Work. Family. Health. Personal time.Work-life balance – an incredibly common phrase used as the model we should all aspire to achieve.Does anyone know what that looks like? What is the split? How many hours for work and how many for life?Balance suggests an even distribution of weight that keeps something upright. How can we evenly distribute the weight of life to keep our life upright?Should we balance of weight of our time evenly over all areas of life?
Maybe if someone defined it, we could get it right?
This is the trap I fell into and climbed out of over several years. I wanted to have the perfect amount of time in my work life and personal life. I believed there was a way to get it right. My vision of life-work balance was based on all sorts of ideas of a perfect life that I had been fed from culture.Finally, I realized that the only right answer is the right balance for me.We cannot define work-life balance because that would imply that there is one way to define life’s goals.A competitive athlete would want more time for exercise than an artist. We differ in our aspirations for career goals, family time, and hobbies. What if there was not one way to define balance and you just created your own definition based on your own dreams?Our life balance is the balance that keeps us steady and upright. My steady and upright position comes from writing, time with my family, and yoga.What is the combination that keeps you upright? Drawing? Walking? Travel? Career success? Raising a family? Can’t there be room for each of us to design a work-life balance based on our own tipping points?Imagine a triangle of items that surround you that keep you steady. How much time would you dedicate to each area?I spent so much time thinking about my vision, but I did not realize that my vision was just a bunch of ideas based on external influences. My vision did not have space to be expressed because my mind was cluttered with ideas from outside myself.What are your beliefs for a life well balanced? Living the life that you desire based on your own needs creates a steady, balanced life.
