“Work-life balance…”

 

Shared by Breanne Smedley

With Kristina and I’s work towards furthering the mission of Mindfluent Leadership, I’ve been thinking a lot about this statement lately.

In my mind, the idea of a work-life balance is an ideal state of living that I am constantly striving for.

I think it’s a point that I’ll finally get to, through dividing my time to strike a perfect balance between work I have to do, and the life I want to live.

Maybe work-life balance is a feeling?

How is it achieved, though?

8 hours of “work” + 8 hours of “life”+ 8 hours of sleep = Balance?

To be honest, this phrase is starting to seem elusive.

Because it assumes that I place every minute in my day into two categories:

Work: Teaching, coaching, planning, grading, emailing

Life: Family, exercise, things that bring joy and fun

But where does Mindfluent Leadership fit?

I suppose it could be considered “work”, but this passion also brings me joy.

I feel inspired, motivated, and alive when planning, envisioning and executing our mission towards this cause.

That sounds more like it would fit into the “life” category.

I could say the same for teaching and coaching, at times.

Work-life balance.

I think it’s a myth.  

Tommy Baker, in The 1% Rule, confirms this.

“Work and life balance assumes we can compartmentalize our lives, and they’ll fit in perfect boxes.”

This is not real life. He gives an alternative:

“Instead of attempting to balance your life, integrate it in a way where each part feeds the other.”

Integration. This makes more sense to me.

Allow my work to fuel my life, and vice versa.

My passion and purpose for developing a leadership philosophy, tools, and training fuels my relationships as a wife, mother, and friend.

Integrating my family into coaching as much as possible allows work and life to co-exist.

It eliminates the myth of balance.

Work, or life.

Not one or the other.

Instead, a virtuous cycle.

 

#MindfullyEvolving

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