The very word ‘balance’ conjures up images of a tightrope walker, teetering precariously along a thin wire. While it is true that there can be a fine line between a good work life balance, and tipping the scales into either becoming a workaholic, or stretching ourselves too thin juggling work and other commitments, we don’t usually need to worry about crashing to the ground. Even small adjustments can help us create or regain a healthy balance in our lives.

In creating a good work life balance, we can liken ourselves to a pilot. During the average flight, a plane will be somewhat ‘off-course,’ for most of the journey. The whole trip is a series of corrections, and the end result is that we arrive at our destination, usually on schedule.

When aiming to balance your life, or reach any goal for that matter, don’t worry too much about the fact that your route will probably meander a bit. If you discover that you are veering off-course, you can gently bring yourself back to the path you want to be taking.

One important step in creating a good work life balance is to get very clear about what is important to you. Figuring out what things you want in your life, and how much of your time you want to spend on each of these areas, helps you to decide how to go about balancing your life.

If you have children, I would imagine that they are a pretty big priority. This doesn’t mean that you need to be with them every waking moment. Doing this would be pretty unrealistic for most of us. Parents need to have their own lives too. A happy fulfilled person is in a much better position to provide a healthy, loving environment for their children, than someone who is feeling frustrated and stifled.

There is no magic formula that works for everyone. If you feel great spending a quality hour a day with your kids, then be happy with that. Don’t feel that you have to make it three hours, and then spend those hours wishing you were doing something else. We have all heard of ‘quality time,’ and quality really is more important than quantity- so long as the quantity is sufficient to meet the needs of the people involved.

The same goes for work. Working a few hours a day may provide you with all the stimulation and satisfaction you require in your career. If it also covers your financial needs, then great! You won’t need to worry about becoming a workaholic, and you’ll have plenty of time to spend pursuing your other goals.

On the other hand, if you are passionate about your job and enjoy doing it more than most other things (I find myself in this category these days), then spend your time working. So long as it’s not to the exclusion of other important things in your life.

Make sure that you allow enough time for relaxation, relationships, and maintaining your health. If you neglect one or more important aspects of your life, all the other areas will suffer too. You may even find yourself headed for burnout.

Make a schedule that you can stick to, and allocate a realistic amount of time for the important areas of your life. Allow some unscheduled time too, to be spontaneous, or just because life is always full of surprises.

Be gentle but firm with yourself in following your schedule. If you find that you have been neglecting an area of your life recently, don’t beat yourself up about it. Just resolve to get back on track, and maybe pay a little extra attention to that area.

With clarity about your priorities, good planning, and a little self-discipline, you can create a healthy work life balance, and enjoy a happy, healthy, and balanced life!

Related Articles

Career Life Coaching for Success and Fulfillment

The Most Worthwhile Use of Time Is Doing What You Love

Career Changes Bring Opportunities for Learning and Growth

To Love Work Makes Us Happy

A Creative Life Is a Purposeful Life

Find Balance Amidst the Ups and Downs of Life

Back to Career Choices

Back to Choosing Life My Way from Work Life Balance

Add Your Comments