I recently heard someone say that balance is a joke. At first, I thought he was off his rocker. But then I got thinking.
About a year and a half ago, I believed in something called “Work/Life Balance”.
I believed that having a balance between both worlds was achievable and attainable. I had that mentality that for YEARS! I found myself blaming the organization I worked for for not allowing me to achieve that balance I craved so badly. I always said they were the ones holding me back from being at home more and allowing me to spend time with my family and friends. And year after year, I realized I wasn’t seeing any changes in my life or in the way my employer treated me or my life. But I kept believing that “Work/Life Balance” was a thing.
My tune has changed. . .
Look at it like a seesaw. When is that seesaw ever perfectly straight across? Only for a split second, right? If the seesaw IS our Work/Life Balance, then our life is only in balance for a split second. Then it passes and we’re back to the crazy hamster wheel most of us feel like we’re on. In reality, there is no such thing as TRUE Work/Life Balance.
It’s taken me a very, very, VERY long time, but now I agree with that man who said there is no such thing as balance. I believe that we do have two worlds and we’re constantly pulled back and forth between them. When I look back on it, I realize that I spent about 75-80% of my time in my work world. That includes my commute, the time I spent in the office and all the extra stuff I did at home for my employer. Mathematically then, I only spent about 20-25% of my time with my personal duties, like family obligations, my physical fitness or writing this blog for you! Even if you change around the math, it’s still not balanced!
Although this post has been geared mainly toward Work/Life Balance, I believe it applies to anything in your life. If you feel unbalanced between your work and cleaning the house, it’s ok. If you feel torn between playing with the dog and chatting with friends, it’s ok. If you feel the pull between going to your yoga class and laundry, it is ok. Because there is no sense of balance in the world. You just need to find a way to deal with the things you have on your plate to effectively manage it.