That’s right. Even CFO’s learned something from The Pandemic. According to this CFODive.com Article, there are 4 things that CFO’s learned.

1. Ensure business continuity with forward-looking risk management.
2. Streamline internal audit
3. Safeguard access to diversified sources of capital
4. Promote employee well-being

This article has some excellent quotes and I pulled a few of them our to highlight the importance that some CFO’s are now placing on mental health. I’m not sure how or why it took a pandemic for CFO’s to realize that Mental Health is extremely important. It’s always been important. It sometimes holds truly talented and potentially successful people back in the form of fear or emotional interference. 

As an Outsourced CFO for many companies, I also learned a lot in the last year or so. I learned that working from home 24/7 isn’t as glamorous as I once thought. I also learned that I can’t work 18 hours a day for weeks on end without some sort of crash. I just can’t. And, as a leader to my team and an example to my clients / professional contacts, I’ve learned that it’s not healthy to always be super busy. It’s okay to take some “me time” every once in a while. It’s okay to not text a client back at 11:00 PM. It’s okay to decline a meeting on a Sunday evening. It’s okay. I promise. Your mental health will thank you. Your kids or your partner might even thank you too.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. We meet up at the pool and let our kids play. It’s fun for them and we get to talk shop. He asked me what I thought the biggest thing I learned from the pandemic was. I took a moment or two and really contemplated my response. The easy answer was “don’t work so much.” But I felt like there is another layer. Here’s what I came up with: You can get as much done in a day as you intend to just so long as you don’t get distracted. I call it “Forced Balance.”

To get there, it takes intentionality around your lifestyle. Carving out some time for your brain to take a break. Getting to the gym and sweating. Eating right. Having activities scheduled that you can look forward to. Spending time with loved ones. Turning off the news. Asking questions to learn. It’s an intentional forced balance. It’s quite the opposite of many entrepreneurs who brag about their endless hours at the office and the weekend warriors who send emails all weekend. 

Forced Balance. To me it means making sure that you maintain boundaries with your clients, your contacts, and maybe your friends too. You know what that balance looks like for you. If you were really honest with yourself. You’d be able to figure it out. For some, it’s working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and not thinking about work at all on the weekends. That’s perfectly fine! Many entrepreneurs can’t seem to do that. To most entrepreneurs, working non stop has become the norm. What I learned in 2020, however, is that lifestyle isn’t sustainable. And, it takes a toll on everyone around you. 

When you force balance, you don’t make excuses for your diet. You don’t skip on the gym. You make sure you get to bed on time. You don’t scroll through Facebook all day at the office. You make a “to do list” and tackle it. (I even have a to do list for my personal life too.) Then, once you’ve found your perfect balance of work / life / fun, you get to enjoy the time doing the activities. It’s almost like you’ve preapproved yourself for a break. It’s like you’ve checked with your boss and he or she told you that it’s okay to take the weekend off just as long as you’re ready to rock and roll on Monday morning.

For me, it looks like being diligent in taking care of my mind; giving it a break every once in a while. Enjoying some nature. Not being glued to my phone or laptop or tv all day. I actually have a puzzle going and I allow myself some time each week to work on it. It’s a no-device-activity that I happen to enjoy. I also make sure to workout often. I can’t let my body take 2 days off consecutively from the gym. I’ve found that I’m much more efficient when I workout in the morning and get to bed about the same time each night. It’s a forced balance.

The pandemic also taught me that I can’t balance drinking with being on top of my game. Others don’t have that problem and that’s okay too. For me, my forced balance is saying no to any alcohol. I don’t drink anymore. It’s great. I strongly encourage others to examine their drinking and consider quitting the destructive behavior of drinking. 

Once you have your forced balance figured out, you’ll likely find that spending time with loved ones is much more enjoyable. You won’t be thinking about being in two places at once. Which proposal still needs to go out the door. There’s a time and place for work. But when you’ve forced balance into your life, you truly let your mind and body relax outside of the prearranged work hours you established. I’ve found that the Pandemic helped remind me of what’s most important in life. The relationships with my kids, with my family, and with my friends.

What kinds of intentional balance activities or boundaries have you put in place that have helped you?