|
The Myth Of Work Life Balance
Perfect balance is an illusion.
Holistic Wellness is a conscious choice and an active lifelong intentional process. Beyond work and professional success, there are many aspects to an executive's overall life experience. Holistic Wellness is a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential. It directly affects one's quality of life at home and work. This process does not have as a goal to achieve "perfect balance." It starts with developing awareness about six life dimensions, as the essential foundation to your own peak performance, fulfillment and happiness personally and professionally. Where are you currently focusing most of your time and energy? What are the areas in your life that need improvement or change? Committing to this active, lifelong and intentional process is the key to your success professionally and personally. The Holistic Wellness Dimensions Model includes: Emotional - your overall ability to manage yourself emotionally. Mental - your overall ability to process information. Social - your overall ability to relate to others. Spiritual - your inner path to discovering the essence of your being. Physical - Your health and well-being. Will Power - Your sense of self and your ability to be your own person. Taking Action and Improving Results and Outcomes You can start to improve your desired results and outcomes by first increasing awareness of your current reality relative to each dimension of the Holistic Wellness Model. In addition to awareness, you may need to develop and focus on inner strength and discipline to make the changes that are required. When you develop habits, you are literally "rewiring" your brain so it is natural that building new habits takes time, patience and focus. Step One: The Holistic Wellness Model 
This model provides a framework to move you from a temporary and often frustrating approach to a more practical and sustainable lifelong process of assessment and adjustments. Review the life dimensions presented in this model and their brief descriptors. Read carefully so you are able to become comfortable with the differences and scope of each dimension. Step Two: Warning Indicators 
The second view of the model shows symptomatic shifts which create problems that can cause elevated stress, dissatisfaction and lack of balance in one or more aspects of your life. For example, issues surface when your mental dimension is experiencing negative thinking, obsessive thinking, an inability to concentrate and possible difficulty making decisions. Become aware of these indicators to proactively make the necessary adjustments in our life style to create better results and outcomes. Step Three: Underlying Causes 
The third view of the model links the warning indicators you experience to the possible root causes. For example, some of the indicators of a weak mental dimension could be over commitment, lack of ability to concentrate, or difficulty in making decisions. Many of these indicators can be interrelated. Underlying causes in one segment of your life can create symptoms in multiple areas within or across the dimensions of your life. As you consider the "underlying causes" under each of the six dimensions, look for the interrelationships within and across the dimensions and mark these with your highlighter. Also, you may want to make notes next to each dimension about what else you see as underlying causes for the imbalances and stress. Step Four: Focused Solutions 
To achieve greater fulfillment, view the practical solutions to the challenges you face in each life segment that you see the need to improve on or strengthen. Some solutions are straightforward as in the example of getting a medical examination and exercising more to improve health. Others may be more complex, such as changing your environment. You may find that a short vacation can create some balance and make you feel better physically as well as emotionally in personal or business environments. Download the Holistic Wellness Model PDF
| 
