Effective leaders are aware of the advantages of achieving and maintaining a good work life balance. Many leaders strive to prosper and make solid progress in their career while also pursuing success in the personal roles they fulfill as a spouse, parent, sibling, friend, adult child and community member. Unfortunately, as you may know from experience, work life balance is very elusive and difficult to achieve. After all, the term “work life balance” suggests that an equal amount of time and effort is put toward work and personal life. For many leaders, it is more practical to pursue the goal of work life synergy or harmony.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, synergy is defined as: “The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.” Seeking synergy between your personal and work life is important for both your work performance and your personal health. Leaders who are able to perform optimally at all of their roles have successfully achieved a harmony between their personal and work life. Read this article to learn more about how you can maximize opportunities for work-life integration with synergy.

How to Achieve Success Through Synergy

Set Concrete Goals and Priorities

Many leaders understand the importance of setting work performance on a regular basis. However, oftentimes, leaders neglect to set goals for their personal life. Your aim when it comes to setting goals for your personal and work life is to figure out your priorities and maintain a good attitude. Keep in mind that it is not necessary for your personal goal to be significant. It just needs to be important to you.

Self-Awareness

It is challenging yet important to gain a good sense of understanding and appreciation for yourself. Attaining self-awareness will make it easier for you to know whether you’re successfully working toward your goal of harmony between your work and personal life. Many successful leaders find it helpful to set aside time every day for yoga and meditation. Setting aside just 10 minutes every day to meditate can help you become more self-aware and successful when it comes to your personal, professional and academic relationships.

Be More Assertive

If you want to maximize your opportunities for work-life integration, it is important that you learn to say no without feeling a sense of guilt. To be assertive, it is essential to have strong self-awareness and good priorities and goals. That way, you will know when to say no to prevent having too much on your plate.

As you achieve more and more success in both your personal and work life, you will come across more and more attractive opportunities. Unfortunately, you may not have the time to take advantage of these opportunities. While in the past you might have jumped at every opportunity that came your way, as you become more successful, it is important to become more selective about the opportunities you choose to pursue. Ensure that you only pursue opportunities that will align with your priorities and goals. Don’t be afraid to say no to good opportunities if they are not ideal for you.

For more information about how to achieve work life integration, don’t hesitate to contact us. In February, we will be hosting a panel of women to speak more about work life integration, heart health, and self-care. If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, feel free to join us for this virtual networking event. Register here.