Reprioritise – A Work Life Balance Blog by Kate
I think in a world where multitasking is hailed as a desirable and achievable skill, completing priorities could be considered the biggest barrier to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Benjamin Franklin once said that "if you want something done, ask a busy person." There's truth to that statement. After all, the busier we are, the better we need to manage our time; so in turn we get more practice at honing our time management skills and can fit more in … and more… and more…
I like to be busy and I have many elements of my life - employee, mother, daughter, wife, friend, volunteer, political campaigner, school governor, music patreon and perpetual student. I am happy wearing my many hats, so it if often assumed that I am good at multi-tasking …. my close friends and family will tell you this is absolutely not the case!
What I aim to do is prioritise and practice continual reprioritisation; I try to give whatever I am doing at any one time my full attention and then move on to the next thing. The key is ensuring that sometimes the “next thing” is to do something I find relaxing or fun and to make sure that I include downtime in my mental prioritisation.
We all have different personalities and preferences in how we manage our work-life balance. This may or may not be the same as those of our friends & family or our colleagues; none of these are good or bad, right or wrong, they’re just different. Knowing this can help when your personal priorities are different to others.
I live by lists and get comfort in planning details in advance, which then gives me space to creativity in the moment. I am not perfect at this and I rely on those around me to help me work out what really matters and what I can let slide off the bottom of my many lists.
Kate Burns, Community Chesterfield, Skills and Learning Coordinator.
If you would like to find out more about some of the subjects mentioned in this ‘Work Life Balance Blog Series’ such as: Working Styles & Preferences: understanding yours and flexing to help others, Building and Developing an Exceptional Team, Managing Difficult Conversations or Facilitation Skills – Have a look at our new Training and Tea sessions.
Lasting for 45 minutes these courses are short, convenient and held online via Zoom. Booking is via Eventbrite and all the sessions can be found here bit.ly/CommunityChesterfieldEventbrite Places are limited.
FREE for Community, Voluntary or Third Sector organisations and groups in Chesterfield & NE Derbyshire* AND staff / students of the University of Derby – funded for you by Community Chesterfield.
*£20 for everyone else. (T’c & C’s apply)
