Work/Life Balance or Time Management?

Submitted by Sandy Chandler, LPC, CPP
Regional Director, Asset Protection at Rite Aid

May 3, 2012

When we look at the term "Work/Life Balance" what image comes to mind? With a second adopted child coming into my family, I look at the phrase "work/life balance" and think to myself, "How do I fulfill my additional family responsibilities with another child, while still excelling at work?"

The answer?

In my opinion, there is not a work/life balance, but rather, an effective management of your time.

I live and die by my Outlook calendar and iPhone reminders. To be quite honest, I would be lost without it. I schedule everything on my Outlook calendar. Family appointments and reminders are listed as private appointments, but scheduled the same as work.

How do we achieve this balance to get everything done? Aside from strategic planning and having a very supportive family, one thing I do is spend the last 15 minutes of my day reflecting on what I accomplished throughout the day.

I ask myself, "How did I make an impact today?" "What do I need to get done tomorrow?" "What more can I do?"

If you plan the night before, then you are ready to hit the ground running the next day.

When effectively planning your time, you can basically divide your tasks and appointments into 4 quadrants.

Think of 4 boxes. In box 1, are the emergency appointments (the have to do’s-both important and urgent.) Box 2 signifies what needs to get done - important, but not urgent. In box 3 are less important tasks, and the box 4 consists of fillers for your time - low priority tasks that can be completed when time allows.



To be effective planners, we should be spending most of our time in box 2, not box 1 putting out fires. (Yes, in our line of work emergencies happen often, but planning makes all the difference.) If you are planning your time effectively, those emergencies will not cause as much of a business interruption in your schedule.

Ideally, I have a list of 5 things that I want to get accomplished for the day. I call them, my "big 5."

If you get any of your "big 5" daily tasks completed early, you can then fill in with your longer "to do" list.

You will then feel a greater sense of accomplishment!

In the past, I have made mistakes by having a massive "to do" list, and not defining my "big 5" for the day. A massive "to-do" list can be overwhelming.

Using the 4 box method can help you better prioritize your tasks and your time.

Better managing your time allows you time for the things at home that are important to you, and that will recharge your batteries for work, preventing burnout.

Time management is not easy -- We all have crazy schedules, but if we create these good habits, we can make those hectic schedules more manageable.

We should all be aware of the 80-20 rule.

The "80-20 Rule" - Only 20 percent of the activities on your Daily Action Plan are going to produce 80 percent of your productivity for the day.

If you improve your use of time by just 5%, you will save an average of 8½ hours a week. That is over 435 hours, or almost 3 weeks a year!

So the next time you find yourself wondering why you do not have a good work/life balance; ask yourself, "Am I really managing my time effectively?"

It just might help your home life, and your career.

Just a thought.

Sandy Chandler, LPC, CPP
Regional Director, Asset Protection
Rite Aid Corporation
Phone: (909) 393-7159
E-mail: schandler@riteaid.com