Changing the Conversation Around Work-Life Balance

We see the articles all the time that are boldly titled, “How to Achieve Work-Life Balance in X (insert random number) Simple Steps!” I’ll admit, although I mutter the words “yeah, right” when I see these titles I still, without fail, go onto read the entire article. I think there’s always a small piece of me that hopes this ONE article will give me (and my team, my friends, my family…) the magic answer that has been sought after since…a really long time ago. Alas, I’m always left with solutions that are great in theory, but also easier said than done.

For inspiration for this blog, I did what any person in 2017 would do: I consulted my good friend, Google. Before I knew it, I was DEEP in the rabbit hole of articles, inspirational videos and coaching seminars. It’s not that I don’t think these resources are well meaning—who doesn’t want to achieve the perfect work-life balance? But, life is complicated. And unpredictable. A step-by-step guide can’t possibly fit all life-sizes, right?

I’m a story-teller and I work for a creative firm that specializes in changing the conversation around topics that make our client’s lives challenging. When a client’s story isn’t working for them like it should, we reframe it in a way that will resonate with them and those they are trying to reach. Personally, I think it’s time we change the conversation around work-life balance—because I’m not convinced the current story is making an impact in the lives of all business-professionals.

Perhaps it’s not about BALANCE, but Work-Life UNDERSTANDING.  

With this slight change in words, we are no longer putting ourselves in the vulnerable position to potentially disappoint ourselves and others. We are no longer striving for perfection, but the best we are physically and mentally capable of doing THAT particular day.

Fortunately, this concept would only have one rule:

Give yourself a break: Whether this break is literal (like a vacation) or metaphorical (be nice to yourself), we all know that life is full of ebbs and flows—most of the time, we’re simply doing the best we can.

In short, when something isn’t working for you, sometimes it’s not about rewriting the book, but moving some things around. By simply changing the conversation, we are given the opportunity to use a difference lens, when the previous one may have been a little blurry.