Is Work-Life Balance An Actual Reality Or A Myth?

By Perminus Wainaina

Family demands and almost immediately without hesitation, duty calls…

See, when I first entered the workforce several years ago, all I kept hearing about and desiring was the need to achieve work-life balance.

You know, the exactly 8 hours at work, the open weekends for family, the whole ‘work stays at work’ thing among many other ideas.

And because it seemed so perfect and important, and I kept chasing after it anyway.

Fast forward, several years later, I look back and smile at those ideas. But what really is work-life balance today?

Just think about it…

Most people think of it as the ability to split work and personal life with the aim of creating a 50-50 balance.

But remember, no day is the same, even with the help of schedules, assistants and routines. You are constantly pulled in different directions and especially if you are managing a team.

So where do you stop and say, “Ok, work time is up. I am now removing my work dress and putting on my personal-life clothes.”

It is not a switch that you can just flip and the personal part of you comes to life, right?

Being a career coach for almost 10 years now, I’ve had several sessions with clients who are torn between their personal life and their work life to others who left their stressful jobs for positions with few work responsibilities.

And I can boldly tell you that if there’s anything I’ve learnt about starting a business from scratch in my 20s, it’s that work-life balance as we’ve come to know it could actually be another myth for all we know.

But is it possible to actually find work-life balance?

Now, I am sure we are now on the same page that the idea of work-life balance that we currently hold is misunderstood, but is it possible to achieve some resemblance of balance and still be happy at work?

And my answer here would be a big yes but remember that such a balance is personal.

Here are some of tips to keep in mind in order to find the right balance that you desire.

1. Remember that balance at work is what you make of it

I subscribe to this notion that a balanced life for me is for sure not going to look the same for you because there are too many variables and personal preferences at play.

I might prefer to work early morning while somebody else prefers to work late night.

One person can be a family man while the other is single so an idea like a two weeks travel abroad might be not be a good fit for these two people.

So it is what you decide on that works for you.

In fact the idea we hold of a work-life balance is actually somebody else’s and maybe that’s why it never seem to be a fitting dress for everyone.

So rather than trying to achieve someone else’s version of balance, you’re better off trying to figure out what balance looks like in your own life and stick to it.

2. Do I enjoy what I do?

Your job is an integral part of your life.

In fact, almost three quarter of your life is spent at work if you are to work till retirement.

And actually the next question that people will ask after your name is, ‘So what do you do for a living?’

This means that if you enjoy being the Accounts manager, the Receptionist, the HR officer or any other title that you hold, you will find that balance won’t be something that you will be so bothered about.

So essentially, to achieve the right balance, ensure that you are satisfied with your work.

Even ‘bad days’ in the office, which will always be there anyway, will be just like extra challenges thrown your way that you will enjoy solving.

3. Your focus should be on your work-life integration not balance

How well does your personal life integrate with your work life?

As we’ve seen achieving a 50/50 balance might not be always possible because no day is similar to the other and you cant predict how yours’ goes.

So as I said, happiness in life and work is never about putting off your work suit and putting on fun clothes but rather finding a way that works for you to integrate the two.

4. And finally, stop feeling guilty for not achieving ‘balance’

With all the points above considered, the bottom line is that: The idea of balance that society tries to force upon us doesn’t actually work with this thing called life.

We do not live in an ideal world where you do this and that happens automatically.

If such work-life balance was actually applicable, wouldn’t we have a way of measuring it?

You would sit with your boss  in that boardroom at the end of your quarterly review and say, “This quarter I have achieved only 20% of my work-life balance. What can we do about it?”

So, stop feeling guilty for not achieving the ideal balance and instead work on what makes you feel balanced to make your job a more life fulfilling activity!

All the best as you achieve the balance that you desire…