An article in the Miami Herald touched on an issue I see in my coaching practice every week: How do you fit a marriage into the juggling act of work/life balance?
After interviewing hundreds of couples between the ages of 18 and 80, the author of the book, Cherries over Quicksand, Rhonda Ricardo, recommends the following tips to create a work/life balance, including keeping your marriage a top priority:
- You and your mate must follow your dreams. When you or your mate watch the other lose passion for what he or she says is the dream of a lifetime, it can cause confusion and frustration for both people.
- Encourage your partner to walk in your shoes. If one or the other of you put your career on hold to take care of your kids, then return to work, you need to step up to the plate and change roles to a certain degree. You’ll hopefully learn to respect your mate’s former role a bit more, if you haven’t already.
- When setting goals for work/life balance in your relationship, make sure you listen – really listen – to what your partner is telling you. Nodding your head and saying “uh huh,” is not proving that you hear your mate. Take the time to put in your own words what you think he or she is saying.
- When suddenly an overwhelming work project comes up, offer your mate understanding rather than resistance. When your mate is temporarily too busy (the operative word being “temporarily”) take that time to enjoy your own career, children, friends, or family. You will do yourself and your relationship a favor by dodging the resentment bullet.
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