Who came up with the phrase WORK LIFE BALANCE anyway? Well… according to Wikipedia the phrase was first used in the 70’s… ah ha… that explains it… it was probably conceived in the 60’s in a drug induced trip to Nirvana!
I would like to inform whomever came up with the phrase, that we only have ONE life… (that we can verify.) Our work is our life… and our family… and our friends… and our hobbies… and our diets… and our errands…etc…etc…etc! It’s ALL our life and we need to integrate it ALL. And not to feel guilty about whatever it is we are doing or not doing.
I was working with my client… she is a mom, a wife, a lawyer, a business owner, a cook, a special events director, a volunteer, a daughter and the list goes on and on. Now… that is a woman with a LIFE. When she confessed that she doesn’t feel she does any of them well… I pointed out that from where I sit it looks like she does a great job and, the fact that she does so much is a huge accomplishment in itself. I’d like to shoot those guys in the 70’s who came up with… WORK LIFE BALANCE. They are making my client feel inadequate and she deserves to feel success… success that she is juggling ALL of that.
Let’s start a movement… My Life Is A Success… movement. And rejoice in the successes of each day… from helping to get your children off to school to getting your client off with a lesser charge. Here’s what the bumper stickers will say:
Take Pride… in everything you do and recognize that not everyone can do what you do.
Get Help… yes, hire people to do what you can’t, don’t want to do or don’t have time to do. (Maybe one of those guys from the 70’s would like to do your dishes or deliver the documents to your client.)
Say No… to silly, annoying, unimportant and useless things that are time sucks.
Being balanced is acknowledging our successes and accomplishments that cross many lines… and not about compartmentalizing… since we only have ONE LIFE. And every day counts… don’t waste one minute feeling inadequate! And no one gets to define YOUR balance but YOU!