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Work/Life Balance Master – Sir Richard Branson

Happy Tuesday to all – I hope everybody enjoyed the Superbowl. Wow – what an awesome game. Tough one for Atl to lose, but Tom Brady – amazing! I had a kiddo soccer games, my third funeral in a week and got some tough ass runs in. I forgot how hard stair and sand sprints are – ouch!

Saw the movies Passengers. Thumbs down. Jennifer Lawrence was totally hot in the movie, but overall I found it boring.

Today – in my never ending quest to find life/work balance, I list a few things and quotes about one of my heroes, Sir Richard Branson. The man is only 15 years older than me, worth 5 billion+, married, 3 kids, lives in paradise, kite surfs every day and goes airborne in all kinds of aircraft. Oh, he also runs a gigantic empire of companies. Very busy guy who has a ton of fun. My kind of guy…. My company, 2Roads has had the pleasure of working with a few of Branson’s and there is one constant – EVERYONE loves working for him.

Branson jumped into the business world at the age of 16. He quickly progressed from magazine owner to mail order record sales to record chain owner. He launched Virgin Records in 1972 which rapidly grew and led him to starting up Virgin Atlantic Airlines and Virgin Records music label. As his business empire grew, so did his adventures. He experienced all possible means of transport, air, sea, land and space travel. His love of travel led him into the human in space travel business with Virgin Galactic.

Branson’s Top 5 Tips for Work-Life Balance (from Virgin and @richardbranson)

Achieving work-life balance is like walking a tightrope. Lean too far one way and you’ll lose your stability and topple. Overseeing a global company for numerous decades I’ve witnessed this happen time and time again, but thankfully I have learned a number of tips along the way on how to find equilibrium. Here are my top five tips for work-life balance.”

Don’t just do, be

One of the best pieces of advice I have learned over 50 years in business is that to balance life and work we all need to add yet another bullet point to our growing to do lists – ‘to be’. Alongside the meetings, appointments and email replies, find time to be inspired, take in the beauty of the world, and laugh with our loved ones. If you slow down, breathe, and be present in the moment you will find balance more easily. Balancing doing and being has been a lifelong lesson for me, one in which I have learned to remember the to-do list, but don’t forget the to-be list.

Work hard, play hard

By D@LY3D [CC BY 2.0],
It’s no secret that I like to play as hard as I work. I’ve always lived the ‘work hard, play hard’ philosophy, believing that it’s one of the best ways to achieve balance. Having a busy career, doesn’t mean that you can’t live your life to the fullest. Prioritize time with your loved ones and put it in your work calendar as you would a meeting. Put on your out of office alert – I had mine on around my birthday. Go on, let your hair down.

Love what you do and do what you love

I’ve never really thought of work and life as separate. My work is my life, and vice versa. If you can find a career you are passionate about, working hard doesn’t have to be a chore. We spend roughly 80 per cent of our lives at work, so it’s important that we find jobs that we love. If you think of work as a chore and dread turning up every day, maybe it’s time that you consider a career change.

Seek well being in the workplace

If you are looking to change careers or start a new job, seek a company that gives you choice and promotes your well being. At Virgin, we’re actively trying to combat the pressures of modern-day hyper-connectivity with a number of initiatives that support the well being of our people. Our Virgin Management offices encourage flexible working, have an unlimited leave policy, and have recently introduced shared parental leave. These initiatives promote choice; and by empowering our people with choice, they have been able to find a better balance between their work and private lives, and through this balance they have become happier, more engaged and more productive.

When it all goes wrong, don’t worry

We all fall off the tightrope and make mistakes sometimes. The important thing is to learn from it, get back on, and get it right the next time.

It all makes so much sense. Branson mixes in kite surfing with mobile business calls. Can we all do this? Probably not, but the more we can mix business with pleasure equals much more happiness.

I try to charge into the office every day with a renewed spirit and willingness to take on new challenges while having fun.

Life is way too short not to!

HAVE A GREAT DAY – Enjoy Each Moment!!

– BV

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