Letting go is an important part of work-life balance.
Let go of your need to “do it all,” because it is just plain unrealistic to think that you can accomplish 20 hours of work in an eight-hour day.
Just think of that “to do” list that has 243 items on it. C’mon! Be realistic!
Many times, we are the victims of our own expectations. With “to do” lists having hundreds of items in them, we start our days hoping to accomplish all of them. Quite simply, this is completely unrealistic.
We essentially set ourselves up for disappointment by setting daily expectations that are virtually impossible. So, instead of celebrating achievements at the end of a productive day, we lament what wasn’t done.
As you create your daily or weekly lists, be realistic about the time that you expect each activity or task to take. And here’s the trick: Assign estimated times for each task. Then add them up. You’ll realize that you have been unrealistic about your capacity in that day.
THEN: Choose the actions that will bring the most return and feed your life balance, and leave the others for another day. (Most likely that is what you would have done anyway – this way is just less stressful).
