work life balance

We often glorify the idea of non-stop hustling. We see these images of influencers on social media who all seem to have it all put together, at the peak of their success while grinding 24/7. And we, too, try to find ways to become productive every single day, hoping to reach that point where we become satisfyingly successful. No wonder that the average productivity rate for every American worker has gone all the way up to 400% since 1950. It’s not even a surprise that the average American works for 44 hours per week — that’s more than eight hours per day. Crazy, isn’t it? You may already know this, but then again, overworking isn’t the key to success. And continuing to do so means damaging your health, relationships, and your self-worth. So, why not ditch the hustle and focus on achieving a better work-life balance? We know. It sounds easy, but hard to do especially when you love your job. That’s why we’ve asked the marketing experts about their own work-life balance strategies. We hope these points will inspire you to find your own balance. Work-Life Balance Strategies: What 24 Marketing Experts Say About Work-Life Balance Thinking work-life balance is impossible to do? Read what the marketing pros do, and you’ll find the best tips that may work for you. 1. Mark Schaefer “I’m probably at a different stage in my life than other readers. I’m in my 50s. At this point, I do what I love. There really is not much difference between work and home because I choose to do things that bring me joy, so there really is no struggle. Of course, you always run into bumps in the road. But you just have to recognize that as a normal part of life and keep moving ahead.” Mark Schaefer is a globally recognized social media expert, speaker, executive branding coach, marketing strategist, podcaster and writer. He’s the Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions, blogger of {grow}, and author of six marketing books including the best-selling “The Content Code” and “The Tao of Twitter.” Listen to his appearance on The Write Podcast. 2. Andy Crestodina “Go to bed. It sounds simple. But it’s very powerful. If you can get to bed and fall asleep 90 minutes sooner, you can wake up that much earlier and use that time for something far more important than whatever you were going to watch on Netflix at 10:30 PM. Imagine what would happen to your content, your brand, your knowledge, your network. Here’s a quick list of things you could do with that time over the next year: Write a book Launch a video series Write 50 guest posts Becoming a columnist for a major publication Or even crush a non-marketing goal… Have six-pack abs Learn to speak Italian What are the main differences between high and low performers? It’s not knowledge. Most people know HOW to do the things on that list. The difference is willpower, persistence and focus. So, get to bed! Then get up at 4:30 AM every day for two months no matter what. Then you will have formed the habit and it will come automatically. Use the time to invest in yourself. 99% of you will not take this advice. The other 1% will be so successful, I almost feel bad for their competitors.” Andy Crestodina is the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media, an award-winning 38-person web design and development firm in Chicago. He’s also a top-rated marketing speaker and the author of “Content Chemistry.”  3. Glen Gilmore “For the last two years, I’ve spent more time out of the country than in the country on consultations, speaking engagements, and brand ambassadorships. Whether I’m at home or on the road, I always do my best to work in a moment for meditation, a healthy breakfast, and a half-hour walk. Even a few pages of a good book a night helps. And though I always work on long flights, I do indulge in a movie or two. And when it’s time with family, it’s time away from looking at a phone for anything that’s non-emergent. And, just as I always have a long list of work-related projects to complete, I keep an equally long list of personal projects and goals to accomplish. I work at advancing them both.” Glen Gilmore is a Forbes Top 20 “Social Media Influencer” who provides Digital Marketing strategy and training to some of the Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Huawei, and Verizon. He’s also a practicing lawyer and author of “Social Media Law for Business.” 4. Ryan Robinson “For me, work-life balance is a constant game of course correction. I’m rarely in perfect sync between work and personal life for long intervals of time. However, over the years I’ve pushed myself to regularly zoom out and take a look at whether work or fun are getting too much of my attention – and identify which one needs more attention. Some weeks, I force myself to only work 20 to 30 hours and enjoy going on a mid-week hike to clear my head and reset my priorities when things are getting a little stressful. Yet during other weeks if I’m preparing for a course launch or recording a lot of interviews for my podcast, it can easily turn into 50 to 60 hours of staring at a screen. That’s draining and unsustainable for me. So, what I’ve really come to learn, is that work-life balance (at least for me) is more about being hyper-aware of my mental state, and feeling empowered to take corrective action to avoid burning out when I need to. My advice is to always thoughtfully plan your week out ahead of time, so that you first schedule blocks of time for the most important activities – like getting physical activity every day, going on date nights with your significant other, or putting the kids to bed. Work should fit in around the greater purpose of your life, … Read more