March Madness and Work-Life Balance

By David B. Bohl | March 19, 2007 | No Responses Yet

Tax time, conventions and trade shows, spring breaks, Easter holiday and so much more bring out an intensity among everyone around us. And not a good intensity either. In this time of March madness you need to spend some time by yourself not only examining your goals but reinforcing them.

There’s something about this time of the year that make things very intense, and I don’t mean the wonderful excitement surrounding the NCAA’s college basketball tournament.

Is is just me, or does it seem that most everyone is stretched at this time of the year? Maybe it has something to do with tax time for individuals and businesses.

Possibly it concerns the sheer number of conventions and trade shows that occur between now and the middle of May. Maybe it’s related to the earlier daylight savings time change, spring breaks, the upcoming Easter holiday, and spring fever in general. Maybe it’s simply a cycle of the year in the world in which I operate.

I think the bigger concern we all have is that, because the world now operates at the speed of technology, is that the access we now enjoy to the outside world means that we’re within easy reach of those who wish to contact us no matter where we are and what we’re doing.Maybe this March Madness feeling is all of the things I’ve mentioned above plus that feeling that we must be constantly “on” and ready with a response or solution. As a result, it’s becoming more and more difficult to separate our work and home lives because of these constant interruptions. Fires need to be put out 24/7 and people need our attention 24/7 diverting us from our goals.

If this is the case, what should we do? The answer is different for everyone. It starts with remembering what’s most important to us and living our lives in support of those values and beliefs.

You might start by spending time by yourself examining and reinforcing your goals and priorities. You can find ways to make use of technology to enhance your lifestyle and work style instead of becoming a slave to it. You can set boundaries and adhere to them. Finally, you can practice being your authentic self.

Don’t beat yourself up about where you are today. If you want to change and grow, simply take the action and don’t look back.