Navigating Work-Life Balance
Work-Life Balance is a catch phrase today in many circles; companies are even listing it as a benefit on job postings. With such visibility in the public eye, one would think more people have achieved this elusive goal, but the reality could not be further from the truth. In truth, the flexibility of remote work, project management, communication and resource technologies and expansive use of AI (artificial intelligence) in the workforce have contributed to the growth of stress related illness in the labor force. Everything that has been advertised as simplifying life has in fact contributed to a greater imbalance of the work-life dynamic. Few know balance when they see it; even fewer find the sweet spot that refreshes life.
I would like to provide just a couple of tips to help you navigate the choppy seas of work-life balance. Because I am a lifelong educator and pastor I find myself thinking in terms of alliteration, so we will explore the following: plan, prioritize, perspective, pivot, and pray. We all know the old adage, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. I don’t know who said it, but I know that experience has proven it true. With the abundance of planning software and technology at our fingertips, you would think we would be getting better at planning, but the opposite is true. Our technologies have allowed us to fill up every minute of our schedules, barely leaving room for a spontaneous trip to the restroom. If you are going to achieve the work-life balance you desire, you will need to plan for it. That means being realistic in your expectations and not over packing your schedule, leaving room for that wonderful gift called margin. Now margin doesn’t just happen in the gaps between one event and the next. That is travel time, regroup time, and follow up time. Margin should actually be planned as a block in your calendar the same way you block off lunch- if you don’t block off lunch, start doing it now. Margin is not nice, it is necessary. We all have that random day that goes absolutely as planned. The planets align, the angels smile down on us and everything is perfect. In more than thirty years of working and ministry, I think I can count those days on one hand. The reality really looks like traffic, unplanned meetings, sick kids, spilled coffee, running late, client crises, unexpected school projects, the list goes on and on. Actually adding a block called “Margin” to your daily calendar, or maybe name it “Sanity”, whatever works for you, will do that, protect your sanity.
On a similar note, when you are planning, be sure to prioritize. Everything cannot be a priority, if it is, the word loses its meaning. You determine what is priority for you you. I really like to assign priority to daily, weekly or monthly tasks and goals. The tasks that have to get done today are planned in the morning, followed by what should get done today. Tasks that can get done tomorrow or the next day get pushed to later in the afternoon when I am less focused. This ensures that those unexpected interruptions don’t leave me struggling in the last hours of the day to finish items that had a today deadline. I do this in my work priorities, but also in my life priorities- for example, I don’t leave placing my walmart order or stopping at the grocery store to the day I have no milk for my coffee, that would be disastrous for me since I don’t talk to people before I have had at least one cup of coffee, two for in person meetings. This helps reduce my stress levels. One more tip, remember an emergency for someone else may not be a priority for you. Plan realistically and politely decline an addition to your schedule that does not align with your priorities.
Next, it is important to maintain a positive perspective. Life is experienced in seasons. Wherever you are in your personal and work life, it is just a season. Seasons have definite beginnings and ends, even if they are hard to identify at the moment. Recognize, accept and embrace the season that you are in, it is your gift for today. A few tips regarding seasons: 1) NEVER bring baggage from the prior season into the present season and 2) ALWAYS build a foundation in this season for the next season. Baggage from a prior season will unintentionally discolor the present season. Be sure to allow yourself a fresh start in each season. Even if your work- balance was non-existent in the past, a new season is a new opportunity to start fresh; take it. Being fully present in each season leaves you with the energy to experience the season and use the present season to build a strong foundation for the next season.
Navigating work-life balance will often require you to pivot. I use the word pivot rather than change because most people resist change. Even people that are proactive and welcome change find change difficult to navigate. Remind yourself that life will require you to pivot. As we noticed earlier, most days will not go as planned, so you will need to be flexible. Maintain a mindset that embraces change. Keeping long term goals in mind helps guard against short sighted decisions that sabotage your future. Don't be afraid to pivot and regroup, adjust your plan to focus on your priorities. Remember, change is the only constant in life; embrace change, do not resist or fear change. Be proactive in creating the work-life balance you desire.
I am going to end with prayer, even though I could have begun with it. Prayer is a great tool for navigating work-life balance. It is important to be realistic, remembering that every day might not be balanced as you work toward a lifestyle of balance. Begin your day with prayer asking the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide all of your decision making. End your day with prayer, reviewing the events and choices of the day, inviting the Holy Spirit to show you where you could have made different decisions and where you made correct decisions. Celebrate the victories, repent for the mistakes, prepare to try again tomorrow. This is a lifelong journey and journeys require process. You will not achieve a euphoric state of work-life balance once and for all and stay there forever. You will, rather, contend for it daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Visualize your days, months and years with the help of the Spirit. Allow God to help you understand your past choices, shape your present and realize the future you desire. Navigate the seasons with God in prayer and you will find the work-life balance you desire.
