Every choice has a consequence. And there is a reward and cost to each choice we make at work. For example, staying late at the office to take on an additional assignment may earn recognition from your boss and consideration for a promotion. But it may also cost you a homecooked meal or quality time working on a personal passion project or hobby. Balance isn’t about keeping all buckets of your life filled at all times, but having the wisdom to know which buckets should be priority now. There may be times in your life where you work 24/7 and that is necessary and good. And others where you work a more standard 40 to 50 hours a week. The best part about work is that you can decide what to put on your plate. Here are some things to keep in mind about work-life balance.
Accepting the reality of your commitment at work
You can be what you want to be. If you want a high rating that exceeds the expectations, understand what’s required of you, make plans and set aside extra time to rise to that standard. And understand that extraordinary results come from extraordinary work. This won’t look like balance to most people or even to yourself.
Be Realistic With Yourself
What would it take to earn the reward you’re looking for? Taking on more projects at work? Volunteering more? Learning a new software? After answering that question, evaluate whether you want to put in the work. And what you will have to give up or set aside to devote yourself to that work. Is the reward worth the cost? If so, make the necessary sacrifice with no reservations. If the reward is not worth the cost, consider changing your target. It’s better to live with less, than lose what matter most, in your pursuit of more. In economics, this concept is called a cost analysis. It’s calculating the expected earnings from a project and subtracting the expenses. If the expenses far outweigh the earnings, the project will be not move forward. Always ensure that if the cost is high, the earnings are even higher.
It’s easy to get caught up in the wellness jargon around work-life-balance, but there is no cookie cutter advice for every professional. Assess what is a priority in your life right now and make sure your daily choices align with your priority. A single female professional in her early 20s may see work-life-balance a bit different than her married counterpart who is in her late 30s.
Why work-life balance doesn’t exist
We say work-life balance doesn’t exist, because commitment levels at work will change as our seasons of life change. Striving to maintain an idealistic “work-life balance” that includes a 30 minute walk at lunch, a gallon of water each day, checking the email only 2x a day, and unplugging completely at 5:00pm may be unrealistic or even unproductive for your lifestyle and professional goals. Every decision is a risk, and every decision comes with a cost. Know what your decision is costing you, and make the best decision that will serve you.
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