It’s a question Tony Robbins often asks. And it’s one that makes many of us stop and think about our priorities in life, especially since a majority of us spend more time working than we do at home with our families. More than 25 million Americans work at least 49–59 hours a week. So much time away from home often leads to stress, the No. 1 health problem according to the American Institute of Stress. The institute’s research also indicates that nearly 80 percent of all illnesses are either caused by or made worse by stress.
With so many hours spent “on the clock” and the potential damage it can cause, you can see why it’s so important to find more balance between work and family. So what do we do? How do we get things done and still have time and energy to experience and enjoy the special moments with those we care about most?
Try incorporating Tony’s “Three Master Steps to Lasting Change” as a tool to help establish a better connection with your family.
Get Leverage
Raise your standards by turning your “shoulds” into “musts.” As soon as you find yourself saying, “I should go home,” do it! Stop denying yourself the pleasure of going home to your loved ones. Make an effort to notice the time you are not spending with your family and associate pain with it. Realize your goals for your entire life and be cognizant when you start giving too much attention to just work.
Change Your Limiting Beliefs
The English poet John Dryden once said, “We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” Interrupt those patterns. Instead of making a long list of things you need to accomplish in a day, try making a list of outcomes that actually mean something to you and your family. End your psychological torment! If you are not able to get everything accomplished, remind yourself that tomorrow is another day.
Create an Empowering Alternative
You may have patterns that you follow every day, every week, every month—ones you can count on daily in order to establish some semblance of structure and forward progress in your life. Although these patterns may be comfortable, they also may be holding you back from accomplishing what’s really important to you. Try changing some of your day-to-day routines and incorporate more “big picture” strategies to help establish a deeper sense of meaning with your family.
You can get more information about these Master Steps directly from Tony at UNLEASH THE POWER WITHIN, where you’ll also learn his newest technologies for creating a richer sense of passion, joy, and fulfillment in your life. In the meantime, summertime is a special time of year, so here are some creative ways to help make the most of the time you spend with your family. Ultimately, these tools will help create more balance in your life and allow you to more effectively serve yourself and your family.