Work-life balance

marjorieaageeb·Aug 15

Posted in:Family & Relationships Health & Wellness Lifestyle Productivity Career Growth

Work-life balance. Is this a myth? are we being realistic? is this a formula for mediocrity or success?

Iynna·Aug 15

What a loaded topic! Full disclaimer: i like loaded topics/questions :) As far as I am concerned, it is not a black and white answer. I don't believe it is a myth however I think it depends at what stage and phase of your career you are. When you are more junior, you're still proving yourself (i mean you have to, to earn an extra layer of trust and be assigned larger responsibilities) compared to when you're more senior. To some degree as you grow and mature, you learn how to work smart not just hard. So when you're junior maybe this WLB doesn't really seem to exist. That said i still don't think it is a myth because to a large extent, the onus is on individuals to create that WLB by setting boundaries, as it can be very easy to get sucked into a world where all lines are blurred. I sense that the newer generations (Gen Z etc) do a much better job at this than previous gens (yes millennials) maybe they learned from our trauma, among others? haFormula for success IMHO) : putting in the reps (that's why you can measure success over time because the more you do one thing, the more you improve, up to a certain point, but let's keep things simple for the sake of this discussion), saying YES to the experiences ie. being open minded, always learn and never take anything for granted (teaches to appreciate the simple things in life). I am missing a bunch of things but that's what comes to mind!

marjorieaageeb·Aug 18

I totally agree with consistent effort over time Iynna! ummm what is IMHO? hehe

Iynna·Aug 18

OH! IMHO = in my humble opinion ahah :) you can also say IMO = in my opinion

Rosena15·Aug 15

I guess it depends on how you define “mediocrity” and “success” - maybe these are subjective and each person has their own parameters? Like more/less money, recognition, accolades, etc . To me work-life balance means the work aspect of my life is just a means to sustain the things I care about: family, health, other job/hobbies I do regardless of money. If work starts taking over any of these areas I know it’s time to reassess and do what’s needed to find the balance again (resting, taking time off, changing jobs, etc)

marjorieaageeb·Aug 18

This so true! We all have different perspectives with what we consider successful or fulfilling! I think I ask the question because sometimes "influencers" can be confusing with what they describe as work-life balance. They make you feel you are missing out a lot in life. On the other hand, you do want a better standard of living and just be secure as your children get older and as you get closer to retirement, which translates to having multiple stream of income... meaning working more hours than an average person would!

LauraNoren·Aug 19

Yes! It's a myth! If you want to have it all - as in, if you want to have a non-mediocre career and a non-mediocre life outside of your career - you will be exhausted and will likely either burn out or decide you can live with mediocrity in several areas.Am I being a little ridiculous? IDK. Just my opinion.I feel like women especially, but also everyone, has been sold the idea that we can "have it all" and still be excited to enjoy it. I find that trying to climb the corporate ladder, have a beautiful home, wear all the right things, host lovely home-cooked (maybe even home grown) dinner parties, cultivate a vibrant and diverse circle of friends, nurture a strong loving partnership - ideally with talented children and a happy pet or two, provide care and attention to your parents/aunts/uncles, and maybe have a side gig is absolutely bonkers oversubscribed.I don't know anyone who does all those things. I certainly don't. I hit four of the eight.

sagha·Aug 19

I have had a very successful professional career working a 40 hour week. These things are key:* Focus when you are at work. Don't waste time web surfing, gossiping, attending unproductive meetings you can get out of, etc.* Spend dedicated time each week learning and diving deep into something related to your current work. If it doesn't help with the task at hand, it helps you become more effective in the long run. For me as a software engineer, this has taken the form of reading blogs, documentation, or diving into parts of our code base.* Constantly look for ways to improve what you are currently doing. That often means taking the time away from my keyboard to do some deep thinking. I take short walks and keep a work journal. The last two points are related, in the sense that it is yet another way to balance the tactical work of what you need to achieve this week with the strategic work of direction how you execute projects or how you invest in you and your team's capabilities. I find that a lot of people who put in excessive hours are losing the opportunity to pull back and look at their work in the big picture.

marjorieaageeb·Aug 21

This helps a lot :-) TY!

Frida76·Aug 22

I love this! So logical!