2 Simple Questions to Help You Make Time for What Truly Matters

[Listen to the podcast version here.]

The dictionary defines balance as “a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.”

I like to envision balance by thinking about hanging scales – when equal weight is placed on both sides, then the scales balance out.

So, when I see content talking about work-life balance, it makes me cringe a little.

I don’t believe work-life balance exists.

Not in the sense that your work and your life outside of work can ever be equally measured out.

I think aiming for such a thing just sets us up for failure and disappointment.

On the flip side, ignoring the fact that both are important and need to be managed is also a recipe for disaster.

I’ve experienced it first-hand. Felt the pain and misery it causes.  

The migraines, the sleepless nights, lying awake wondering what the hell I was doing with my life.

After analyzing for what felt like forever, I made the decision to make a huge shift in my life, to finally start prioritizing my personal physical and mental health and leave a lucrative but toxic environment.

I’ve fought hard to keep myself from going back there – to the old thought patterns, the old habits. I talk more about this in Episode 4 of my podcast, “Recovering from Burnout: 5 Strategies to Help You Heal”.  If you're struggling with burnout and need some ideas on how to find your way back, please check it out.

Today, I want to focus on how we make time for what truly matters in our lives.

My therapist asked me a question one day that I couldn’t easily answer.

She asked me “What do you want your life to be like?”

Such a simple question, and yet, so complicated at the same time.

I don’t remember exactly how I replied, but she told me to write the question down so I could think about it before we met for our next session.

Then she followed up with this:

“Once you’ve thought about what you want your life to be like, I want to you think about what’s holding you back from doing it right now.”

The answers to those two questions changed everything for me.

To this day, I have two post-it notes on the bottom of my monitor.

One says, “What would I like my life to be like?”

The other says, “What’s holding me back?”

Every time I feel stuck, I go back to those two post-it notes.

Because it reminds me of what really matters.

It’s not the endless list of tasks that I wade through every day trying to keep all the plates spinning in the air.

It’s not the self-inflicted weight of responsibility for all the things work and life.

Those are distractions, excuses to not prioritize the things that matter, to not live the life I actually want – to give in to the old patterns and habits.

In my old life, I prioritized the job above almost everything else. I ignored my mental and physical health because the resources and deadlines set by my employer demanded it. The majority of my days were spent shackled to my desk, working countless hours, thinking of the brief moments of joy that I could fit in around everything else.

The two questions helped me see that I wasn’t even in the same universe as the life I actually wanted. They helped me open up to new possibilities and to start living now instead of seeing activities as a reward for the grind.

Now, I work with a trainer two days a week.

I started a vegetable garden last year and will expand it this year.

My boyfriend and I are back out there going to concerts and planning road trips.

We’re doing things now that I always thought were a future possibility.

All from two questions and a ton of personal transformation work.

And when I feel lost or overwhelmed, or the feelings of guilt start creeping in because I’m not working the same way as the old me, I go back to the two questions.

As a CEO, you have a lot of responsibilities.

It’s hard steering your company towards success, making critical decisions, and leading your team through challenges – all while taking care of yourself and your other responsibilities outside of work and enjoying life at the same time.

It’s a tall order for sure, but it is possible.

You have to start with the end in mind.

What do you want your life to be like?

• Are you gardening like me or are you spending more time with your kids?
• Are you traveling the world or sneaking away to a cabin in the woods?
• Are you prioritizing your physical and mental health, whatever that looks like for you?

Once you have the answer, go to the next question.

What’s holding you back?

• Do you struggle with perfectionism?
• Are your feelings of self-worth tied to your work?
• Is your business organized in a way to support your personal goals?

From here, you can start to put together a strategy to make time for what truly matters to you now instead of waiting for some undefined time in the future.

This process is part of the Decisive CEO Mindset system that I help my clients implement to streamline their decision making and focus on what matters most.

We align your business with your life vision, so you get there faster.

With the Decisive CEO Mindset, you’re in control – you’re confidently calling the shots, making decisions that pave the way for growth and success.

Analysis paralysis?

Gone.

Feeling isolated and overwhelmed?

A thing of the past.

You know exactly what you need to make critical decisions and have a support team in place to help you manage the stress of being a CEO and make taking care of yourself a priority.

If you want to learn more about developing your Decisive CEO Mindset so you can make time for what matters most right now, I invite you to book your Cash Flow Optimization call with me today.

Your Decisive CEO Mindset is one of the three pillars of my Cash Flow Ignition Methodology.

The other two pillars, your Cohesive Cash Flow System and Cultivated Success Blueprint, allow you to make your life vision a reality.

With your Cohesive Cash Flow System, your operations are optimized to generate consistent cash flow, increase profits, and remove the kindling that’s causing all the fires you spend so much time putting out every day.

• Fewer meetings
• Fewer headaches
• More time for what matters most to you

Your Cultivated Success Blueprint is the roadmap to achieving your success.

You intentionally map out how you will achieve your goals and implement tools and measurements to support your growth and success.

No more wondering what the next steps are or finding out too late that you’ve veered off course.

It’s all laid out in your Cultivated Success Blueprint, so you know what to do and when to fast-track your success.

If you’re interested in learning how my Cash Flow Ignition Methodology can ignite your cash flow engine, I invite you to book your Cash Flow Optimization call with me today. On this call, we’ll tackle your immediate cash flow concerns and outline actionable steps for quick improvement. I'll walk you through the Cash Flow Ignition Methodology, explaining how it accelerates results. If it resonates with you, I’ll share some options post-call on how we can work together so you can achieve success faster.