From Surviving to Thriving: The Work-Life Alignment Conversation Leaders Actually Need – Part 2

Step 2: Time – You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure

Once you know what matters, it’s time to get real:
How are you actually spending your time today?

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
That’s why we do a time study.

How it works:

• Track your time in 15 to 30-minute increments
• For at least five days over the next two weeks (choose more representative/typical days)
• Track what actually happens, not what your calendar says

And this is where many people give up. As soon as I mention “time study,” the resistance kicks in.

“How can I possibly find time to do this? Do you know how busy I am?”

Am I the only one hearing irony here? 🙂

If you truly want more impact and happiness, better health, better relationships, this is where you prove it to yourself.

Just track the time. Keep an open spreadsheet. Check in throughout the day.

You’ll be amazed by what you discover.

Classify the time based on your goals:

• Strategic Leadership / Operational Management / Admin
• Active vs. Reactive
• Energizing vs. Draining
• Aligned vs. Misaligned with values

Analyze It (the fun part!):

Once you have the data, chart it, graph it, etc.:

• Where are you spending time that isn’t strategic?
• What should be delegated?
• Where are you over-perfecting work that could be B+?
• Where are you reacting vs. proactively leading?

And go deeper and face the truth, not just the tip of the iceberg:

• Do you have a clear strategy?
• Can you rely on your team?
• Are your leadership tendencies helping or hurting?
• Are boundaries missing?

Only when we face the real data does meaningful change happen.

Step 3: Traction – Start Now

Now that you’ve identified what matters and seen where your time is really going,  it’s time to create traction.

And no, you don’t need a life overhaul. You need to find your domino lever – one shift that will start moving everything else forward.

Ask Yourself:

• What boundaries do I need to set? With whom? How?
• What behaviors do I need to stop, start, or do more of?
• What do I need to delegate?
• What structural issues do I need to address?
• Where do I want to create more space? For what truly matters?

And remember:
Start with the big rocks.
If you don’t schedule what matters first, life will fill your calendar with sand.

Set Yourself Up for Success:

• What new mindsets or beliefs do I need to adopt?
• What environment can I create to trigger the behaviors I want?
• Who can hold me accountable?
• What skills might I need to develop?

This only works if you work it.

Here is your worksheet for Make Traction.

My Offer to You

I am deeply committed to this work because I’ve seen what happens when people take it seriously.

When leaders put in the effort to analyze their lives and make intentional shifts, the result is always the same:

They feel more fulfilled.

And when we are more fulfilled, we lead better, live better, and impact others more positively.

That’s my “why” behind this work.

Here’s my promise:

If you are serious about this work, you complete your time study for five full days, and you email it to me. I will offer you a free strategy session to help you identify the highest leverage actions you can take.

Resources to Get You Started

• Download the Slides
• Watch the Recording
• Get the Full Worksheets Bundle

Email me here to claim your strategy session or ask questions hello@nataliyabecker.com

And if this workshop resonated — and you’d like me to deliver it for your team, community, or leadership group — I’d love to explore that with you.

Don’t keep this goodness to yourself.  Help others move from surviving to thriving too.