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Work-life balance has become somewhat elusive in the 21st century. Everyone from business legend Jack Welch to the average blogger is engaging in an ongoing debate online about whether it exists, what to call it and how to achieve it. Some are convinced that there is no such thing as balancing life and work, thanks to the increased speed of technology and a competitive global economy, while others persistently pursue the ideal.
Defining balance
After hearing both sides of the debate, and putting the concept to the jury of my own mind, my conclusion is that work-life balance does indeed exist in different ways for different people, in different circumstances. When I worked 15-plus hours a day at a dot-com, my life felt completely balanced. Yet at another time, I found myself feeling absolutely out of balance while working only 20 hours a week.
It’s not about how much you work or play, it’s about how much you want to do either. At the dot-com, working nights and weekends were my choice because my web site was my baby. Even when I sacrificed social activities or relaxing evenings, there was no remorse. But at a different juncture of my life, I entered part-time work believing I’d be left with enough time to pursue personal projects. But I miscalculated, and soon found that trying to do it all left me feeling like I was always trying to catch up.
Walking the balance beam while on your career path
How much you want to work could very well be influenced by the direction in which you are driving your career. Whether you see yourself as paying your dues in hopes of being promoted, or getting the nice office with a window and the responsibilities that come with it, your sense of balance is likely affected by how much you believe the job requires.
In the same vein, oftentimes the area of communication you choose to focus on can affect your view of balance, and the reality of achieving it. If you work in media/public relations, you likely route reporters on deadline to your cell phone. If you work closely with executives, your BlackBerry is probably always on and constantly buzzing. And if your company has a global reach, there is probably never a time—day or night—when you will not join a conference call.
The flip side of any of the above scenarios is hopefully a high-profile, well-paying job that you thrive on. Your own choices, and their consequences, directly correlate to whether you achieve balance.
Creating a formula
Achieving balance begins with recognizing what you want to achieve and contrasting that to what you are doing. If you want to be healthier, you must spend more time getting healthy, and determine what you’re willing to give up to do this. If you want to become an expert on a subject, then staying up at night reading about it on the Internet might suit you just fine, despite losing an extra hour of sleep or exercise. Sometimes it’s not that our lives are out of balance, it’s that our approach isn’t honest and realistic.
Work-life balance isn’t a figment of your imagination; it’s a necessary element for your well-being.
R. Kamna Narain is an internal communication manager at McKesson Corporation in San Francisco. She is also a life coach, and is currently learning to balance the two jobs that she loves. |
