Work/Life Balance is All About Ability
I think we might better achieve work/life balance if we spend time thinking about how much we value two types of ability: flexibility and stability.
Maybe having a steady job with benefits is a high priority. Maybe taking a trip to Peru on a whim is what you long to do. Whether you like being able to count on something or you love throwing caution to the wind, understanding the relationship between flexibility and stability is crucial to work/life balance.
The key, however, isn’t necessarily to have each in equal measure – it’s rather to have both in your life to the point where you’re happy. If having a stable job, regardless of your tasks or hours is of utmost priority, then you’ll need to recognize that and be satisfied that you’re meeting an internal need. If, however, you’d rather be free to take walks in the park on sunny days whenever you like, then you may need to check out more flexible jobs – again – regardless of tasks or hours.
A lot of frustration with the (im)balance in our lives is because we’re not looking to see if stability and flexibility are appropriately understood and prioritized. If we’re able to identify each and prioritize one over the other, then we can find work that allows us to pursue the more important one.
Of course, life is rarely so easy and formulaic. We may not care about walks on sunny days, but really want to make our kids’ recitals and games. Or maybe we want to know that we’ll always be home in time for dinner. Or that the two weeks we get off every year means we can drive to grandma’s or go camping. Thus, we have to be cautious of over-simplifying either idea lest we lose sight of both.
So, to correctly identify and then pursue both stability and flexibility in your life, take some time and make a list:
- List those things in your life that you want to be able to count on, no matter what.
- Then, list those pursuits that make you happy when done outside of work.
- Put the lists together and rank them in order for importance to your personal happiness.
- Then, find work that allows you to do the five most important ones.
When you’re able to spend time doing what you love and what means the most, you’ll live a more balanced life overall.
Great post Sam. The whole concept of work/life balance isn’t (necessarily) 50/50. It’s about finding the balance that works best for YOU. It’s a very personal thing. On a similar note, some people are happy and content separating the two – living the balancing act, while others strive for work/life integration. The latter is what I shoot for. Yes, I want to be able to separate the two, but I also struggle doing work that I can’t invest myself emotionally into. I think that is the greatest strength and the biggest weakness of folks within the Gen-Y community – that inability to do meaningless work, pay their dues, etc. Both a blessing and a curse. Good stuff man.