By Will Butler

Photography by Matt Odom

We can all agree that being successful in business today takes much more than dedication and skill. It requires more and more of our time and energy to stay atop of the professional food chain and remain competitive among our peers. 

With all that energy focused toward work, what about the rest of your life? Balanced living means considering all aspects of your life: relationships, work, health and emotional well-being. 

As a business executive and a certified personal trainer, I know all too well the pitfalls that all of us experience at some point in life. For many people today, the concept of work-life balance seems almost nearly impossible. If this is you, read on for tips to maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

Think it through

Nothing happens without occurring in our minds first. Now is the time to realize that changes – whether major or minor – need to be implemented to achieve a healthy balance. Let’s begin to first think about what areas of our lives are unbalanced? Ask a trusted colleague and a family member or friend their thoughts and see if they align with yours. Write down the areas of focus in a personal notebook and start brainstorming about how to correct it. 

Play to your strengths; know your weaknesses

In business, sometimes we can lose ourselves trying to accommodate others. Don’t try to be all things to all people – that’s a recipe for certain disaster. Instead, focus on your primary strengths and attributes and outsource anything outside of your scope to others. If you’re not a whiz at graphic design or account management, then stop wasting your time and outsource. This will free up a significant amount of your time and tip the balancing scales in your favor. 

Manage your time long term

It is not unusual for the serious working professional to get consumed by work constantly. After all, technology makes it possible to stay connected to work, our co-workers and customers 24 hours a day. Instead of only planning out the work portion of our day to maintain work-life balance, it is now essential to plan out our entire day – including our family time, social hour, physical fitness, nutrition and other segments that are important to our holistic well-being.   

Do what you love

Create time for something you love other than work and give it the time it deserves. It will refresh and energize you and enable you to nurture the creative thought that is essential to every successful businessperson. 

Take the time to eat

Who has time for lunch? You do if you want to maintain a healthy balance. As the saying goes, “You are what you eat.” A healthy body really does produce a healthy mind. It takes energy to come up with new and innovative ideas, to problem solve and to manage the day–to–day operations of business. 

You don’t skip work – so you shouldn’t skip a meal. Besides, Macon is home to some of the best restaurants and finest cuisines you’ll find. Making the right food choices and eating at just the right time is essential to work success. Choose and plan your meals just as wisely and carefully as you plan your day, it will make a huge difference in your overall work performance. 

Make exercise a priority

One of the most important and positive ways to achieve balance and reduce stress is through regular exercise. Every able-bodied adult should be getting at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted exercise every day. Yet, when trying to find a balance, most people put physical fitness at the very bottom of our priorities. 

Exercise isn’t something you should have to force yourself to do, or you won’t stick with it.  Do something that you like and look forward to doing, instead of another chore that you’ll be tempted to skip. Activities such as a brisk walk inside or outdoors, jogging, racquetball, tennis, skating, yoga, boxing, bowling and golf are excellent examples of fun exercises. 

Here are a few more: 

• Jumping jacks gets the blood flowing to all parts of your body and raises your heart rate.  
• Battle rope exercises work each arm independently, eliminating strength imbalances as they sculpt and build muscle.

• Kettle bell swings target the abdominal and back muscles of your core, which provide stability to the rest of the body. 
• Brisk walking continuously for 30–45 minutes can have a major impact on improving your cardiac health, without the greater risk of injury from jogging.  
• Stairmaster exercising is not for the faint–hearted. But if you’re looking to really tone and strengthen your legs then this machine is for you! 
• Racquetball is a fun and fast-paced way to burning calories quickly. It’s is good for your entire body and also helps improve your hand–eye coordination.   

Finding the right facility

There are several great places in Macon to help you maintain a healthy balance. One of those places is Middle Georgia State University Recreational facility. The facility is now open to the public and offers a no-contract month–to–month plan. 

It is a beautiful multi-level facility and has great amenities such as state–of–the–art nautilus equipment, an abundance of free weights, a heated pool, a bowling alley, basketball courts, a restaurant, racquetball courts and so much more. Not to mention, the serene and calming views of the campus, lake and fountain from the facility’s large windows offer something nice to look at while you work it out! 

Macon native Will Butler is a certified personal trainer, pro-bikini coach, certified black belt instructor, radio personality and owner of Will 2 Win Fitness LLC. For personal training, fitness consults and nutritional plans, contact Will at w2wfitness220@gmail.com or 404-273-2861.