The Myth of Work-Life Balance
Does true work-life balance exist on the quest for success?
A room full of 40+ successful women and their stance on ‘balance’
I recently attended a dinner targeting women in top leadership roles within the industry - the women who have ‘made it.’ The attendees ranged from Partners, Vice Presidents and C-suite high performing individuals. The major topic of discussion was how work-life balance plays a role in success. According to a room full of 40+ successful female leaders, there is no such thing as balance. To achieve high levels of success in the workplace, you need to work evenings, weekends, travel more, and say “yes” to all the opportunities that come your way. The reality is that when your career is the focus, other parts of life will have to be placed on the back burner – and that’s okay. You can have it all, but not all at the same time.
I have always had strong feelings on the topic of work-life balance and am constantly striving towards having a strong personal life outside of the workplace. However, the struggle is real with the guilt that comes with sacrificing either personal relationships for work, or vice versa. I haven’t stopped to consider that maybe the reality is that a true balance will ever exist. My ultimate quest for balance and to ‘have it all’ by doing everything at once may be causing me more stress than if I let only certain parts of my life take the spotlight.
It doesn’t mean I will stop making my personal or work life a priority. However, this new way to approach ‘balance’ may mean that I alternate my work versus home life goals through prioritization. Each day and week will look different based on the events that are happening during that time. This means learning to say “no” to certain invitations by being aware of priorities and finally coming to terms with my FOMO. I still struggle with self-care and carving out time to truly do what my body needs to rest and recharge. By letting go of the pressure to do all my personal and work goals at once, I can find more space in my calendar to allow for more freedom to focus on what needs to be done.
The hardest part of this new balance regime is my RED resistance to accepting that I may not be able to achieve my ultimate dream of true work-life balance. I preach this to anyone who knows me, and although I may be exhausted trying to reach this goal, I have never stopped trying. Failing to accomplish my goals doesn’t naturally sit well with me and this shift to a new definition of success will take some time.
My boss once told me that my weakness is taking on more than I can handle. I know, it sounds like the cliché idyllic ‘weakness.’ However, as a masterful organizer, I constantly assume I can schedule my way through anything. If I work long hours at the office, then I schedule back to back social interactions that go late into the evening without any time to decompress from the day. If I travel for work during the week or weekends, I condense a week’s worth of socializing into a few days. Writing this out now makes me realize my quest for ultimate balance has led me to a life that is the exact opposite. Maybe a true work-life balance doesn’t exist but changing my view on what balance means could be the key to what I was looking for all along.
