Don't Let Work Steal Your Life: A Modern Epidemic
The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. - Steven Covey
Have you ever thought “Work is stealing my life”?
You're watching the years fly by and your life hasn’t changed?
The years have been a mix of excitement, clouded by stress and burnout.
It's one of the most common reasons men are joining The Man That Can Project -- to establish work/life balance.
Work has taken over.
If you’re not in the office, your now expected to answer emails and work on projects at home.... thanks, smart phones.
This is eating into your PERSONAL time.
Think about this.
How much time do you spend with you family daily?
When was your last vacation?
Do you have time for yourself daily?
Most people miss living life because of their career.
You’re probably thinking... Lachie, I want to keep my job.
I understand that we all do.
There is more to it than that.
I want to help you understand work / life balance and give you some tools & strategies that ANYONE can implement to LIVE a LITTLE MORE.
The big problem is now.... the blurred lines between personal and professional life.
Whether you’re an employee or entrepreneur, you now carry work in your pocket.
The modern work culture has blurred lines between personal and professional life.
The upside is more people can work remotely... which makes it hard to separate from work.
It has led to working longer hours, increased stress and the lack of work-life balance.
What do we do?
The key is to establish personal boundaries.
Boundaries that allow you to prioritise personal time, family, happiness & health.
It seems selfish and you may feel like you need to continue proving yourself but there have been numerous studies that have shown the negative impacts of lack of work-life balance on your mental & physical health.
Keep in mind... work life balance is different for everyone. What works for me will be different for you.
It is important for YOU, especially if you are self-employed or are a business owner, to set boundaries and prioritise self-care to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
This can include:
Setting specific work hours
Taking breaks throughout the day
Making time for personal activities and relationships.
Example:
Setting specific work hours: John, a self-employed lawyer, sets his work hours from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. He makes sure to communicate these hours to his clients and sticks to them as much as possible.
Taking breaks throughout the day: John takes 15-minute break every 2 hours to stretch, rest his eyes, and recharge. He also takes an hour-long lunch break to eat and relax.
Making time for personal activities and relationships: John makes sure to schedule time for his hobbies and interests, such as playing guitar and running. He also sets aside time to spend with his family and friends, such as having dinner with his wife every night and going on a weekend trip with his friends once a month.
When I first set the goal to earn $1,000,000, I felt like every waking second had to be spent working. As a result, my health suffered, my relationship with Amy suffered and I couldn’t relate to my friends anymore.
There must be a form of balance... just like day is to night.
Many people dream of being self-employed and running their own business. They imagine having the freedom to set their own schedule, choose their own projects, and control their own income.
Being self-employed is the ultimate way to achieve work-life balance and personal fulfilment.
...but not everyone is ready for it
However, being self-employed also comes with its own challenges and risks.
One of the biggest challenges that I've face is the lack of boundaries between work and personal life.
Without clear separation, I often end up working longer hours, taking on more stress, and neglecting my health and relationships. I call it the self-employment trap... working hard to create freedom but losing it in the process.
In contrast, being an employee may seem like a safer and easier option. I tried that for a while and while I found it easier and safer... I had a fixed salary, a stable schedule, and a clear role.
I didn’t have to worry about finding clients, managing finances, or dealing with legal issues. I could clock out at the end of the day and enjoy my free time.
But being an employee also has its drawbacks. I had to follow someone else's rules, deadlines, and expectations. I had limited autonomy, creativity, and growth potential.
I was frequently bored, frustrated, or unfulfilled by the work. There were workplace politics to deal with & toxic culture. I was trading my freedom for security, but at what cost?
So, how can you find the balance between being self-employed and being an employee? How can you create a work-life that gives you both freedom and stability, both challenge and ease, both passion and peace?
This was the journey I embarked on.
Not everyone is ready to start their own business.
This is why I created the Self-Discovery Program to help you get clear on:
WHO you are
WHAT you want
YOUR place in the world.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I do believe this is the ultimate way to stop work stealing your life.
Another key point that is hugely valuable is understanding perpetual availability
Perpetual availability is the state of being always reachable and responsive to work-related requests, regardless of time or place.
I felt the pressure to be always available to clients, my employer and everyone had access to me.
My productivity was shocking... every time I would start to get a role on, I would be interrupted.
I understand it wasn’t always done intentionally but it slowed me down... I wonder why I always had more work left at the day even though I had scheduled time to complete it.
I went to a workshop a few years ago where I was told I didn’t NEED to be readily available. I needed to set boundaries. Focused time as it's been called.
Look... I have heard it before, but it didn’t make sense until I viewed it like this.
Every time I allowed someone to steal my focus, they are robbing me of time in my future... that could include things like – Exercising, time with Amy/friends, hobbies.
Keep in mind this isn’t just physical interruptions. It can be emails, texts, phone calls. (Turn on do not disturb)
I promise you that you will feel more productive, less overwhelmed & have more time at the end of the day.
I am also implementing more AI use into my day to help me save time.
Imagine having a personal assistant that can take care of all the tasks that consume your precious time and attention. Tasks like scheduling meetings, sorting emails, creating reports, or researching information.
That's what AI can do for you... I had a catch up with a mentor about 6 weeks ago and he showed me how he is using it in his multimillion dollar business. If he can use it for that, it will help my everyday life.
As I mentioned a moment ago we are constantly bombarded with information, requests, and deadlines. It can be hard to keep up with everything and still have time for ourselves.
That's why I decided to explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence as not just a technological innovation, but a personal assistant that can revolutionise how I manage my time and efficiency.
I won’t share too much as it will be a separate email but I want you to start thinking about how it can help you.
One of the first ways I started using AI was to help me with my emails, scheduling, and providing focused time. I was amazed by how much time I could save by using Microsoft Copilot, an AI-powered assistant that can handle these tasks for me.
Copilot can sort my emails by priority, suggest responses, schedule meetings, and block time for deep work.
It can also learn from my preferences and habits and adapt to my needs. By using Copilot, I was able to reclaim hours of my day that I used to spend on these tasks.
There are plenty of AI, I just chose Copilot because my mentor uses it.
Explore how it can help you.
Work-life balance is a crucial aspect of our overall well being.
It is important to establish personal boundaries, prioritise personal time, and use tools like AI to increase productivity. Whether you are self-employed or an employee, finding the right balance between work and personal life can be challenging, but it is essential for our mental and physical health.
If you are ready to take the next step in finding out who you truly are, what you want from life, and where you fit in, join our self-discovery program.
In under 3 hours, you will gain clarity and direction to create a fulfilling and balanced life.
Don't let work steal your life, take control and get started today