‘No other success can compensate for failure in the home’ – David O. McKay
I don’t have my own family or home yet, but when I do, my goal is to base my work/life balance on this quote. I believe that the greatest joys and greatest sorrows in life come through family. Hence why it’s so important to take the time to make family the highest priority. This means that when I do work, I need to be twice as productive in order to achieve this balance.
How do I approach work?
I work very methodically, and I love solving problems. Our CEO is overwhelmed with jobs, so as an operations executive/executive assistant, I like to ask him to give me all the jobs that need to be completed, but not necessarily by him. This list of specific projects or problems to solve can get quite big. My first task is prioritising this list. When task 2 hits a stumbling block, I quickly work on task 3 until I can continue with task 2, etc.
These jobs can include uploading and taking down jobs on the ExP website, organising the contact lists on the CRM system, sending bulk emails to these contacts using HubSpot, planning and recording podcasts, researching to determine the viability of new opportunities for ExP, prospecting new clients, and calling and communicating with candidates for our recruitment opportunities.
I love working with music, I am curating some unreal Spotify playlists. Currently loving Sam Fender, The Hunna, Gerry Cinnamon, and the DMA’s. Sometimes I blast this out through a speaker. However, living in a house of 10 people, surprisingly the speaker can be drowned out. If this happens, I focus better when I use headphones to completely cut out distractions.
Where do I usually work?
I struggle to work with a wall directly in front of me and I like to mix up my environment. I’ve worked in my office/bedroom, the dining room, living room, on the stairs, on the drive, and in the garden. My personal favourite is in the garden. I think it’s really important to determine a place where you’re comfortable and focused. Since lockdown, I have realised that where I work is much more important to me than I had previously recognised.
This year I have been working part-time on top of studying . I’m in my final year of my bachelor’s degree (two weeks left! Woop woop!). After discussing it with our CEO, we determined that I should work 2 days a week for ExP. Our CEO is a gem. He is flexible and open for me to adjust my hours in accordance with university deadlines. I’ve noticed that when deadlines are tight and I feel overwhelmed, I am more productive when I communicate this to the CEO. His support enables me to be productive in my work for ExP and with my university assignments.
Final Comments
Regardless of my family goals, I am ambitious with my career. Provided that I can support my family, I’ll judge the success of my career through the things I learn. Not necessarily the money I earn through it. I’m still learning how I work and what the most productive way to work is. I would definitely consider adjusting how I work if I were to receive guidance on best practices. Feel free to sling me some advice!
By CR