High-level executives, founders and entrepreneurs are unique in the sense that their insatiable drive to succeed, produce, compete, create, provide, build and conquer is hard to turn off. Boundaries between their professional life and personal life are severely blurred, almost to the point where both are inextricably intertwined.
This type of model may be thrilling and doable in the short term, but in the long run, isn’t sustainable and comes with a huge cost.
The desire to reach new potential and blast through limits often leaves them feeling overwhelmed and burned out. All too common, an executive or entrepreneur with a great resume or sales track record lacks peace, fulfillment and still suffers inside from the noise and pressure that keeps them from actually reaching their greatest potential and happiness.
What’s the fix? Restoring harmony.
Harmony is the new balance
Step aside, balance … there’s a new concept on the scene: harmony.
Balance is binary; you’re either balanced or not. There’s no room for error. And even the thought of having to maintain perfect balance can be stress-inducing in and of itself.
Let’s talk about the concept of harmony. In music, harmony refers to the blending of notes and chords to produce a pleasing sound and there are a variety of ways to produce a variety of different outcomes.
Think about a symphony. During the symphony, all parts of the orchestra are playing at the same time. Sometimes the woodwinds are more prominent, sometimes the brass, sometimes the percussions, but all the while, the whole orchestra is playing.
Our Lives Are Like a Symphony
Just like an orchestra has many different sections, our lives have different areas as well — family, work, faith, health and fitness, personal development, to name a few. We have to tend to all aspects of our life but recognize that different areas will require more focus and attention during certain seasons. For example, when our kids are younger, they’ll require more hands-on care than when they’re older and you’ll have more time for other things. Sometimes we go through “busy seasons” at work and then enjoy more free time later.
The magic happens when we accept the ebb and flow and get into a rhythm of keeping all aspects of our life moving forward, all while minimizing stress and maximizing joy and peace.
The concept of harmony as applied to our lives is more realistic, forgiving and sustainable. It gives us the latitude and the grace to adjust to life as it happens and provides the platform to move forward with more ease, acceptance and freedom.
Embrace Your Role As Conductor
When we think about the concept of a symphony, what role do you play? Are you in the audience, just taking it in as it comes?
Or have you empowered yourself, grabbed the baton and stepped into your role as the conductor?
Give yourself permission to step into the role as conductor of your own symphony. This is your life and it’s up to you to take responsibility for the experience you allow yourself to have. If you’re not okay with how your time, attention, focus, and energy are being directed, start thinking about what changes you need to make.
Time is our most precious asset and we can never turn the clock back and redo the seasons of our lives we wish we had done differently. Conduct your life in a way that honors you.
The 168 Exercise
When my clients feel like they have too many irons in the fire, I like to start with a powerful exercise called the 168 Exercise. First off, what is the 168 Exercise?
168 is the number of hours we each have in the week, hence the name.
In the 168 Exercise, I ask my clients to show how they currently allocate the hours in their week across the main categories in their life. The list obviously is different for everyone, but here are some broad categories in no particular order:
Personal Time
Health and Wellness
Sleep and Relaxation
Family Time
Primary Relationship
Professional/Career
Faith
This is usually an eye-opening exercise, as any asymmetries become abundantly apparent. After we bring awareness to how time is currently allocated, we then move them to make more conscious choices to consider if all areas of their lives are well represented. We also build in processes and routines that support their long-term passions and purpose.
4 More Ways To Restore Harmony
The 168 Exercise described above gets the momentum going in the right direction. Once we’ve done that, we can layer on more ways to restore harmony.
Here are some additional ways to restore harmony in your life:
1. Prioritize Self-Care
There are endless ways to nourish your mind, body and spirit — exercise, nutrition, hydration, massage, meditation, spending time in nature, journaling, getting enough sleep — are all ways to up your self-care game.
2. Be Fully Present
One of the questions I’m asked frequently is, “How do you keep all aspects of your life going and not go out of your mind … your family, your house, your business, your podcast, your personal life, travel, health and fitness, etc.?”
My answer: I make intentional choices and I am fully present in whatever I’m doing. When I’m running my business, I’m running my business. When I’m with my family, I’m with my family.
Let it be known that I didn’t start there. I didn’t always enjoy the harmony that I enjoy now, because I wasn’t making conscious choices and didn’t know how to be fully present. That is something that’s come out of years of doing my spiritual work.
3. Delegate
Recognize when you’re spending too much time doing tasks that someone else can help with and consider delegating or outsourcing. There is a time/money tradeoff, so sometimes it makes sense to spend money in ways that give you back some time.
4. Fanatical Time Management
Make conscious choices about how you manage your time and ensure that you’re spending your time in ways that move you forward and enrich your life. Having firm boundaries, learning to say no without guilt and assertive communication are all part of this.
5. Batch Your Time
With so many responsibilities pulling us in a million different directions, it’s no wonder we can easily get sidetracked throughout the day, jumping from one task to the next without giving everything our full attention. Consider batching your time and clustering activities. For example, take a few hours on Sunday and do food prep for the coming week, check email for one hour per day, rather than sporadically.
Achieving a harmonious life infused with love, passion, purpose, joy, peace and abundance is well within the realm of possibility. Name yourself conductor of your symphony and start doing your life your way, starting today.