Do better work with personal sustainability practices

Are you someone who tends to put others first? I certainly am. I love what I do (delivering communication design solutions to amplify world-changing social and environmental initiatives) so I can easily lose track of time once I dive into a creative brief. Plus, I’m a mom of two young kids so I rarely have free time.

Life is full and busy, but I feel focused and fulfilled thanks to a system I’ve developed to support my personal sustainability. I’m happy to share it with you, fellow busy bees and changemakers!

How I discovered the need for personal sustainability

When I first began my entrepreneurial journey, I was so overwhelmed by daily tasks that I swiftly learned that being busy doesn’t mean being happy. I had no time to do the creative work I had been hired to do, let alone any personal projects, volunteer work, or on some days, even eat or sleep well. People told me, “Oh you’re busy. That’s so great!” But that kind of busy made me miserable.

I knew I needed to set myself up for success by creating strategies, structures, and supports so I could do my best work for my clients. One of the most important things that helped me move forward was to let go of the idea of finding an elusive balance. Rather, I accepted that balance is on a moving continuum and there’s no “done.” I stay mindful of what’s happening and correct course when the scales tip too far in one direction or another.

Designing personal sustainability into your personal and professional life

You are no good to anyone, let alone the world, if you don’t take care of yourself first. So how do you do that? Over time, I’ve identified 16 things that help recalibrate my scales. I share them with the hope that they’ll help you too!

1. Prioritize self-care. Self-care doesn’t need to be complex and can be as simple as mindfully enjoying your morning coffee.
2. Focus your time on doing things that align with your values. Remember, busy doesn’t mean happy.
3. Ask for help, even if it doesn’t feel necessary.
4. Balance is a journey, understand that change is constant
5. Stay connected with people in real life.
6. Get outside every day. Nature is wonderfully meditative and relaxing.
7. Eat three times a day—seriously. I still need to remind myself of this.
8. Ask yourself before helping others, “What do I need right now?”
9. Know what keeps you creatively fuelled and put those things into your calendar before client work.
10. Practice time blocking. Schedule in chunks of time for all areas of your life, starting with self-care.
11. Define success for yourself and revisit this annually. Apply the BEACH measuring tool.
12. Take (real) breaks often—burnout is not productive.
13. Be a great boss… to yourself!
14. Make a standing date with “someone interesting”, to leave room for meeting new people in your community.
15. Trust that you’re a part of something bigger than yourself.
16. Gratitude practise, find ways to say thank you often.

I shared these tips at Pecha Kucha Night Nanaimo a few years ago, and I was honoured when my talk became the presentation of the day internationally! If you’ve not heard of Pecha Kucha, the basic premise is that presenters showcase 20 slides for 20 seconds each. I was initially terrified to think about what I would share as I don’t often speak at public events, but the topic of personal sustainability is such an important theme in my life that it became the core of my talk. The fact that the topic resonated with so many others reinforced its relatability.

You can view the recording of my talk, “Designing Personal Sustainability.”

What other ideas do you have for sustaining yourself personally and professionally? How can we support you at iilo? Feel free to connect and start a conversation!