Life and Work Balance: Joke or Reality?

Help! I ran out of Tuesday!
Life and work balance — is that even possible? When was the last time you felt you were in that Balance Zone? Did you recognize it at the time? If you are still striving for it, are you able to describe what it might look like?

I confess. I ran out of Tuesday this week. But for me, it was the exception. For the most part, my life has order. There are many moving pieces, my schedule is not always the same and that’s just the way I like it. That’s the point —balance will look differently for each of us.

Balance is About Choices
Given our current reality, we take a 24 hour day and we choose and prioritize what matters most to us. Some of our choices command a block of time: work, sleep, meals, daily travel time. We add to that the commitments we have to other people in our life: family, church, friends, and community. Our personal “all about me” choices may include: exercise, meditation, reading, ongoing education, shopping, exploring new hobbies or talents. Balance shows up when we choose how to block our time based on the choices that matter most to us at that particular time.

Reactive vs. Strategic Choices
Life has a way of “happening” to us. When that happens we are forced to react to address the issue. Car repairs, illness, auto accidents, layoffs, family crisis… it all happens. Without a clear picture of what a day-in-our-life looks like; however the choices, we begin to snowball and suddenly we find ourselves with a week of Tuesdays.

Strategic… an intentional life plan that works for you for a particular season in your life

Life vs. Work
Life includes work. They are not opponents. We get to choose how we block our time and which categories of our life to focus on at any given time. When we have a clear understanding of all the pieces that make up our life today; we can begin to consider how that might be different in the future. Let it go… what or who needs to be left behind so that something better can be introduced?

“It’s GOOD to work on good things. But it’s BETTER to work on BEST things.” Coach Maggie

How would your life be better if you created a Strategic Plan for what matters most in your life? Who needs you to show up totally in tune with what a successful day-in-your life looks like?

By Maggie Sabatier-Smith
Photo by Nenetus | Shutterstock