“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein
You often hear people in this season talking about finding their balance. When they realize the year is nearly over, they cash-in on their New Year’s resolutions, realizing that the year has mostly slipped away again. I have been guilty of the same annual self reflection. Did I juggle my home and work responsibilities to the delight of my family, my colleagues, and myself? Ironically, this self-reflection usually prompts saturations into my family as I realize my addiction to my keyboard. It’s true; the inner ear controlling my work-life equilibrium defects toward workaholism.
But that’s when I realize it really isn’t about finding balance at all. Balance just keeps you focused on achievement, which isn’t necessarily related to enjoyment. After all, that’s what I’ve always thought the “work-life balance” phrase was about: finding equality between enjoyment and achievement. Instead, I’ve come to understand it to be more about harmony. Webster defines harmony as the “pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts.” I’d apply that definition here to be: “the pleasing and congruent arrangement of work, family, personal (hobbies and friends), and spiritual lives.”
I really think that the idea of finding balance between work and home naturally creates competition between the two. It isn’t that they are opposing forces, each competing with the other for your time – although sometimes it may feel that way. Instead, we should each be working toward creating harmony among the four parts for a more pleasing personal concerto. Remember that work is only one of four parts to enjoyment in your life. Also remember that having harmony does not mean each part has equal measure. Some days may be more focused on investing in one part over another.
Getting the value you desire out of life depends on the way you define expectations you have for your work, family, personal and spiritual lives, and on finding both achievement and enjoyment within each. It’s probably pretty easy to point to something you accomplished today at work, but what did you enjoy about your achievement? Do more of that. Make sure that you not only achieve, but also reflect the joy of the job, and the joy of life, every day. And help your colleagues do the same. It isn’t about finding equality between enjoyment and achievement, rather it’s finding the right balance that brings you the value you desire. When you find it, you’ll be a person that not only achieves, but also enjoys doing it. It’s a resounding quality that attracts people to you. They’ll be glad to have you on their team.
