The Career Report
	Volume 1 - Issue 10 - September, 2007
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The Quest for a Healthy Work-Life Balance (By Melinda Pittman)   Everybody seems to be talking about “work-life” balance these days.  Employees are seeking it, and employers are looking for new ways to offer it.   The problem is that many people don’t know how to achieve it.  Oh, we know we should be working less and we know the steps we should be taking to attain more balance in our lives, but we’re still conflicted.  We’re conflicted because we’re uncertain that we’re doing enough to achieve the balance we need.  Some of us are even anxious because we start to worry that maybe there’s “too much” balance in our lives and our work—and career—are going to suffer.   Believe it or not, we’re becoming stressed about making sure we have enough balance in our lives.  Now how’s that for irony?   It’s a process The case for a work-life balance is a rather substantial one.  I could list scores of statistics and a ton of supporting data, but that information can be found anywhere.  It’s obvious that over the course of the past decade, employees have been working longer and harder, even to the detriment of other areas of their life.  This resulted in a number of negative consequences, and thus, the crusade for achieving a healthy work-life balance was born.   Here’s the single most important thing you should realize about your work-life balance: it’s a process.   What does that mean?  It means you’re not going to read an article about it on Monday, implement the steps on Tuesday, and achieve the balance by Wednesday . . . or even Friday.  Unfortunately, we live in an instant gratification society, and when it comes to this topic, patience and a long-term perspective are required.   Finding the right balance is largely a matter of trial and error.  Some things that you try will work and some things won’t.  The key is to keep striving to achieve that balance.  The chances are excellent that you’re not going to find it in a short amount of time.  But through a process of trial and error, you’ll not only mold the appropriate work-life model, you’ll also learn more about yourself and about how you prefer to work and play.   It’s individualized The second thing you should realize about achieving a healthy work-life balance is that it’s not only a process, it’s an individualized process.  Simply put, what a healthy balance is for you may not be a healthy balance for somebody else.  Think about it.  How many times in life does “one size fit all”?  Almost never.  If there’s one iron-clad rule of society, it’s that everybody is different and not everything works for everybody.  That rule certainly extends to this topic.   Perhaps what you consider to be a healthy balance another person would consider a workaholic lifestyle.  They might tell you that you’re working too much, and you’d look at them like they’re crazy.  While you’re moving through the process of achieving the right work-life balance for yourself, do not allow others to dictate to you what it should be.   To be sure, family considerations are part of achieving that balance, and you should most definitely discuss these issues with your spouse or significant other.  But the only person who truly knows what kind of balance works for you is . . . you!  Taking the advice of others is fine and trying their suggestions can be helpful, but you and only you can ultimately determine what balance is going to make you the most productive and happy.   Maintaining perspective Too many people these days are embarking upon their quest for a healthy work-life balance without the proper perspective.  They often become too focused on following a step-by-step, cookie cutter blueprint for getting where they want to go, and then they become discouraged when they don’t get there right away.  This type of approach is counterproductive at best and damaging at worst.   If you believe that you’re in need of a better work-life balance, remember that attaining one is an individualized process.  There are no quick fixes.  What you’re attempting to change is your lifestyle—the way in which you do things each and every day.  People are creatures of habit, and changing those habits can often require a tremendous amount of energy.  However, by maintaining the proper perspective and frame of mind, the changes you implement will be effective, long-lasting, and will contribute greatly to the enjoyment of both your work and your life.   In case you're wondering how I've implemented and maintained a work/life balance . . . well, I haven't!  This has been a topic of interest to me for a period of years now, and as I talk with others, I realize that it’s something with which most of us struggle.  I'm in the "process" of trying different things and tailoring them to my particular work and personal style.  If you have any tips and techniques on how you are trying to achieve that balance, let me hear from you, and we'll share them in our next newsletter.  We'll be continuing this topic and will explore ideas, flexible techniques, and big-picture strategy in our next issue, all of which will help you on your work-life balance “journey.”   If you have any questions about this topic, or about any other aspect of your career, please feel free to send me an email at melinda@thepittmangroup.com. 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