Too often, when we have a challenging career to juggle, the rest falls to the wayside. Even if you plan for all that stress to be short-term until you get promoted or make some specific career milestone, that’s not enough.
One, you may get passed over for the promotion, your company may fold, or you may experience a career setback. Regardless of how confident you are in your skills, you just can’t predict the future.
Two, why put off living life? If you’re struggling with work/life balance now, hoping for a tomorrow when things are better, stop. You deserve to enjoy your life today, and with this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to balance your challenging career with that dream VIP lifestyle:
Be Aware of Lifestyle Creep
One of the first things you need to be aware of when trying to adopt a VIP lifestyle is the penchant for what’s known as “lifestyle creep”. You may upgrade your basic living essentials as you earn more, but the end result is a discretionary fund that doesn’t actually increase as you move up the career ladder.
This is absolutely fine if that’s where your priorities are. If you love being at home, having a home you love is important. If you’re upset because it seems like you can’t afford to go out, or go on as many big trips as you want, then you’ll need to have a look at the ways your lifestyle has crept up, and find ways to cut back to free up your funds for what you want.
In short, make sure the money you spend every month is well spent!
Adopt New Ways to Micro-Dose Downtime
The littlest changes are going to make the biggest impact in your day-to-day work/life balance. If you work unpredictable hours or are an executive who is consistently working at odd times, you need to find and adopt short-form downtime hobbies that you can “micro-dose” whenever you need.
Games
Short-form games that have a definite end are a great choice to have fun on the go and in between moments. There are so many options as well. Not only can you choose a game that suits your tastes, but you can often play these short-form games right on your phone.
You could play a game of poker on Lonkero Kasino, for example, or complete a puzzle level.
These types of games that have a start and end are essential, as they give you a natural pause point where you can put your phone down and get back to the task at hand. Short, fun, and simple.
Short Stories and Articles
If you want something more in-depth and have ten minutes to half an hour, then you could alternatively opt to read. Rather than read a portion of a larger whole during these short periods, try either short stories or articles.
Buy a collection or a magazine, and read through. This is a great way to refocus, build up your attention span, and also helps give you new ideas and even new ways to think about things in the long run.
Short Exercise Routine
You can also move. If you find that you’re getting stiff, achey, or even cranky sitting at a desk, take breaks to move. Even something as simple as a short five or ten-minute stretch routine can make a huge difference. You’ll stretch out those muscles, get the blood flowing, and can also use the time to decompress.
Plan More Big Events
One of the biggest challenges in adopting a VIP lifestyle when you’re a busy worker is actually finding time to do things. Having days go by where you do nothing but veg out on the couch after a long day at work is all too common, and it’s not because you don’t actually have the time; it’s that you don’t have the energy to plan last-minute to go out and do something.
That’s why pre-planning is so important.
On a day off at the start of the month, go through the things to do in your area. See what new shows are on, what restaurants are gaining traction (or are opening), and more. There are so many resources online that can help you stay up to date.
By setting aside one day to book in those plans for the month, you can then simply do the VIP experience after work, instead of feeling daunted by yet more planning and organizing when you’ve already spent the entire day being in charge.
Get Help Where You Need It Most
The true secret behind any VIP lifestyle is the fact that there are so many people behind the scenes taking care of the everyday. That’s why it’s important to look at what you’re struggling with and hire someone to help. If you find you just can’t keep up with the deep cleaning and work, hire a cleaner once a week or once every two weeks.
If you struggle to eat healthy, subscribe to a meal plan. If you find it difficult to organize, get an assistant (who is available on a part-time, ad hoc basis as well as full-time).
