b"YOUR TOOLKIT FOR BUILDING EXCELLENCEgoing back to the office because they were lazy.purpose. Not your job title or your email inbox.They resisted because, for the first time, theyAnd heres the kicker: when you put life first, experienced something different: life-first living. work doesnt suffer. It becomes more focused, It wasnt about convenience. It was about clarity. more efficient, and often, more fulfilling.The kind of clarity that makes you ask: WhatYou dont need to quit your job or walk away am I really doing all this for? from the business you built. You just need to stop A Personal Reality Check letting it consume every available part of you.When my oldest son was diagnosed with non- Start SubtractingHodgkins Lymphoma as a high school junior,Balance isnt about adding more self-care to an balance wasnt something I had time to thinkalready packed schedule. Its not about squeezing about. in a walk between Zoom calls or meditating for It was suddenly irrelevant. five minutes before bed so you can wake up and The only thing that mattered was showingdo it all again.upfor him, for my family, for the momentsIts about eliminating the things that dilute your that couldnt be rescheduled or outsourced orpresence and drain your energy.postponed until Q4. Ask yourself:Eight months of treatment clarified a truth that- What can I stop doing that no longer serves me?corporate culture tends to ignore: You dont- What am I carrying that I was never meant to find balance by trying to do more. You find it byhold?choosing what mattersand being present for it. - What would happen if I said no just once this Everything else is noise. week?Why the Old Model Doesnt Work You dont create space by adding. You create it Work-life balance fails for one simple reason: itby subtracting.assumes work comes first. So What Now?Even the phrasing puts life in second place If you're waiting for the perfect time to reset your something you try to fit in after the grind. Thatpriorities, let me save you the suspenseit wont structure is inherently flawed. come. Life wont slow down for your clarity. You Balance is found in space, not in weight. Starthave to claim it in motion.with Stop, Chapter 1 Start by saying it out loud: Life comes first.Its not about doing everything equally. Its aboutLet your schedule reflect that. Let your creating the right proportions. Sometimes thatconversations reflect that. Let your leadership means giving more energy to work. Other times,reflect that.it means stepping back entirely because lifeYou dont have to balance life and work. You demands your attention. Real balance is flexible.just have to stop putting work in charge.It's human.Life-Work Balance: A Reframe Author Bio:Imagine flipping the script. Instead of tryingThis article is adapted from Chapter 1 of Ray Gages to integrate life into your work, what if youbook, Start with Stop: Reimagining Success by Letting Go of Whats Not Working. Ray is a leadership coach, integrated your work into your life? speaker, and entrepreneur helping individuals and This is what I call life-work balance. It starts withorganizations break free from outdated norms and a clear centeryour why. Your values. Yourcreate space for what truly matters. FRAME BUILDER - VOL6 4 / 19"