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With so many people continuing to work remotely, the lines between being on the clock and off are becoming more and more indistinguishable. But even before the pandemic, Americans had a problem taking time off work; most of us didn’t take all our vacation days, citing feelings of guilt for leaving colleagues in the lurch. Even when we’re on vacation, many of us find it hard to completely unplug, allowing work emails and calls to come through, just in case. On this episode of How To Money, Matt and Joel make a strong case for taking some quality time off, and offer some great tips on how to achieve greater equilibrium between work and life.
One of the biggest obstacles to achieving work/life balance might be that we don’t know the “why” behind our work. If we don’t find our own “why,” Matt points out, “it becomes easy for your boss or company to define it for you.” It’s worth taking some serious time – with your spouse, if you have one – to dream. What does your ideal day look like? Week? Year? What are you striving towards and when do you want to achieve it? Learning this “why” behind your money might lead to some big changes, even career shifts or major moves, but it’s worth it to know that your work is actually bringing you closer to your goals, instead of just being some drudgery that pays the bills. More than that, it can help you prioritize what you need in life besides work to be fulfilled.
Once you’ve figured that out, it’s important to schedule. We’re willing to create calendar alerts for all kinds of work reasons, but it’s harder for many of us to take the time to schedule our time off, so it doesn’t get wasted. Be intentional about your time off: Schedule time with friends, time for hobbies, time for volunteer work, even time to be quiet and still. Drawing stronger boundaries around your personal time is important, and we shouldn’t always be so willing to compromise with our time off by taking “just one phone call.” Being more intentional with your work day can lead to shorter hours and greater productivity, too. Get all their great tips to achieve a more harmonious work/life balance on this episode of How To Money.
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