As a busy professional in leadership, achieving work-life flow is crucial for success. Balancing a work project with personal wellness, such as incorporating a morning exercise routine, is essential to maintaining productivity and overall well-being. The first principle to consider is “begin with the end in mind,” a concept Stephen Covey popularised. First, decide on your desired outcome, then reverse engineer from that goal to create a plan.
This article builds on my previous one on the first principle for creating work-life flow - setting a clear goal. Here’s a quick overview:
Set specific, SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive) for what you want to achieve in your work and personal life.
Develop a strategic plan outlining the steps to reach your goals, considering potential obstacles and alternative strategies.
Assess your current schedule and allocate time for work and personal activities.
Regularly review and adjust your goals and plans as needed.
So how do you do it in real life? Here’s a practical example of how you can boost your productivity & well-being and set your work-life flow in motion.
Case Study: Starting a Morning Exercise Routine While Managing a Work Project
Samantha, a team leader at a tech company, has a significant work project to complete within two weeks. Simultaneously, she wants to establish a new morning exercise routine to improve her health and daily energy levels.
Samantha sets a SMART goal for her work project (e.g., “Complete Project X with Y deliverables and achieve Z% improvement in the targeted metric within two weeks”) and a different SMART goal for her exercise routine (e.g.,“Exercise for 30 minutes every morning, 5 days a week, for two weeks”).
She breaks down the work project into smaller tasks, estimating the time required for each. She also plans her exercise routine, choosing activities that fit her fitness level and can be accomplished within the 30-minute time frame.
Samantha reviews her work-life balance schedule, determining the available time for both the project and exercise routine. She adjusts her morning routine, waking up 30 minutes earlier to accommodate her new exercise regimen.
Samantha allocates daily work time to complete specific tasks or milestones for her work project. She also schedules her 30-minute exercise sessions, ensuring they don’t conflict with her work tasks.
She writes a daily plan detailing her work tasks and exercise sessions, specifying what tasks she will tackle, when, and for how long, and her chosen exercise activities for each morning.
Samantha successfully balanced her work project and morning exercise routine following these steps. Not only did she complete the project on time, but she also established a healthy habit that enhanced her well-being and productivity.
Remember, setting clear goals and having a strategy can help you achieve work-life flow and succeed professionally and personally. Stay tuned for more tips on enhancing your work-life flow.
Let’s make your success healthy and happy!
Dr. Masi
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