[00:00] Welcome back to the Focus B show. This is Katie Suddar here aka the focus b. And on this show I interview high performers and leaders around the world to discover their secrets on peak performance, productivity, mindfulness and leadership. So if you want to take your performance and your leadership to the next level, then you're in the right place. Listen up and connect with the magic.
[00:41] I'm really excited to announce that in the upcoming weeks, I am launching my new program to help you to optimize your time and your energy to reach the results and impact you want in your business and in your life. If you want to find out more about my new program, check out thefocusbeat.com program. One of the reasons you might be listening to this podcast on changing your relationship with time and managing time more effectively is to find balance. Now, how do you define balance? This is something that's highly individual, but what it really comes down to is do you feel that you're spending the time and energy in the different categories of your life in the way that you'd like to? Are you spending as much time on your relationship as you'd want to? Or you spending too much time in your work or too little? That's rare, especially for listeners who tend to be hyperachievers. And just seeing. Is the way that you're leading your life matching the way you'd want to? Taking a moment to think in the ideal scenario, how would you want to spend each day, each week, each month? And how are you spending it now? And what's the discrepancy? One tool you can use, for instance, is the Wheel of Life, which is a very simple tool that can help you to visualize these different areas. You draw a circle, you cut out different parts of it, like a pie of eight, for example, and you write down the different areas in your life your business, your finance, your family, your friends, your social life, your Hobies, and see if you grade them each from zero to ten. How satisfied are you with each category? And you'll notice that there are some categories where you're satisfied and you're happy. Are you at the stage that you want to be and others where it's not quite how you'd like it to be? This is an indication that those areas need attention and part of the attention comes from the time you dedicate to it. So for instance, if you want to be in a relationship and you're single and this is something that's important for you, but you're working around the clock and you're never going on dates probably isn't going to happen. So the time you dedicate to this area of your life will have the impact that you're looking for because a lot of the results come from the time and energy we dedicate to them. So this is one tool that you can use. Another important aspect that I didn't mention on the episode on perfectionism and hyperachiever is that if you are a hyperachiever who seeks validation and appreciation and joy and everything through achievement, then you might struggle to take time off or to have more time and leisure. Because you're constantly chasing these achievements and these goals and these results and these outcomes, it's hard for you to pause, to stop, to take a break. I know, I've been there. And so that can really hinder your balance because instead of investing time in what's important for you other than work, you're constantly chasing, chasing, chasing other things and somehow it's as if you neglect or forget about the balance side. This is an important aspect to also think about. So you've got the Wheel of Life that can help you to identify which areas of your life might need some more time then looking. If you are a hyperachiever, can you give yourself the permission to take time off? This is hugely important. And then what is it that you want to do in your spare time that feels worthwhile? I'll repeat that what is it in your spare time that you want to do that feels worthwhile? Because I think a lot people don't spend enough time in their leisure side of life because they actually get more pleasure or something or achievement out of their work than they do in their Hobies or spare time. But if you have a great hobby or relationships or people you love to see or things that are really exciting in your spare time, you're a lot less likely to be too involved in your work. The reason I'm framing this as if you have a slight overwork tendency is also because I know that most of my listeners are more hyperachievers, very high on high performance leadership, and they're more that way inclined. Now, it's also possible that if you're tuning into this, you need to spend less time in your Hobies and do more work. It's also possible what it comes down to is checking how's your balance right now? How much time and energy are you invested in your work, in your time off? And do you benefit from clear boundaries and separations? I've met some people that I've interviewed on the show who talk about work life integration and they think it all mixed together and that works well for them, great. If that's your way of having balance, that's fantastic. But maybe you enjoy more having a clear cut separation between your work and your private life. Taking that into account can help you to find that balance. Mostly though, it comes down to intention. If there's one thing that I'd like you to take away from this episode, although Wheel of Life is great, finding out how you want to spend your free time can also help you to not be overly invested in your work. But it really, really does come down to intention. What are your intentions for the day? What are your intentions for the week? What do you want to decide ahead of time? Ahead of time that you feel is important? If you place the intention to get up earlier, to exercise, to work on this specific project, do you stick to it? So it's the combination of intention and then discipline to carry it through. The intention shows the commitment, it shows that this matters to you. So if you place your intention on being balanced, on having that balance in your life, and you clear what that means for you. This comes back to the episode on boundaries and Parkinson Law. And people pleaser, finding what that balance looks like and then you can start to put the boundaries in place to make it happen. I hope you're starting to see that with all these different tools of taking ownership of your time, of seeing it in the light of abundance, mastering your thoughts and emotions around time and in general, overcoming your perfectionism and hyperachiever tendencies, stopping procrastination, having clear boundaries and using Parkinson Law and stopping the people. Pleaser. All of these things will add up to balance. These are simple tool things you can do every day that will shift the way you look at time, the way you work, how invested you are in your relationships. Because balance isn't a one time goal. Hate to disappoint you here, but you don't just reach balance and that's it. Balance is an ever going goal. It's on a continuum. It's as if walking on a tight rope and one side of it is overwork and the other side of it is underwork. I don't assume many of you on that side and you want to stay walking along that rope, but for that you need intention, as I mentioned, but you also need the clarity of what that balance looks like. That's where the wheel of life can come in. But it's also just adjusting, just readjusting, just noticing. When are you getting off track and what does balance feel like for you? And what does out of balance feel like for you? Maybe when you're feeling balanced, you feel in harmony, peaceful, calm. Maybe when you're feeling out of balance you feel stressed or overwhelmed or frustrated or tired, so you start to notice the symptoms. I'm feeling really balanced right now. What have I done differently? How have I managed my time? How have I managed my priorities? Or you're feeling really out of balance again. What have you done differently? Because you'll start to see patterns, you'll start to notice when you feel calm, when you feel balanced, when things are aligned, and when you're just totally going off track. And then you can use this information to regulate because that's what balance, harmony, actually just leading a fulfilled life, which is what it comes down to at the end, is looking what balance looks like when you have it and when you feel it's out of balance. I hope this has been useful for you. I feel that finding that balance and that feeling of balance is so essential. It can make such a huge difference. And all of these tools will help you and will support you to hopefully find more balance, more fulfillment and joy in your life. If you've enjoyed today's episode or the podcast in general, I'd highly, highly appreciate a review. This helps other listeners to find the show, and it also helps me to know that you're listening and that you're getting some value from this and it motivates me to continue to produce more episodes. Thanks you so much for tuning in today and wishing you a wonderful, balanced day.
[11:50] Thank you so much for tuning in today to the Focus Bee Show. I would absolutely love to hear your feedback, so let me know in an Apple review or YouTube comment what was most valuable for you, and feel free to share this episode with a friend or a family member. Wishing you a wonderful, magical and focused day ahead.