The term “work-life balance” has become more prevalent than ever. Many men are either out of work, looking for extra jobs because of a pay reduction, or working from home full time. Each one of these can create more stress on the man to find that ever illusive “work-life balance”.
Why “Balance” is Bogus
The word “balance” is the first problem men have when striving for a more fulfilling home life while maintaining a successful work life.
Here are the two definitions of the word balance:
- An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.
- A condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.
Both of these definitions call for an “even” or “equal” amount of weight, time, or any other element. This is where the problem lies.
When men attempt to achieve work-life balance we tend to think in terms of time. So according to these two definitions of “balance” we would need to invest an equal amount of time into work as we invest into life.
But let’s be honest:
That’s just not realistic!
Every man has the same amount of time in a day: 24 hours. Which means we would have to divide the day into three 8 hour blocks in order to be in “balance.”If you are like me, however, you have more than 3 categories in your daily routine. For example: I need to ensure I incorporate some type of exercise, reading, praying, meditating, and studying into my daily routine. Not to mention all the small things like eating, sleeping, commuting, etc. And wait! What about work? Most men spend approximately 8 hours of their day working.
Can you see now, how this attempt at “balance” can become unrealistic?
Your Best is What Matters, Not “Balance”
As we discussed, the word balance is a definitive measurement of our time, and is just not a realistic measuring stick for success.We can rarely be in true balance with all of the roles in our lives.
So instead of grasping for the illusive “work-life balance” lets commit to giving our absolute best to each day.
Here are three steps I have taken to give my best effort each day:
- Create Your Sacred Scheduling
Learn to make appointments for every part of your day. Schedule family time, prayer time, exercise time and keep these commitments.
NO MATTER WHAT!
As men we are pulled in so many directions throughout the day. Our client or boss can call a last minute meeting that robs us of our lunch date with our family.Sometimes we just underestimate how long something at work will take.
What I have found is when we are constantly saying yes to outside requests we lose the power of keeping our schedule sacred.
- Communicate Your Sacred Schedule
Communication is the lifeline to being successful in all areas of life (or as we like to call them The Super Six Areas of Life). Whether you are communicating to your clients, boss, or wife it will drastically improve the quality of your role there.
As men, we need to make sure we’re talking about our schedules with everyone: our families, our friends, our clients, and the people we work with.
My schedule can get more demanding at work during a certain season. My wife and I talk over our schedules so I don’t miss any special dates or upcoming events.
Also, when you schedule family or personal time, it is ok to tell your boss, clients, or colleagues that you have a prior appointment when they ask for your time.
- Be Present Wherever You Are
The last piece of advice I will give is this: once you create a sacred schedule and communicate it with others, just be where you are.
Too often our mind can escape from family dinner to think about that work project that is still pending. When we create a time to think and complete that work project along with all of our other commitments then it will be easier to be present in whatever role or task we are working on.
