The Work-Life Balance Tip to Make 2018 Your Best Year Ever

Every New Year’s Eve my husband and I sit down and plan out our year. We do not write down resolutions. Nor do we commit to a new to-do list. We don’t make promises we can’t keep or come up with ideas to “date more,” “live more,” “exercise more” or any other nonsense.

It’s proven that these well-meaning lists don’t work anyway, so why bother?

Instead, we plan out how we can best meet the needs of our family in the upcoming year.

Huh?

Over the last fourteen years, Scott and I have studied human behavior to discover exactly what WORKS to create a thriving life of well-being, balance, and success. And what we discovered is that in order to create sustainable change in your life you need one thing.

Motivation.

Duh.

Yet, what often motivates us is not aligned with our true human nature.

Which means you unwittingly make dozens of choices every single day that do not help you create the balanced life you crave.

In fact, those choices prevent you from even seeing the possibilities right in front of you that will create a peaceful life of success and joy RIGHT NOW, without a whole lot of change necessary.

Crazy, huh?

Prior to discovering the power of human needs, Scott and I did what so many couples do at the start of each new year:

• We committed to working harder on our marriage and arrange more date nights…(those rarely happened)
• We promised not to bring the stress and anxiety from work home with us at night…(well-meant, but rarely successful)
• We planned for a new exercise routine and found a new diet in order to shave off the extra pounds…(and then gained all the weight back as soon as the diet was thankfully over…)
• And we scratched our heads and bickered back and forth as to why the heck we couldn’t pull this beautiful thing called life together once and for all.

We found ourselves always wondering why all these super-fantastic intentions never stuck with us for more than a matter of months.

Frankly, it sucked.

We had successful careers, financial security, and a picture-perfect life.

Then why did we constantly feel like we were missing out?

Because we didn’t understand that our human nature needed attention in ways we were never taught. Our biology and psychology needed us to pay more attention to those areas of life we constantly starved. And once we began dialing in the right strategies to meet those needs, our life began to flourish!

Our relationship became more intimate and connected. Our evenings were calm and playful instead of rushed. We had more patience for the kids and each other. And we lost weight, slept soundly, and began laughing more than frowning.

Yes!

And once we began rooting our decisions in human behavior, we discovered why no matter how hard we had previously tried, we kept repeating the same patterns of limiting behavior over and over again that led us farther and farther from the thriving life we were jonesing for.

Can you relate?

We changed jobs. We moved abroad. We scaled back. We scaled up. Nothing worked.

Because all of those changes were our ignorant attempt to buy more time in our day. So we could do more. Be more. Play more. Live more.

But that’s not how it’s done!

Instead, you have to pay homage to your human needs and fill your cup each and every day. Our culture doesn’t appreciate this, no?

Our culture tells us to work hard and become a success and then someday you’ll “arrive” at a special place where life will be grand.

That’s ridiculous. The only place you are guaranteed to arrive in life is death.

And that’s not a milestone I’m anxious to achieve…are you?

So this year, instead of making a list of things you “should” do…try creating a plan for meeting your family’s needs. Once you start realizing the benefit of meeting your needs, you'll finally have that motivation you need to create sustainable changes that allow you to thrive!

• What steps can you make to improve your connection needs?
• What can you do to meet your need to be a positive, role model as a parent?
• What choices can your family make to create more space for fun on a daily basis?
• And what strategies can you try to improve your need for good health and personal well-being?

We call this process “needs-mapping” and it’s a foundational pillar of the work-life balance process I teach to executive and high-achieving women in CWU. It’s an eye-opening approach that shifts your lens from "status quo" to "success on your terms".

And I love success on my own terms, don’t you?

Happy New Year and warm wishes,

Kate

Corporate Women Unleashed (CWU) teaches female executives and high-achieving women how to create balance in their life without sacrificing success.

If this resonates with you, feel free to watch this free presentation on how it's done.

Note: once you register, a replay link will be sent to you if you cannot attend at the current time.