Word of the day

Control Your World — Keep Family, Work Balanced


Have you ever felt like pulling your hair out? Everyone wants and needs your attention. You have too many jobs at home, and then you come to work and have another full day of tasks that need to be done.

One of the challenges that many of us face today is balancing our work and family life. If you feel like I do, both are important. One of the things I love about USANA is its values regarding the importance of taking time with your family and keeping both home and family balanced.

One thing that works for me is to give my full attention to whichever place I am at. So if I am at home, I focus on my family. I take time to walk the dog, play with the cats and enjoy my children. I take time to laugh with my girlfriend and daughters, and talk about their day.

As a working father, I have to find time to do something for myself — take a few minutes just for me each day. It is easy to get caught up in going to work, then racing home to take care of the family. Now days, it takes everyone at home to take on more responsibility when we all work. We divide the jobs; take turns cooking dinner and doing the dishes.

When I am at work, I focus and plan my day in order to accomplish the priorities I need to handle as vice president of project management. As I am driving to work, I prepare myself for the day. What are the critical tasks I need to handle?

It is important when I am at work to also take a few minutes to stretch, look out the window and take a lunch break. This keeps me focused and fresh when I am working away behind my barber chair or facilitating a meeting.

I have learned the hard way — it is OK to say NO. This has been a tough lesson for me both at home and at work, but let’s face it, none of us are Superman. I know there are some things I can’t fix, so I let them go. I also have to prioritize when I need to do business work at home such as check emails or participate in conference calls and when it can just wait for the next day.

Life has turned into a fast-paced race, but you can control your world and slow down to keep both family and work balanced. Take time to breathe prioritize what is really important and start enjoying life. You will end up happier and healthier.