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We all have those days where 24 hours just doesn’t seem like enough time. We stare at our calendars, overwhelmed with the combination of work, home responsibilities, and social invitations that are piling up, wishing that a Time Turner, a Tardis, or a DeLorean would appear and let us bend time to our needs. But would these cheats actually solve anything? Probably not – no matter what tools you have, it’s hard to escape an unstable and unhealthy schedule if your routine and mentality don’t foster a balance.
Time management and work-life balance are universal struggles, so let’s turn to the experts – executives who somehow find the time to manage their personal lives while directing massive organizations on a national or global scale. These leaders have had decades to make mistakes, hit walls, battle fatigue, and come out victorious. We can gain significant insights from their experiences and words.
Time and Choice
Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch said, “There’s no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences, ” during a 2009 Society of Human Resource Management conference. This is a powerful reminder that, even when you feel like the demands on you are untenable, you still have agency over your schedule. How often do you exercise the power to say “no” to social outings or work assignments that could push your schedule out of control?
Balance with Environment
Former Intercontinental CEO Andrew Cosslett told Forbes, “That’s the nice thing about the British pub–it’s a nice mixing pot. The great thing is, talk about business or family is not allowed. It’s another place I can switch off.” Understanding and maintaining the barrier between your personal space and your workspace is extremely important for a balanced life. This is particularly crucial for those who work at home, since the lines between your personal and professional life can blur. Remote workers should explore ways to keep their work life separate by considering a shared office or co-working space, or by partitioning off an area at home where the purpose is work-specific.
Prioritization
In her article for Business Insider, CEO of Palo Alto Software Sabrina Parsons emphasizes the need for companies to prioritize family and work responsibilities — something that’s especially important for working moms. “Let’s demand that corporate America’s norms change to accommodate women — those who want to have families and realize that having a family does NOT make us work less or achieve less. Companies that dictate our schedules, decide when and how we work, and believe that a pregnant woman is a liability is what prevents women from rising to the top.”
The Many Facets of Life
The “work-life” dichotomy can become a limiting view of the world, especially when you think about all the other skills needed to achieve your goals. CreativeLIVE CEO Mika Salmi contributed this advice, which emphasizes a well-rounded approach: “My ideal balance is more than work + life. It is a combination of family + intellectual stimulation (usually work) + physical activity + creativity (usually art). Occasionally I do things that involve two or even three of these at one time but all four is very hard. So the key is to make time in every week or even every day for all of these four to be touched. This does not happen by accident and requires being purposeful about it.” Executive leaders can teach us volumes about productivity, effectiveness, and time management. What are some of your favorite life balance quotes? Feel free to share them below in the comments!
Author - Loraine Kanervisto has been writing business, technology, and lifestyle features since 2008. She loves exploring how diverse communities interact with technology. Loraine spends her time tinkering with gadgets, exploring Seattle's lit scene, and hanging out with her two black cats. Source https://www.creativelive.com/blog/top-ceos-share-secrets-living-balanced-life/
Every business has an incredible story behind it. Maybe you were working a 9 to 5 day job you didn’t enjoy before you thought of a brilliant idea for a toothpaste holder that is now the number one seller on Amazon. Or perhaps your parents were business owners and encouraged you to follow your dreams, so you began a local photography company that now boasts tons of clients. Whatever the origin of your company is, it’s important to craft a business story for your clients and customers. But how exactly do you go about that? How do you craft a business story that is both cohesive and inspiring? Don’t fret. Here are some top-notch tips for you from some of our CreativeLive experts.
Start with your bio
The heart of your business is you.
Today, customers are just as interested in who they’re purchasing from as the product they’re buying. The first step is to craft a business story is to create an exciting and interesting bio for your website and marketing materials that explains who you are. According to CreativeLive teacher and business strategist Melissa Cassera, start by writing out a “grocery list” of what you’d like to include on your bio. This should include information about your career or personal life, your biggest wins or mistakes and your favorite books, TV shows and movies. You can relate your list to what you do. For example, a motivational speaker could write a list of the top seven most incredible places she has been invited to speak onstage as well as one thing she remembers from each experience. Keep in mind that your bio doesn’t need to be your entire life story. It’s just a first impression, so make it brief and update it as needed. Cassera says your goal should be to “express yourself in a natural, conversational way… to tell a few choice pieces of your story… and to pique your reader’s interest so that (hopefully) he or she chooses to explore more of your work… and perhaps, someday soon-ish, [buys] something.”
Ditch the rags to riches story
Many business stories go like this: The founder of the company was broke, until she started this business, and now she is a wild success. Your story is still continuing, and rags to riches is a cliché you need to drop, says Jamie Jensen, CreativeLive teacher and creator of Story School. You should constantly be creating new stories to engage with your clients and customers, and not be so finite with your own story. “Try repositioning the idea of ‘the end’ as a new beginning as both the buyer and as a leader,” says Jensen. “From that point of view, the ‘Rags to Riches’ story is really just ‘So I made a lot of money once!’”
Write from the heroism perspective
Don’t try to leave out the rewarding or successful parts of your journey in an attempt to create a sappy narrative. Instead, focus on the inspirational aspects of your story. It is wise to include your challenges and rough patches on your path to success, because that makes you relatable. But be tasteful. “By making things seem too perfect, clean, and simple, you ALSO make people skeptical,” says Jensen. “Don’t be afraid to include the rough parts of the journey too, but make sure you’re positioning them strategically along the story path.”