We often come across the term “Work-Life Balance” that has conditioned us to believe that there is a magic formula for having it all. Those who firmly believe that if they work hard and are disciplined then they can have a good job, money in the bank, nice home, fancy car and loads of free time to spend with their partner, children, family, and friends. It seems that everybody is chasing the idea of work-life balance, yet most of us aren’t sure of what it looks like and how to achieve it.
Let us now unpack the three common myths of work-life balance and how we can move closer to your ideal.
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Balance Means Everything is Equals All the Time
There is a myth that to have balance your time must be spent equally at work and life. Life is much more intricate and complex than 50% work and 50% everything else. Balance is about making choices- we have to choose the buckets we want and have to give our time and energy to our work, family, hobbies, friends, church, volunteering, self-care and everything in between.
We must regularly assess what needs the most of our time and attention right now and prioritize accordingly. Sometimes, our work takes a critical chunk of our lives and sometimes it's our family. The significant thing is for us to understand that just like a tight-rope walker’s pole- it is never equal and never stationary.
Balance Equals Perfection
There is a myth that achieving balance is the same as achieving perfection. However, the fundamental truth is that perfection is unattainable because perfection doesn’t exist. So, when we attach balance to perfection, it makes the idea of achieving work-life balance unsurmountable.
Achieving balance needs us to look at our lives and responsibilities, honestly. It requires us to make decisions which are unpopular, hard and uncomfortable. Balance is about choices- we have to make choices where we place priority in our lives. So, balance is not about perfection but it’s about navigating around the choices to find your ideal.
Work-Life Balance is Attainable
The truth is work-life balance is probably attainable but only for tiny fractions of time and then something in your life will change and you will need to readjust. Most of us won’t even notice that our life is out of balance until it’s almost chaos with our stress being at an all-time high, we are saying “yes” way too much, we are sacrificing things we don’t want to and every little fire burning has become a volcanic eruption. At this point, it will feel like we’ll never get back on track.
The truth is that balance isn’t an end-point but it is more of a journey. Balance is a constant state of evaluation, communication, reflection, and reevaluation. It is a series of daily choices that you should make to prioritize the things in your life which are most important to you. It is more about the boundaries you set and the negotiations you make around those boundaries based on your everyday needs. It is important to take your time to reflect and identify your ideal balance by making the choices in alignment with that goal, daily.
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