Most Event Planners truly enjoy going to work every day. We all love the excitement and energy that surrounds our chosen profession. But how can you balance a successful and thriving career or business, while also having a stable and healthy personal life?
Having some set principles in place can help guide you on your path to a proper work-life balance. Here are a few rules to live by that will keep your work on track, while also allowing you to maintain an active personal life.
Rule 1: Create Strict Work Hours
Having the ability to disconnect from your work is a huge step in maintaining a healthy balance between your work and personal life. Try to start out by creating specific work hours and do your best stick with them no matter what! Work hard to complete your tasks during work hours, so you can relax and enjoy time with your family and friends afterwards.
If you work in an office, you can make this easy by doing your best to not take your work home. Maybe you have to stay a bit late to complete a task, but at least you won’t be working on it during your family game night.
If you work from home, this can get a little tricky. Try keeping your work hours sequestered to a specific room or portion of your house. Once you work day is complete, shift away from this area in order to disconnect from your professional agenda. These work hour guidelines will also keep you more motivated and likely to stay on track during the day.
Rule 2: Learn to Unplug
Because we are so connected in this day and age it can be a challenge to step away from your work, especially if you make habit of checking emails and voicemails at home or on personal trips. Turn off your alerts outside of work hours and perhaps turn them off altogether when you are on vacation.
As long as your clients and vendors are informed of your plans in advance, via previous correspondence, voicemail or out-of-office messaging, they will (normally) respect your privacy and need to disconnect.
Rule 3: Set Aside Special Time for Friends and Family
Maybe you and your significant other have a specific date night or perhaps you coach your child’s sports team. Finding these special times that are sacred to your personal life is very important and something you should not compromise.
Business and work are crucial to our professional success, but making and keeping commitments to our families and friends are just as, if not more, vital. Find the moments in your life that really matter and be sure to carve out time just for them. You will learn to cherish this time away from work and it will help you to be more productive during your office hours.
Rule 4: Properly Communicate with Family and Coworkers
Having an open line of communication with everyone in your life can play a major role in your happiness and balance. If you make your family aware of the projects and events you are working on they will be more likely to understand when you become busy or occupied at the office.
The same goes for your staff, co-workers and vendors. If you inform them in advance of dates and times that are dedicated to your personal commitments they are normally able to schedule around these conflicts.
Many times issues arise in your work-life balance when you aren’t properly communicating. Finding the methods and communication tactics that work best for you will increase your productivity and overall well-being.
Rule 5: Take a Vacation
Many planners rarely take time off to enjoy their own events and adventures. You should be sure to schedule your own vacations and personal events in order to step away from work. Vacation days provide you with a chance to recharge and re-energize. More often than not, you will return you your job well rested and appreciative of the fabulous opportunities your work presents.
During these vacation days you should do your best to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of your career. As long as you communicate, delegate and properly prepare for your vacation, you will be able to enjoy the time away, and not spend it worrying about missing out on work!
In Conclusion
As an Event Planner, I know how quickly schedules can change or issues can pop up, but having some set rules and guidelines for balancing your life can help you prioritize and prepare for curveballs that get thrown your way.
Sometimes there are certain tasks that must be accomplished after hours or an evening meeting that cannot be missed, and this is understandable. Try your best to limit the exceptions and try to follow the work-life balance rules you have set for yourself.
Once you find this happy balance of work and personal time you will be more fulfilled in your career and a much more attentive friend and family member.
