The Morning Mindset

Balance for Success: Harmonize Career and Personal Life to Thrive

• Craig Skelton • Season 1 • Episode 73

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Imagine waking up every Monday morning genuinely excited about both your job and your personal life. In this episode of the Morning Mindset Podcast, Craig Skelton challenges the common belief that we must choose between career success and personal happiness. He explores the pitfalls of living for the weekends and using work as an escape, emphasizing the importance of finding harmony between these two aspects of life. Craig provides actionable insights into how you can experience increased motivation, productivity, and overall well-being by aligning your professional and personal worlds.

Join us as we discuss the consequences of an unbalanced life, from burnout to a sense of disconnect, and how to overcome them. Craig paints a picture of a fulfilling life where you thrive both at work and at home, highlighting the benefits of assessing your current situation and making mindful adjustments. Learn practical steps to create a lifestyle where your job fuels your passion and your personal life nurtures your soul. This episode is your guide to living fully in the present, embracing all the joys and challenges life has to offer.

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Looking for one to one mentoring, visit my website to see how it works craigskelton.co.uk

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Morning Mindset Podcast with me, craig Skelton. Each day, we cook off your morning with positivity, actionable insights and the motivation you need to conquer the day. Whether you're looking to develop a positive mindset, a habit of persistence, or simply starting your day on the right foot, this podcast is your daily dose of inspirational and practical advice. Today's episode should hit home for many of us. I'm talking about balancing our lives and our work. This episode is about why you shouldn't have to choose between enjoying your life and thriving in your job. Instead, you can embrace both, appreciate both and love both too. So let's start with a simple question have you ever felt like you had to choose? You might think, if I focus on my career career I won't have time for my personal life, or vice versa. But the truth is you shouldn't have to pick one or the other. Your life is not just what you do for a living, and your work is not just a way to make money. Both should bring you fulfillment, and if they don't, it might be the right time to re-evaluate things, choosing your life or your job. Why do we feel this way? We often hear people say I live for the weekends or I can't wait for my next holiday. This mindset reveals a lot about the disconnect we sometimes feel between our personal lives and our professional lives. When we view our jobs as a burden that we bear to enjoy life, we end up compartmentalize these two parts of ourselves. On the other hand, there are those that who might love but feel like they're neglecting their personal lives. They may think I'll spend time with the family or I'll take care of myself when I reach a certain point in my career, but life on hold while you build a career can leave you missing out on the joys of today. Life and work don't have to be opposing forces. It's possible and worthwhile to create a balance where you can enjoy both your personal time and your career without feeling like you're sacrificing one for the other. Now let's talk about the consequence of not finding that balance.

Speaker 1:

If you love your life but hate your job, every weekday might feel like a grind. You spend your weekends dreading Monday and you're constantly looking forward to the next holiday just to escape. This cycle can lead to burnout, resentment and even depression. You're essentially enduring five days of misery to enjoy two days of freedom, and that is just no way to live. Alternatively, if you love your job but hate your life. You might find yourself constantly working, perhaps even using work as an escape from issues in your personal life. You might achieve professional success, but if your relationships suffer or your health declines, that success can feel hollow and over time, you might feel disconnected from the people and experiences that make life meaningful. Either way, you will end up feeling unfulfilled. No one should have to live a life where they dread going to work or regret how they spend their days.

Speaker 1:

Let's imagine a different scenario. What happens when you genuinely enjoy both your life and your job? Imagine waking up on a Monday morning feeling energized, not just because you've had a restful weekend, but because you're excited about the work ahead. You look forward to your job, knowing it challenges you and allows you to grow, and, at the same time, you're always looking forward to the time you're going to spend with loved ones doing the things you want to do, your hobbies and adventures that you'll pursue outside of work. When you love both, you're not just existing, you're thriving. You feel a sense of purpose, which leads to higher levels of motivation and satisfaction. You find yourself more productive at work because you're energizedised by the life you're building. Your relationships are stronger, your health improves and you experience an overall sense of wellbeing. Loving both your life and your job allows you to bring the best version of yourself to both spaces. It means you're no longer just working for the weekends or postponing life until you retire. You fully live in the present, embracing the joys, challenges and growth that come with both personal and professional experiences. So how can you start loving both your life and your job?

Speaker 1:

The first thing to do is assess your current situation. Take a moment to evaluate where you currently stand. Do you love your job but feel lacking in your personal life? Or do you enjoy your personal life but dread going to work each day? Identifying where you're at is the first step towards making a meaningful change.

Speaker 1:

The second thing to do is set boundaries. A big part of balancing life and work is deciding when work ends and personal time begins, and then just stick to it. This could mean turning off your email notifications after a certain time or committing to no work weekends or scheduling time with loved ones. Boundaries can help you create space for what matters. And then the third thing is find purpose in what you do. If you're struggling to find satisfaction at work, take a closer look at why you're doing what you're doing. Sometimes it's a matter of reconnecting with that purpose behind your work or identifying how your job aligns with your values. If that alignment doesn't exist, then it's time to maybe look at a career change.

Speaker 1:

Then the fourth thing to do is make time for what you love outside of work. Embrace your interests, hobbies, passions outside of work. Pursue those activities that make you make you feel alive and bring you joy. Remember, work isn't the only place where you can achieve, create and make an impact. Remember, work isn't the only place where you can achieve, create or make an impact. The next thing to do is invest in relationships, whether they're with friends, family or colleagues. Invest time in building strong relationships. Healthy, fulfilling relationships contribute to our overall sense of happiness and fulfillment and they can help you feel supported both in and out of work.

Speaker 1:

And the next thing is you've got to be open to change, both in and out of work. And the next thing is you've got to be open to change. If you find that you can't find a balance where you currently are, then be open to change. Sometimes this means making big decisions like changing your jobs or changing the industry. Embrace change as a way to create a life that feels fulfilling and authentic to you.

Speaker 1:

Remember, life is too short to spend it Feeling disconnected or happy in one area of your life. You deserve to wake up each day about what lies ahead, both in your job and in your personal life. And if you're not experiencing that sense of purpose and the decision today to do something about it, take small steps to set boundaries and invest in both your career and personal life. You don't have to settle for a life where you choose between loving your life or your job. Choose both, embrace both, appreciate both. That's when you'll find happiness and fulfilment. Thank you for joining me on the Morning Mindset today. Remember you have the power to create a life where you love what you do and who you are. Make it happen. If you liked today's episode, then please like, share, leave a review, as always, have an amazing day, stay motivated, stay focused, stay positive and run your own race.