So after my no-life-balance.com January, comes perfect life balance February.  

At work I do loads of 'strategic stuff', so why not apply the same thinking to my W L balance problem.   On giving some thought as to how I was going to make this happen, I realised I have been going about things wrong for most of my life.   So after quite a bit of contemplation - I thought of the 3 things I need to change to break the work-washing-kids-homework-taxi-double dinner-not enough sleep cycle.

1) Write my to do list based on outputs/goals instead of tasks... 

Nothing new to that I know, but what is different is that I used to have one list for work and shove a few home things on it.   It was a bit of an 'aha' moment when I realised that if my to-do-list is not balanced its almost impossible for my life to be balanced!    Lots of businesses use a balanced scorecard approach to success, so why not have a personal balanced scorecard?

I am now writing my to do list  in clusters of outputs or goals I need to deliver in order to feel happy and balanced.   There is a section on house jobs (including the regular ones), a section on kids stuff, a section on work divided into my various projects, and a section on fun stuff with my friends and family....   The theory is, that if I make sure I do things in each area, balancing doing nasty and nice, I will be spending my time more wisely, and reaching my goals in a more balanced way.

Maybe I will even eradicate my boom bust tendencies, when it comes to friends and socialising!   Will let you know if it works!

2) Take time to Think

I spend so much time doing, I rush around like a whirlwind, doing all sorts of stuff that I bump into along the way that 'needs doing'..   This morning I even found a new job in my coffee break - cleaning gunk off the gas cooker protector bars.    I have lived in this house for 6 years, and never noticed this needed doing before, so why on earth did I spend my coffee break doing it this am???

There are always so many jobs that 'need' doing, but the perception of 'need' varies according to who is doing ...   I am now going to try and slow down and take a more thoughtful approach to what I actually do, and think about how much pressure I put on myself to do things.  I want to do fewer, more powerful things.

3) Review

I need to get better at reviewing what I have done, and feeling good about that, rather than focussing on what is not done.    If I get my list right, allow myself thinking space to decide what I am actually going to do, the last step is to be able to be happy about what I have done, and let myself be released into relaxation and leisure!

How many times do you tell yourself - I can sit down and relax when x y z is done, and it just never happens?   I for one don't want to go through life so busy doing that I don't stop to enjoy.

On Monday I dropped everything and played 'Fish' with B&C after school.  We then had a bundle on the play room floor, followed by a game of back-gammon (which B nearly won!)..    I'm really glad I had a goal on my list to have some fun.. and I felt great that I had at least on that day achieved something important.

The only thing left is for me to actually follow the wretched to-do-list, which is something I've always found (as a Myers Briggs N) really difficult!