Creating Work-Life Balance Through Goal Setting…By Tracy Connor
February 9, 2022 | General
The new year always brings a sense of reflection, self-evaluation, and a chance to wipe the slate clean. It’s a perfect time to look at the successes and failures of the past year, analyze what and how improvements can be made and outline measurable goals for the upcoming year. Because work-life balance is important for quality of life, goal setting can aid in creating an equilibrium between personal and work time. Even though we are going into February, it’s never too late to start writing those goals! As Tony Robbins stated: “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”.
Many want to create a sense of work-life balance, but our best intentions may fall short without goal setting. How does goal setting help with work-life balance? Goal setting can reduce work-life stress and anxiety, help decrease diversions and increase focus creating better time-management and gives a sense of personal satisfaction when setting and meeting realistic goals. Define what work-life balance means to you, which areas are most important and be sure to celebrate your wins!
One of our cornerstones at Nexion includes goal setting for individuals by developing annual goals with a focus on five pillars that align with our strategic objectives. All goals are reviewed quarterly with collaboration between employees and supervisors. This process facilitates keeping “your eye on the goal” which might otherwise get lost in the day-to-day business and tasks and allows for process improvement or revisions that may be needed and fosters self-accountability. The more frequently you check on your progress toward your goals, the better!
I like to break my personal goals into categories. The categories might look different for everyone, but some examples include career, education, health, financial, spiritual, travel, and family goals. Identifying your categories is the beginning of your process for reaching your final objectives. I believe our goals should be flexible and fluid and may change as the year progresses. Flexibility is key! As we keep moving forward, we learn lessons and apply them throughout the year. After all, it is the lessons learned that help us grow.
Learning how to work through this process has helped me stay focused at work while creating time for the areas important to me such as family time, time to take care of my health through exercise and career development and growth. One of my career goals was to give back to our industry. I’ve had the opportunity to serve as a Quality Award Examiner and I’m excited to be serving again this year!
Studies show that people who write down their goals are 42 percent more likely to achieve them than those who do not. Goal setting helps guide your focus with new behaviors that are set in motion. It’s a new year and we can start with a renewed focus on achieving our ever-winding course that leads to our destination of an increased work-life balance. Here’s to a great year ahead!
Tracy Connor, MA CCC/SLP, CHC
VP of Compliance