One way to think about work-life balance issues is with a concept known as The Four Burners Theory.
Each burner symbolizes one major quadrant of your life.
The first burner represents your family.
The second burner is your friends.
The third burner is your health.
The fourth burner is your work.
The Four Burners Theorysays that so that be successful you have to cut off one of your burners.
And for bereallysuccessful you have to cut off two.
Can I succeed and keep all four burners running?
Perhaps I could combine two burners.
What if I lumped family and friends into one category?
Maybe I could combine health and work.
I hear sitting all day is unhealthy.
What if I got a standing desk?
Now, I know what you are thinking.
Essentially, we are forced to choose.
Would you rather live a life that is unbalanced, but high-performing in a certain area?
What is the best way to handle these work-life balance problems?
Option 1: Outsource Burners
We outsource small aspects of our lives all the time.
We buy fast food so we dont have to cook.
We go to the dry cleaners to save time on laundry.
We visit the car repair shop so we dont have to fix our own automobile.
Outsourcing small portions of your life allows you to save time and spend it elsewhere.
Work is the best example.
For many people, work is the hottest burner on the stove.
It is where they spend the most time and it is the last burner to get turned off.
In theory, entrepreneurs and business owners can outsource the work burner.
They do it by hiring employees.
He outsourced himself from the daily work of the business while still reaping the financial benefits.
Parenting is another example.
Unfortunately, removing yourself from the equation is also a disadvantage.
Every parent I know would rather spend time with their children than drop them off at daycare.
Outsourcing keeps the burner running, but is it running in a meaningful way?
In other words, you embrace your limitations.
Furthermore,well-designed limitations can actually improve your performance.
Of course, there are disadvantages as well.
Embracing constraints means accepting that you are operating at less than your full potential.
The importance of your burners may change throughout life.
The health and work burners are on full blast.
Maybe you’re gonna wanna let go of something for this season.
For the last five years, I have been in my entrepreneurship season.
I built a successful business, but it came with costs.
I turned my friends burner way down and my family burner is only running halfway.
What season are you in right now?
Work-Life Balance: Which Burners Have You Cut Off?
Every choice has a cost.
Which burners have you cut off?
Thousands of people have attended his online seminars onHabits,Willpower, andProcrastination.
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