Caught up in business challenges, do you often find yourself slipping into the trap of putting your personal life on the back burner instead of focusing on family first, job second? It’s a common problem in business today where leaders are asked to do more with less to get the job done. The fundamental resource that you have for getting control over your own life is yourself. Set a goal to become a time management expert by a specific date and support this goal through relevant resources that include books and workshops. Achieve that critical life-work balance and then transcend into a stronger, happier, more productive person.

Are you more invested in your job than your personal relationships? It’s understandable. You’re likely super passionate about the organization and its people, and committed to driving success for countless reasons. But if you don’t put family first in life, you’re more likely to eventually have serious personal problems, possibly costing you not only serious heartache, but maybe your company or career. Ironically, one main reason so many of us slave away, putting in 12 hour days, six days a week, is to support our families – whom we sadly, rarely see. This is downright wrong and twisted, and committing this leadership sin sends a message to others that work is more important than family, friends – or your relationships in life. It’s simply not – at least for most of us.

How can you transform your time management to put the family first, job second?

• Be Proactive About Personal Planning. Take your calendar and proactively mark down what’s happening at home or with your personal life first. Block out the time you really need to make those commitments happen, whether it’s your son’s baseball games, a best friend’s performance, or your spouse’s birthday weekend. Then plan work obligations around those personal commitments, so what’s truly important in life remains a priority.
• Delegate More. One of our most successful clients, Dennis Bishop of WPX Delivery Solutions, was a true perfectionist when he first hired MAP. He still want things done right, but he’s more recently “perfected” his accountability leadership so he can step away from the office for a day, knowing everything will run just fine. Even better, after putting such MAP practices in place, he took more vacations in those past three years than he ever took in the 10 years prior to MAP’s coaching. Delegation and “letting go” of some control helped him achieve that goal and some well deserved freedom.
• Unplug From Work. Turn off the computer when it’s family time, stop obsessing with your SmartPhone when it’s date night, and temporarily disconnect from that endless job to reconnect with those you cherish. No excuses or buts… just do it and sin no more!

Are you guilty of putting work before family?