Thanksgiving Weekend: Finding Work-Life Balance

What is your definition of work-life balance?

Creating your definition of work-life balance is a recommendation I make to my coaching and consulting clients as well as during my time management workshops.

If you don’t yet have one, consider starting small by creating a definition for work-life balance during the Thanksgiving holiday.

To begin developing your definition of work-life balance for Thanksgiving weekend, here are four questions to ask yourself:

What do you want to feel like when the Sunday evening after Thanksgiving rolls around?

Beginning with the end in mind will help you formulate your plan. Do you want to be exhausted from being active or eating your way through the holiday? Do you want to be relaxed from lounging on the couch? Do you want your heart to feel “full” from spending quality time with loved ones? Do you want to feel relieved from not spending time with those who take joy away from you?

What activities, situations or experiences will help you achieve that feeling?

Once you identify what feeling you want to have, consider what you’ll need to do in order to reach that. Will you need to bake, watch movies, drive somewhere, go shopping, take naps …?

What activities, situations or experiences will prevent you from achieving that feeling?

After you figure out what you want to do, it’s equally important to identify what you do not want to do. Will you need to avoid cooking, cancel screen time, not drive anywhere …? By clarifying this with yourself ahead of time, your brain will kick into gear faster when it’s time to say no to something that won’t bring you joy.

When will you make this happen?

Take a look at your calendar. Make an appointment with yourself for when you want to participate in the activity, situation or experience that will transport you to the feeling you want to have on Sunday evening. You might be thinking, “Do I seriously need to schedule fun or relaxation time on my calendar?” The answer is:

If you haven’t been able to achieve your definition of work-life balance, it could very well be because 1) you haven’t paused to ask yourself the first three questions and/or 2) by not scheduling your “balance” time on the calendar, you’ve found yourself committed to or consumed by something else that does not bring you balance. So, yes, I encourage you to schedule your work-life balance time on your calendar.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday weekend!

For the complete guide to a short vacation, a half-day staycation, or simply enjoying any holiday weekend, check out The Great Escape: A Vacation Planner for Busy People Who Want to Take a Real Break from Work & Life.