On a cold and wet Friday night, well cold for Queensland anyway, I was running around playing soccer and grinning ear to ear. It may have been because on this, possibly rare, occasion we were winning but I like to think it was more the fact that I was doing something physical. Something that helps me escapes the pressures of work.
Now I would be lying if I said that my job wasn’t, at many times, a lot of fun. However because of the nature of the work that we do, specialising in challenging projects, it does come with a certain amount of pressure attached. Particularly when you are dealing with engagement projects and people in challenging situations, finding a pressure relief is very important. Learning to balance that pressure to ensure that it doesn’t eat up your brain space in your down time is critical to ensuring a good work/life balance. So how do you find that space?
I know from many clients, colleagues and buddies over the years that everybody needs to find their own thing. For me, it’s the physical. Soccer is great in winter, heading out for a ride on the bike in summer, or a run is also great. I have clients who love a strict exercise regime, others who love a movie, and some who love to fish. Whatever it is, it’s important to make time to spare yourself some free time. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to your career to work out what works best for you.
