How to balance dating and career? First of all, you need to ensure a healthy work-life balance. Then, ensure that you have time to spend with your partner. You can spend time together even on the smallest, simplest things, like running errands, so make use of this. At the same time, remember to make some quality plans together. Do you want to learn more? Then read on.
Balancing Career and Dating
Let’s begin by explaining how to maintain a successful career while getting the most out of dating. This is a multi-step process that will require some effort but allows you to get the best of both worlds without the need to sacrifice one over another. So, what are the steps you need to take?
Find a Work-Life Balance
You won’t have time for dating if you don’t have time for your life. This is why you should start balancing dating and career on a more general level – finding your work-life balance.
Here, you need to set clear boundaries between your professional and personal life. Additionally, you should improve your time management. This way, you will be able to predict when you have time for your passions, friends, and love life while still pursuing your career.
Reserve Some Time for Dating
With a clear distinction between your career and personal life, you need to plan your dating life. Naturally, you don’t want to set clear hours or days when you can date (though there are relationships where this works!), but rather general periods when you can and want to spend time with your partner.
For instance, if you know that you work until 5 pm and you have a hobby you’re passionate about and you desire to spend at least one hour on it each day, you can fit dates and times with your partner into the schedule.
Naturally, running errands and other everyday duties might limit your time for dating. But, if you’re already after a few dates and your relationship is heading in the right direction, you can…spend this time together. It won’t replace quality time entirely, but it will give you more opportunities to meet.
Make Quality Plans with Your Partner
Finally, you should plan out your dates and more quality time together. Don’t be afraid to use your paid time off to do so (unless you’re going to use up all of it). Also, remember about healthy boundaries in dating – the fact that you have time to spend with your partner does not mean that they will feel comfortable spending so much time together.
Set Goals Together
If you have limited time, you can… set goals for your relationship. For instance, you can agree to go out on dates a certain number of times per month. This will give you something to look forward to and motivate you to clear the schedule and find time for dating. It might not be the perfect solution, but it helps you manage time more effectively, so we recommend it.
Communicate Clearly
Surely, you might be embarrassed that once again you won’t make it because of your job. Yet, don’t come up with excuses – this will only make matters worse.
You and your partner need to understand that balancing career and dating will be a bumpy ride. This means that your partner has to show understanding and forgiveness, and you have to be honest and find ways to make up for situations that you have no control over.
Choosing Career vs. Dating
Sometimes, no matter your efforts, you will be left with no other choice but to choose: career vs. dating. What to do in such a situation?
You shouldn’t give up on your career if you don’t want to. However, if it conflicts with your love life, you need to find a compromise. Why?
Giving up on your career when you don’t want to will gradually make you unhappy and regret your decision – even if you love the person you are with. Thus, choosing dating vs. career isn’t a solution – finding the golden means is. If you can’t come up with a solution to this dilemma, you might even consider professional therapy – a third point of view might help you find balance even if you seemingly need to make a choice.
The Takeaway
How to balance dating and career? You need to plan your time carefully, taking into account your work and personal life. It might get tricky, but you always need to find a compromise, as a choice between dating and a career will never be a good one.
You might also read: How to Get Your Dating Life on Track