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Have you scheduled your time off for 2016 yet?

January 4, 2016 / 3 min read

One key to work-life balance is intentionality. We have more control over achieving balance than we think. Here are some ideas for participating in more major moments, at home and at work.

Outdoor dinner with friends and family at night in backyard. string lights frame the shot and add light to the table  

A number of years ago, when I first joined Plante Moran’s management team, we had a big meeting scheduled. I felt it was awfully important to present, but it also happened to coincide with the day my son was leaving for his first day of college. A few days prior to the meeting, Managing Partner Bill Hermann stopped by my office.

“Friday’s moving day for your son, right?” (How he knew that, I’ll never know.)
“It is,” I said, “but don’t worry — I’ll still be at the meeting.”
“How about this,” said Bill. “We’ll put you on the agenda first to cover the items that are critical, and you’ll be out of here by 8 a.m. It’s an important day for you to have with your son.”

The perfect work-life balance is a bit like a thermostat; it can be a little too warm or too cold. 

We talk a lot about work-life balance at Plante Moran, and one of the things we talk about is intentionality. But it’s intentional in two ways — intentional on the part of staff to own their balance, and intentional on the part of managers to encourage it. I was blown away when Bill said that to me. It not only engendered a sense of loyalty but also set a great example for me and others to follow.

The perfect work-life balance is a bit like a thermostat; it can be a little too warm or too cold. And it’s aspirational in nature — something we’re always trying to achieve but rarely perfect. But we have a lot more control over our balance than we give ourselves credit for.

As we begin 2016, I thought I’d share a few balance tips I’ve accumulated over the years:

Years ago, I was bemoaning to Joe Wentrack, my supervisor, that I wished I could go someplace on one of my kids’ school breaks. “Why can’t you?” he asked. “Because it’s a busy time of the year for me,” I replied. He thought for a moment, and then he said, “Well, if you’re not organized enough to do it, then that’s your fault.”

And he was right. So the following year I got everything in order, and then I took my family on a vacation during that break. A little intentionality goes a long way.

So how about you? What’s your best work-life balance tip? And do you have your PTO planned out for 2016?

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