It has been a while since I've updated this blog. The reason for that is simple, family matters necessitated taking a big step back from taking on new clients and projects. I am lucky I can take this time and space as needed, I certainly know that it's not an option for everyone.
Nonetheless, life will inevitably happen. Even when we are at our busiest in our professional lives, we ruin into obstacles that must be dealt with in our personal lives.
As I've moved through this challenging season of my life, I have been thinking more about boundaries. Remember that boundaries are something you set for yourself, not for others. You can tell someone, I will not be available every Tuesday from 7 pm until 9 pm, but you cannot order someone else to not try and reach you then. You are the one who sets both the boundary and the consequences of that boundary not being met.
I have been through a lot of strategic planning processes in my career. They are useful if occasionally tedious, exercises that help organizations focus on what matters institutionally and how to move forward.
But strategic planning can also help us focus on ourselves. The actions of defining our values, vision, and mission let us think about how we want to be living our lives, conducting ourselves in the workplace and at home, or even whether it is time to consider a career change.
It is my honor to be presenting a session about strategic planning for yourself at this year's 3CMA annual conference with my colleague and friend Marnie Schubert, of Worthy Communications. So much time at a conference is spent thinking about how to improve our work for our organization. But we would argue that it is equally important, if not more important, to use time at a conference to actively think about how we improve our own lives.
Work/life balance is unachievable for most people. There will be times when your work necessitates more energy. The key thing to work toward is finding a livable equilibrium. In preparation for our presentation, we created a toolkit to help people work toward a personal strategic plan. Click the link below to access this document.
When it seems your life is indistinguishable from your job, remember that your life is significantly larger than your work. While someone in a workplace is always replaceable, you are irreplaceable to your family, friends, and community.
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