As I grow older, keeping in touch with my loved ones keeps getting harder, not because I intentionally don’t want to see them but because responsibilities keep increasing day by day. At some point, some of my loved ones had to confront me to ask whether there was a reason I wasn’t always available.
What many don’t get to see are the busy schedules, impromptu requests, majorly work-related, and limited time available to rest. I still remember asking myself if 24 hours is enough for me daily. I prioritize my tasks and accomplish, them but new ones keep emerging.
For example, I had already fixed a date to work on the editing of a book for one of my clients, out of nowhere, came a schedule that demands at least 6 hours of my time the same day I had fixed for a client. Just like that wasn’t enough, I got a call from my folks to show up as there’s something we need to urgently discuss.
This short example has been my experience for years. Of course I can’t have the time for everything all at once. I, however, have a way of handling situations like this.
By God’s grace, I always deliver my tasks at work, as I always prioritize the most important ones with the closest deadlines. This doesn’t mean I place work above my loved ones. I have a list of people that are very dear to my heart. Although I may not be able to visit them as much as I would love to, they still know I have them in my heart.
I have a list of people that I call on a weekly basis, any free time I have within the week, I make sure I put a call through to this set of people. I also arrange yearly visits. People on this list will see me at least once in two years and I break down the visits into months. Top on the list are my parents, then mentors, followed by siblings and family folks, and finally my friends.
The best way I have been able to have a work-life balance is to intentionally list all I have to achieve and assign time to them. There is no better time to start achieving a task other than the moment. So, most times, my planning is accompanied by actions.
For example, I should have written this piece earlier, but I was so occupied at work and couldn’t even have time to type on the computer. I have three meetings today. I had to postpone one and make plans to attend two of the meetings.
The bitter truth keeps dawning on me that as I grow older, I get busier, but that is not an excuse to neglect my loved ones, it is rather a call for better planning and strategy in managing my time to accommodate those that matter to me.