My recent epiphany has been around the ability to truly have a work - life balance. So you can understand where I'm coming from, let me share some background. For about 6 to 8 months I put a lot of focus on work and very little on the life piece of that balance. I should probably also tell you, I am quite the workaholic all the time, but for that 6 to 8 month period I was putting in 50 to 60 hours a week, every week. I worked odd hours due to picking up late shifts to help out coworkers who needed those nights off. I picked up weekend days for coworkers who needed a weekend day off. Work was great! I was getting a lot done during a very busy time and I felt like I was getting somewhere in working towards my career goals. About a month or so ago, I had a reality check. I won't share what that reality check was "to protect the innocent" LOL but I will share the epiphany that reality check brought me. The epiphany being that it is possible to have a work - life balance but it requires a conscious effort in each decision you make in which one or the other is impacted.
Let's talk about what happens in "Life" when you focus too much on work...
Your home becomes messy, dusty, cluttered.
Things around your home begin to break due to lack of use or care.
You find that everything you usually have organized so well; is nowhere near where it belongs.
Your family time dwindles dramatically & this is the worst part of focusing too much on work.
You lose touch with your friends because you missed all their invites due to "working".
You get sick....A LOT..because you are working too hard, stressing about the "life" piece, and all that messiness, dustiness, cluttered, and disorganization in "life" affects your brain in those same ways.
When you start experiencing the work - life balance tilting to the work side; STOP!!
TAKE A BREATH...& ask yourself, "will I miss anything important if I take a personal day today?", "will anyone die without me there?" - because you know Doctors don't have the same luxuries as say a superstore greeter. "Will I still be able to get all my work done this week after taking this time off?"
If you answer; No - No - Yes; then you pretty much have your answer; take a personal day!!
Aftermath
Now that I've realized I have put too much of a focus on the work side of that balance; I am paying the consequences. In deep cleaning my home all weekend; I've found things that would have NEVER been present in my home before. EPIPHANY - Nobody is going to do the job for you at home!! When dusting, I found those little dust webs on some of the shelving and shadow boxes in the living room. I've been doing laundry for 2 days solid and still not even close to being caught up. I was amazed at the increased sunlight that came through my windows after a good windexing. I dusted walls, doors, knick knacks. I've scrubbed floors, shower walls, and mopped floors. I've felt cluttered and disorganized. I've been more easily irritated due to the "cluttered" feeling I've been carrying to work with me each day - wanting to be at home getting that part of my life in check. Being pulled in so many directions and not knowing when or where to start was even more frustrating. Eating poorly, not exercising, and not spending enough time working with my sweet dogs. It's time to get my son registered for college and we haven't even sat down yet to explore what classes he wants to take yet (Will be done today), and basically, I've had that "everything is falling apart" feeling.
EPIPHANY - all that hard work for that 6 to 8 months....wasn't well spent time!
So, What's My Point?
Well, while I was focusing so hard on work; life got away from me.
Now, I am having to tilt to the life side a bit to get caught up in life.
Once again, this is not a work - life balance!
So, Is a Work - Life Balance Possible?
YES!! It is possible. I've found the key and once I've gotten "Life" caught up this week, I'll be sure to practice strong work - life balance practices moving forward. If I work more diligently at work but stick to a 50 or less hour work week (sorry 40 just never happens with me); I'll have more time to keep "life" in check as well. By doing so, I'm not needing to put more emphasis on work or life - because they are balanced!
I wish I would have learned this a lot earlier in life.
I'm not a Doctor, everybody will be fine if I miss a day of work.
I'm not a rocket scientist or a company owner, everything still goes as planned in my absence.
Life and Work go on with or without me so last EPIPHANY -
Unless you're saving lives or making a difference in someone's day - every day in your work;
Take a day for you when you need it & be sure to practice a realistic and efficient work - life balance. When in doubt of what you should do, ask yourself what you will remember fondly at the end of your life; will you say; "WOW - I really made a difference at X job" or are you more likely to say, "WOW, I'm so glad I took the valuable time to spend with my friends and family. I have so many wonderful memories and feel I've lived a long and fruitful life."
I'm guessing we'd all rather have the latter of the two!
So, if you've been struggling to find a work - life balance, remember what's most important in life and adjust your actions accordingly. You'll have a better work - life balance and be a happier person!
