1work
Definitions from Merriam Webster Online Dictionary
We've been having a lot of discussion lately about "work/life balance"...what does that mean? How does one achieve it? After pondering for many an hour on this, and talking with a lot of people, it always comes back to one thing: You. Or, me, in my instance. Work/Life Balance is unique and sometimes, all too often, feels unattainable. We spend most of our wakeful hours at our "Work"...trying to fit in our "Life" around the edges. What we fail to recognize is that Work is truly part of our Life...so, what we make of it really depends on each of us individually.
I've always followed this philosophy: people seem to follow one of two paths, they either find a job where they LOVE what they do, or, they find a job to be able to afford to do what they LOVE. I've been pretty fortunate that I have found jobs that brought me both...I've always enjoyed the job I've had and seen the opportunities to grow, change, etc. (see: Life), and it worked out that I was also able to have time to do a lot of the things I truly enjoy outside of Work. Many times, these things would overlap, and I was okay with that.
Once I had children, my focus, my Life, changed to include more than just me and where I was going to catch a pizza with friends on a Friday night. Children afford us the great opportunity to see beyond ourselves and we have the fantastic perspective of seeing Life not only through our own aging eyes, but from the fresh perspective of our children's... absolutely incredible!
Often times, this opening of the perspective platform brings about a new challenge. Work becomes Work...more-so than part of our Life. We separate it...hashing out the minutes we spend away from the things we would rather be doing...or torn because we enjoy our Work but need the Life to be "equal"...and there just aren't enough hours in the day.
So what of this Work/Life Balance everyone talks about? We recently had the opportunity to talk with someone who was 'known' to have this Work/Life Balance down. We wanted answers, my co-workers and I, HOW do you do it? What I realized while talking with this professional was that her idea of Balance was not mine. And that's okay...for her. My Work/Life Balance needs to be defined for Me, is what I learned. I have to define what my Life is going to look like, what my Balance is...and so do You. For You.
The picture you paint is the beginning. The way you achieve that is through your own choices, thoughts, and actions. You are the only one who can make your Life what you want it to be. You are the only one who can say yes or no to the opportunities and challenges before you. Work/Life Balance is yours to choose.
Right? Question mark...
noun \ˈwərk\
: a job or activity that you do regularly especially in order to earn money
: the place where you do your job
: the things that you do especially as part of your job
1life
noun \ˈlīf\
: the ability to grow, change, etc., that separates plants and animals from things like water or rocks
: the period of time when a person is alive
: the experience of being alive
We've been having a lot of discussion lately about "work/life balance"...what does that mean? How does one achieve it? After pondering for many an hour on this, and talking with a lot of people, it always comes back to one thing: You. Or, me, in my instance. Work/Life Balance is unique and sometimes, all too often, feels unattainable. We spend most of our wakeful hours at our "Work"...trying to fit in our "Life" around the edges. What we fail to recognize is that Work is truly part of our Life...so, what we make of it really depends on each of us individually.
I've always followed this philosophy: people seem to follow one of two paths, they either find a job where they LOVE what they do, or, they find a job to be able to afford to do what they LOVE. I've been pretty fortunate that I have found jobs that brought me both...I've always enjoyed the job I've had and seen the opportunities to grow, change, etc. (see: Life), and it worked out that I was also able to have time to do a lot of the things I truly enjoy outside of Work. Many times, these things would overlap, and I was okay with that.
Once I had children, my focus, my Life, changed to include more than just me and where I was going to catch a pizza with friends on a Friday night. Children afford us the great opportunity to see beyond ourselves and we have the fantastic perspective of seeing Life not only through our own aging eyes, but from the fresh perspective of our children's... absolutely incredible!
Often times, this opening of the perspective platform brings about a new challenge. Work becomes Work...more-so than part of our Life. We separate it...hashing out the minutes we spend away from the things we would rather be doing...or torn because we enjoy our Work but need the Life to be "equal"...and there just aren't enough hours in the day.
So what of this Work/Life Balance everyone talks about? We recently had the opportunity to talk with someone who was 'known' to have this Work/Life Balance down. We wanted answers, my co-workers and I, HOW do you do it? What I realized while talking with this professional was that her idea of Balance was not mine. And that's okay...for her. My Work/Life Balance needs to be defined for Me, is what I learned. I have to define what my Life is going to look like, what my Balance is...and so do You. For You.
The picture you paint is the beginning. The way you achieve that is through your own choices, thoughts, and actions. You are the only one who can make your Life what you want it to be. You are the only one who can say yes or no to the opportunities and challenges before you. Work/Life Balance is yours to choose.
Right? Question mark...
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