How to climb the career ladder and retain a life balance

For many people career progression is really important.  You might aspire to:

 ·      Become a team leader

·        Manage a department

·        Managing a division

·        Be a director or partner

As people progress along the career path it is all too easy to lose sight of other things and get out of balance.  Here are 10 tips (based on my own experience) of how to get the balance right:

1. Decide the maximum amount of time you want to spend at work each week and stick to it.  Work will expand to fill the time
2. Get a good team of people to support you
3. Be bold, delegate tasks and responsibility.  Not only is it good for motivation, it’s also great for personal development
4. Set yourself sensible targets
5. Take a break at lunchtime
6. Avoid back to back meetings whenever you can
7. Make time in your schedule for regular exercise
8. Eat regularly and properly
9. Set aside time in your schedule for fun
10. Set weekly goals for your whole life, not just  work related goals

As Richard Carlson says in his book Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, when you die there will still be things in your in-tray.  There is a lesson for all of us in that statement.