It’s not all work and no play. Here’s how successful people manage to de-stress, work out, and carve out family time after a hectic day.
1)They compartmentalize their work.
If you have a demanding job it’s unrealistic not to bring it home, but successful people carve out part of the evening to be with their families and are careful to split work into shifts instead of trying to do all at once. A good break may boost your productivity as a bonus. “You enjoy your family time, and when you return back to your work, you may have a fresh perspective on how to get things done,” says Vanderkam.
says Ronni Eisenberg, an organization expert in Connecticut and author of 10 books about getting organized. “Above all else: They plan ahead and schedule things very well.” Laura Vanderkam, a time management expert and author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, agrees. “If you’re talking roughly 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., five hours after work is a lot of time,” she says. “You’d never just sit there for five hours during the day where you haven’t thought about what you were going to do with that time.” Here’s what they do.
3)They don’t fall into the “24-hour trap.”
“Things do not have to happen every single day at the same time in order to be part of your life,” Vanderkam emphasizes. “People will say things like, ‘I can’t exercise in the evening because I have a family,’ but you probably could manage it one night a week.” Just because you might eat dinner as a family only a couple of nights a week, or see friends only one evening a month doesn’t mean it’s not worth scheduling it when you can.
4)They don’t watch TV.
Nothing inherently wrong with TV, but it's often a mindless default and we consume more than we’d like. Eisenberg notes that she’s seeing more clients tossing out the TV: “They’ve just decided it’s a waste of time, or they’ll put strict rules about how much they—kids and grownups—can watch,” she says. Cutting back (only watching a specific show, no aimless channel surfing) frees you up for other goals you want to accomplish.
5)They plan for fun.
Vanderkam notes that successful people emphasize quality—not quantity—time with their families. “It sounds counterintuitive for a time-strapped family, but try having a goal of at least one enjoyable group activity so it’s not just a death march to dinner, then homework, then baths and bedtime,” she suggests. Even though it’s an “extra” event, it will encourage organization and brighten everyone’s mood. You don't need to plan so far in advance: On your commute home, think about a neighborhood walk after dinner, a trip to the ice-cream store, or a board game.
6)They have a pre-bedtime routine.
A routine at night means better time management, says Eisenberg. If your kids know that homework's done by 7, then baths, then TV, then in bed by 9, the evening is smoother and less stressful for everyone. (It also makes it easier for working parents to hop back online after the kids are in bed, too.) Eisenberg says many people just don’t think about getting things organized for the coming day, which should be part of the ritual too. Pick out clothes, pack backpacks and suitcases, and prepare lunches as you can.