Striking a Balance
How to make work and life work for your life
Its 9 am on a Friday. It’s been a long work week, there’s a deadline looming, the client has edits, I have to book a doctors appointment, I need a coffee, a meeting is about to start, new work is coming in, someone’s kids are calling, the piles on my desk are getting higher, the phone is ringing…… and I just want the week to end and the weekend to start. One more day. Sound familiar? It often seems like so much is going on all at once and there isn’t enough time in a day. So how do we find balance without turning into a hair pulling, stressed out mess of a raving lunatic?
Finding your work/life balance can be a challenge in any job. Making time for everything you want or need to accomplish can be overwhelming, but there are many ways to figure it out. As unique are you are, so is your solution.
Start with a priorities list to figure out what is important, what needs to get done and how to accomplish it. Once you have a list, you can create a plan. A day-by-day agenda will be helpful in busy times as it gives you the opportunity to focus.
When creating your agenda don’t pack your day of just work, make sure to add in a few brief breaks to let you get your focus back and give yourself a break from staring at a computer screen.
• Maybe stand up • Grab a coffee • Eat some fruit • Sit on the patio
• Have a stretch • Pester a co-worker • Take a short walk • Play air guitar
Not only will these mini-breaks help create flow for your day, but they also add to your long-term physical health. At lunch, doing an activity you enjoy will also give you a break from work and allow you to focus and be more efficient while at work. It also lowers stress levels and contributes to a more productive afternoon.
You will find that over time, incorporating balance into your day will provide a lower stress, greater efficiency work environment. It will also help you achieve your goals and contribute to a healthier environment for you and your colleagues.
Personally, it allows me to commit to what Hal Johnston and Joanne McLeod coined so long ago “keep fit and have fun.”
We’ve Changed
On November 30th, 2011, McRobbie Optamedia became FREE.
As an agency we’re used to working on projects for clients. The process of rebranding meant we had to become the client and take an honest look at who we are. The exercise allowed us to rediscover what it means to be a creative agency in #yeg.
FREE was a baby born of a year-long conception. We knew we needed a change, but we also know that this had to be an intentional evolution.
We deconstructed our brand to figure out who we were, who we wanted to be and how we wanted to get there. The road has been a lesson in patience, teamwork and self actualization. Painful as it might have been at times, we’ve learned, better than ever who we are, what we’re good at and how to improve.
Yes, our name has changed along with the signage out front, as well as our business cards, letterhead, etc. But the way we approach our relationships and the way we approach our work has not changed – we’re just articulating it better.
That last bit may sound like hyperbole, but it isn’t. We know what we want now more than ever before, and through this rebranding process, we’ve figured out how to get there.
Sit down and talk with any of us. You’ll be able to sense how excited and proud we all are of where we’re at. There’s an energy here.
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