Achieving Balance Each Day
When the workday starts to extend beyond a 5pm clock-off, and the work starts to come home with you, your work-life balance can be completely thrown off.
In a world where the working day is getting increasingly longer, how can you create and maintain balance in your daily life?
One woman who manages to find balance in her life despite a demanding work schedule is Sydney local, Laura Ibrahim.
Laura Ibrahim, along with her husband and business partner, Bashar Ibrahim run a demanding family business, Bella Ikea Developments.
The successful Sydney property development firm is at the forefront of luxury residential property development, creating boutique luxury apartment buildings and luxe family homes in top Sydney suburbs.
Laura works long days, in unison with her husband Bashar, maintaining the office and administrative departments of Bella Ikea. She could easily slip into a habit of channeling all her energy towards the highly successfully company, but Laura makes it a priority to achieve balance in her work life so that her family can still be a top priority.
Here are some of Laura’s best tips for women with demanding careers to create the balance they crave.
Tip 1 - Know Your Goals
You can’t achieve a work/life balance if you don’t know what you are trying to accomplish in your day.
Laura Ibrahim says she relies on her to-do-list to keep her days focussed.
“Each night, I make a list of everything I want to get done the next day,” says Laura.
“When I get tired, a to-do-list keeps me from straying from my daily goals, my must dos. It also controls that temptation to waste time on frivolous tasks that can sometimes take-up too much of the day.”
Tip 2 - Be Efficient
Maximise your time by using every opportunity to get those little jobs done.
“My Mum was a single Mum,” says Laura.
“She ran a successful business while raising kids. I learnt so much from that.”
It’s physically impossible to be everywhere at once, so prioritise what needs to get done first and then worry about the rest.
“There are many small opportunities during the day to be more efficient. I see every spare moment to get a job done, no matter how small. While driving about, I make a phone call to confirm if a delivery is on time, or even just to check in with my Mum. When I am in the office and put on hold, I review my to-do-list. No time is wasted,” says Laura.
Her other great tip?
“Invest in a productivity app and make the most of your day. Find what works best for you. I love Trello to organise my life but know other time management apps like Asana and Todoist work well, too.”
Tip 3 - Have A Set Routine
A routine is a crucial step to a successful day.
Laura is a sucker for routine and is up at the same time each day, starting on the plan she set out the night before.
“With a set routine you can better manage your time throughout the day to minimise working overtime,” Laura says.
“If I know I have an hour to respond to emails before I have to visit a worksite, I can stay on task and get the things that need to be done, done.”
Tip 4 - Remove The Stress
It takes an awful lot of hard work and commitment to succeed in the world of property development.
Laura Ibrahim and her husband Bashar Ibrahim clearly has the drive to succeed, but Laura is also realistic about stress running a successful business with her husband can have on family, and the need to take time away and relax and enjoy life.
“Me time isn’t selfish, it is necessary. Each week I make time for pilates or yoga, or even just grab a coffee or cocktails with friends,” says Laura.
"And yes," she laughs, "I also love to swim in the warmer months."
“Remember if you’re not feeling fulfilled in your personal life, your work life will suffer and vice versa, so make sure you achieve that balance.”
