No one ever said it was easy to manage a career. Throw a relationship into the mix and you’ve got career suicide, right? Wrong. Just because you have a strong relationship, it doesn’t mean your occupational goals have to suffer. In fact, it’s quite the opposite!
Extensive research on the subject of relationships and careers shows that people in successful relationships not only make more money, they’re healthier, live longer, and get more promotions than singles do. So how can you juggle your relationship and your career?
We’ve got the five tips that’ll keep your work and love life harmonious and keep YOU sane!
1. Prioritize. It’s a fact: Sometimes life forces us to put more weight on one thing than on another. Sometimes this priority shift means you have to forgo one goal in exchange for another; for example, you might have to tone down your professional aspirations in return for a strong relationship. But you shouldn’t have to sacrifice one aspect of your life for another. After all, what’s the fun of a promotion if you don’t have someone to share it with?
The good news is that just because you set priorities, you don’t have to sacrifice. It means you have to adjust. If you build a strong foundation for both your romantic and work life, you can prevent disruption when priorities shift.
Step one: Make sure that both your significant other and your coworkers know that they’re significant parts of your life. When both understand that they are mutually valuable, your partner will understand that when you stay late at the office, it doesn’t mean that you’d rather be at work. And when you take a personal day, your coworkers will understand that it doesn’t mean you don’t care about your job.
Communicate that both your job and your relationship are of high priority and sometimes, as need be, one might take precedence.
2. Compartmentalize. To have a successful career and a loving relationship is to have the best of both worlds. What’s the best way to keep those two separate worlds happy? Just that—keep them separate! That means that when you’re at work, commit fully to your job, the task at hand, and the needs of your coworkers or managers. Don’t let your love life be a distraction. There’s plenty of time to daydream outside the office. Instead, spend your workday being productive and you’ll have more quality time to spend with your beloved after work.
Likewise, when you spend quality time with your significant other, don’t let work distract your attention. Put away your BlackBerry, stop talking about your next big proposal, and halt all conversations about your gossipy coworker. Instead, discuss topics you as a couple both enjoy. On the plus side, you’ll find that occasionally disconnecting (fully) from work will make you more productive when you return to the office.
