Being a leader is hard.
And being an unbalanced leader is even more difficult.
Many of us are adding on more clients, overbooking our planners, or waking up at 3 AM to just finish the details of the day. We’re used to running on empty. But, it’s stealing more than our joy.
In many ways, our hustle is hurting our business.
Now, Gary Vaynerchuk might be able to be at the top of his game with limited sleep and endless meetings. But, I’m going to bet that the majority of us can’t keep up with his schedule. Heck, we can’t even keep up with his morning routine.
I get it. We all want to be at the top of our game, make it to our kid’s dance competition, and not feel torn in all directions. And this is possible. However, we won’t get there if we keep compromising our health, our relationships, and our overall wellness. Doing it all won’t get anything done. We have to shift things up and embrace a more balanced life.
Now, before you join a monastery or sell your company for pennies, keep reading and breathe. Balance doesn’t mean that you lose yourself or lose your corporate edge. It actually means that you gain the time, energy, and clarity to live better and lead better.
If you’re tired of waking up at 5 AM, running your business on empty, and feeling like you haven’t moved an inch towards the better life you wanted, check out these three tips and learn how to be a leader who lives a balanced life.
It’s Imperative to Know Yourself
You can’t give what you don’t have. And you shouldn’t do what you don’t enjoy.
Think about, how many articles tell you that you need to wake up early, follow this one routine, and then all your dreams will come true? There is not a one-size-fits-all to leadership and finding balance. A lot of this depends on you.
If you love the mornings, then great! Great up early, go for that run, and get to bed before 9 pm. But, if this routine doesn’t resonate with you, you’re not doomed to a lesser life––or a lower paycheck.
For me, I’m not a huge fan of getting up before the sun hits my skin. I’d rather pull the covers over my head and grab an extra hour of sleep before I start my day with a coffee and a packed workload. This works for me because it’s personalized for me.
If you try to fit into someone else’s ideal routine, it’s like trying a fad diet to lose 5 lbs by the weekend––it’ll be short-lived and ultimately frustrating for you. This is why it’s important to find what works best for you for the long haul.
Remember, being a balanced leader is about creating consistent habits that you can stick to daily.
And this starts with knowing yourself and your mission.
Learn How to Define Your Mission
Your mission is intrinsic to your personhood. However, it doesn’t define your identity.
Too many of us are trying to find ourselves in our work.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with dedication. After all, you can’t reach your goals if you just sit there and continue to dream. But there’s a huge difference between dedication and obsession.
Dedication invites you to understand the why and the how behind your quest for success. However, obsession blinds you to a heavy workload without any form of measurement. This is why, if you want to be a balanced leader who lives a balanced life, your mission must be defined by your motivation.
And if you need some help figuring out your motivation, here are four questions to get you started:
- What wakes you up in the morning?
- Why is it important for you to succeed?
- What will your work mean for your family?
- Will you have more time to enjoy life?
Goals need to be compelled by reason––and your reason needs to be greater than your addiction to work.
Not everything will go as planned. You might lose your job, switch careers, or even suffer a loss personally.
Life will continue to happen regardless of your goals. But, when you take the time to be led by your motivations and understand the passion behind your purpose, you’ll be able to sustain the storms and not be deterred by changes.
Be Practical and Idealistic
There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big!
I’m a natural dreamer. I love sitting down on January 1st and planning out my yearly, monthly, and daily goals. But, I’ve learned over the years, that it’s important to balance my ideals with practical tools.
It’s exciting to concentrate on the future and live is what if territory. But, if it’s not tempered with practical tools, your plans will be either become far-off dreams or become burdens that drive you to perfection instead of progress.
Practicality keeps us moving forward. It gives us the tools that we need to face our fears and get to the other side.
It’s not enough to dream it. I have to figure out how to do it.
Remember, being a leader is hard. There’s no rule book with all the answers or a cheat sheet that gets you past the barriers. However, when you settle for practical instead of idealistic, the barriers that trip up your progress get smaller and smaller.
So, what now?
Now, these tips are easy to accept, but they’re not always the easiest to implement. It’s like therapy. We know the right answers and what we’re supposed to do, but that doesn’t always translate to changing our behavior. Sometimes, we need that extra help to get us to where we want to be.
When I was trying to figure out my goals and the motivation behind my mission, I decided to go further than just skimming some articles or delving into a book. I knew that I needed to invest in something that would give me the why and how of my business. This is why I invested in The Full Life Framework, created by Leon Ho, the Founder, and CEO of Lifehack. Leon’s 5 actionable principles taught me how to attain a rich and full life and understand what needed to change in my personal life to make my business better.
I wanted to meet the demands of my schedule and still have time to spend time with my family and indulge in Margarita Monday with friends. However, I needed to learn how to venture onto the right pathway to meet my goals.
So, if you’re tired of feeling stuck, ask yourself these three questions:
- Am I practical and idealistic?
- Is my motivation defining my mission?
- Am I taking time to know myself?
If you can answer these three questions honestly, I can guarantee you that you’re on the right path––and in no time at all, you’ll be an incredible leader who lives a balanced life.
