I’ve been having a conversation with several other business owners regarding balance and finding that within your life. Can I just say, I think it is utter bullshit? When did work/life balance become a thing? If you want to work all the time, because you love it, then do it. If you want to shut off your phone at 5:30 p.m. and spend time with family or friends, great! Good for you!
What is important to you, isn’t necessarily important to another person. I have always thought work/life balance was a myth, what is important is that you love your life and feel fulfilled. What is listed below, are my non-negotiables, which more than likely aren’t the same as yours. If they are, lets hang out soon – because we are both clearly fun.
- Enjoy yourself in all that you do. Can you imagine if you spent all day doing a job you hate, it doesn’t matter how much work/life balance you have in your life…you are not going to be happy. However, some don’t have a choice, which means attitude then becomes everything. If you approach work, meetings, conversations with a positive attitude, it will rub off on others around you and even if you are faking it…it starts to feel right. We are wired to see negative and to doubt everything, turn that approach on its head and force positivity.
- Get some sleep. I love sleep, way more than I did when I was a kid. I take multiple naps on the weekends and it is glorious. I don’t know if there is a set number of hours you should get at night, but you should feel somewhat refreshed in the morning. Otherwise how will you deal with everything the day is going to throw at you? Also, I feel like being positive relies on you being refreshed.
- Make time for fun. I don’t care if it is forced fun, schedule it. Maybe it is happy hour with friends, a date with your significant other, time set aside for reading, petting a dog – the point is…if you can’t laugh – then how the hell do you deal?
- Get moving. I know, I know…this is hilarious coming from me. You don’t need to go run a marathon, but maybe get 10,000 steps in for the day. I like to jump on my elliptical and burn a remarkable 150 calories as I watch funny YouTube videos. I feel good about myself and don’t feel like a lazy cow, so there is that.
- Go into the woods. I like to spend time in the woods, wrapped in a blanket, reading a good book, enjoying a glass of wine, with a raging fire while surrounded by 6 dogs. This is a very specific formula that you will need to tweak. The point is, find your happy place and go to it often.
Work/life balance just isn’t a thing because in everything I listed above my work is integrated into it. I dream about it, talk about it, reflect on it and work wherever I am. What is most important is that you are happy, it shouldn’t matter how that is achieved or how many hours you spend working verses self-care (which is also BS).
What do you think?
Comment (1)
Jim
agree on all points! I never get to the woods, but think about it frequently. I also like to create and play music here and there.