or even a foot soak. Take care to avoid stimulants such as coffee before bedtime. A good night's sleep is essential to rest your body and mind in preparation for the next day.

Stress Less, Meditate More
Work-related stress can lead to exhaustion and burnout. It slows down the mind and punctures motivation. So it's necessary to de-stress from time to time. A good way to de-stress on a daily basis is to meditate. Take little journeys to the inner corners of your mind, slow down the pace inside yourself and guide your mind to flow smoothly and effortlessly. Pamper your inner self so that your mind stays fresh and sharp. A calm and collected mind is receptive as well as proactive.

Discard Harmful Habits, Discover Hidden Talents
No one is perfect and everyone has vices. But harmful habits lead to unhappy consequences. Drinking, doing drugs, smoking, binge eating, etc. can affect your health adversely. Regular gambling, betting and such can drain your hard-earned finances. Gaming, porn, social and mass media addictions can ruin relationships. Discard these habits, and you will give yourself room to find a talent. You will find the time to take up a hobby such as painting or sculpting or take up music or dance. The time that you spent on your addictions can be utilized to plan your days better and get more work done or mend broken relationships. You could use your time for yourself and for others around you.

Communicate Better, Strengthen Relationships
You could be doing everything right and still not get the right results. What you communicate and how you communicate can make a huge difference to the way your instructions are executed. Choose your words carefully, whether verbally or in writing. Stick to positive words. You can say the most negative things in the most positive way. Instead of saying "Avoid late nights" you could say "Early to bed, early to rise." The meaning is the same: it helps to go to bed early. A positive tone keeps the communication easy, motivating, inspiring and pressure free. It helps bring about a sense of comfort that can strengthen relationships at work and at home.

Socialize, Energize
Explore your outer self. Humans are social beings. Humans need others to thrive. It is necessary to work hard, but it is also necessary to mingle with people outside of work. Go for a movie with friends and family, take time out for a picnic or play a game of Balderdash or Pictionary in the evenings. Social activities in moderation can help charge up your batteries and increase your zest for life.

Make Time for Family, Surround Yourself with Love
Between all the work, figure out who and what is most important to you. If it is family, make them your priority. Spend quality time with your spouse/partner, children, parents, siblings. Try to have one meal together with your loved ones. Stay in touch with them even if you are travelling.
Give love to receive love.

It may not be easy to find the perfect balance, it is work. And once you start working on it, you will rediscover life and your work performance will soar.