Each week we meet via Twitter for #IOLchat to discuss current issues related to online learning. Participants include students, instructors, advisors, counselors, eLearning companies, schools, publishers, and instructional designers.
This week we welcomed Irene Becker from @JustCoachIt to lead our first chat of the year!
We are all managing multiple roles these days as our realities include responsibilities related to work, family, and school. What can we do to create a sense of balance and optimize our efforts? Here’s what the group had to say:
What is the greatest life/work/learning balance challenge you face on a daily basis?
- Logistics: “There are only 24 hours to get everyone where they need to be to work, cook, eat, bathe, sleep.”
- Pace: Critical to balance and optimizing cognition. “I have a hard time pacing myself…seems like there is so much to digest online, books, etc.”
- Work schedules: “Working far from home for almost 4 years” can take a toll on stress levels and personal, professional relationships.
- Taking on too many tasks: “Type A’s” feeling like “almost every minute is (or should be) spoken for, and feeling guilty carving out fun time.”
- Staying connected: Especially with family and kids. It’s easy to feel disconnected when there’s a lack of “quality time.”
- Finding time for fun: Important on so many levels! “Learning, creating, spending time with family, friends, and maybe relaxing – all that good stuff.” And “taking ME time that is just for myself.”
- Irene reminds us that “those of us who are passionate about our work consider it fun, BUT we need pure fun time that is non-work related.” It’s critical to our overall health and for reaching our potential.
How do you currently balance personal and professional priorities – work, learning, family, and time for self?
- Technology can help – texting, social media, etc., to stay connected.
- Prioritize daily tasks with to-do lists and must-do lists. Include small items that help motivate you – mark off as “done!” each day.
- Determine what is important and urgent and what is important but not urgent.
- “Get enough sleep and try to do something fun each day.”
- “Often our best ideas come to us when we are disconnected from work, when we take a break.”
- Experimenting with work, family, and school schedules – getting to work earlier (John Maxwell), or later, than the standard business day to take advantage of available time.
- Set goals and intentions. “It’s easy to lose focus” or “get lost in the shuffle.” Know what you are working toward, write it down and revisit often to see how you are doing.
- Irene recommends a way to recharge, refocus, and repurpose in just a few minutes through a simple exercise called “The Pause.”
In a perfect world what would life/work/learning optimization and balance look like for you?
- Less rigorous work hours or alternate work schedules that are more flexible.
- A “learning vacation – time off to just learn something new.”
- More time! Both to do the things that need to be done (i.e., errands, chores) and the things you want to do (i.e., recharge, fun with family).
- Finding “flow.”
What can you do right now to work, communicate, learn, and lead forward in ways that are smarter, happier, faster?
- Consider creating your own version of an “emergency” or “survival” kit to help you out when things don’t go as planned. What would you include?
- Stay current in your field of study and work. Join chats and participate in MOOCs. Connect with Alumni via online portals, directories, etc.
- Engage in conversations with others to “stimulate and spark ideas.”
- Take some time to get organized.
- Take some time to ground yourself – find what rejuvenates you, disconnect.
- “Apply some of the principles you know [would be helpful], but are not practicing.”
- “Celebrate each win, each positive moment.”
- “Find simple tools that work for you.” Check out Pocket for saving links to read later.
- Irene recommends “knowing how to put yourself in a flow state…developing enhanced focus, including fun time and alpha brain time” through meditation, sleep, chanting, prayer.
How can you build a better relationship with yourself, your potential, and with others?
- Be aware of the choices you are making.
- Communicate! Share with colleagues and find groups with more diverse backgrounds as well. Talk with your “significant other(s) to identify points of friction/pain and come up with action plans.”
- “Differentiate between procrastination and taking down time – one is fear based, the other is not.”
- Be yourself, even it that is not who someone else wants you to be.
- Irene reminds us that “even 3-5 minutes to recharge, refocus, and repurpose has tremendous benefits.”
Thanks to Irene Becker for guest hosting and to @MegBertapelle, @ODU_DL, @urbie, @jshamsy, @MarianeD, @kthompso, @MiltonMorillo, @meetasengupta, @2PositiveTweets, and @knolinfos for participating in the live event!
For more from the most recent live session, review the chat feed below. Our past chats can be found on the archives page.
Follow us (@OC_org) and plan to attend our next chat. We meet on Wednesdays at 12pm ET and look forward to hearing your perspective.
This week’s read-aheads:
10 Ways to Lead Forward During Times of Complexity and Change
5 Ways to Take Control of YOUR Potential
This week’s chat feed:
Image credit: mfatic, Flickr, CC:BY-NC-ND
The post #IOLchat Report: Creating Balance – Work, Home, Online Learning appeared first on Online College.org.
