How do you balance work and life?
There is no work/life “balance,” which is why no one can answer the question. It’s not that we don’t want to answer the question. It’s that we can’t, no matter how hard we try (here and here). This is especially true for entrepreneurs who rarely have any physical or mental division between their lives on and off the job.
This is a quote from a recent Forbes Women article written by Cali Yost entitled “3 Reasons Entrepreneurs Need to Discuss “Work” and “life,” but stop talking about “Balance.”
Did I just hear a collective *sigh*?
So many women berate themselves for failing to create a balance between work and life, but perhaps the reason we can’t is that it isn’t a possible expectation for working women who also manage a family as well as charitable and community activities.
The article gives this advice:
The way to start a productive conversation on the subject is to ask someone, “How do you manage the way work and the other parts of your life fit together?” The conversation shifts away from limiting, unachievable, one-size-fits-all “balance,” to the possibilities of a person’s unique work+life “fit.” You leave room for the truth that there will be times when work is primary, and the other parts of life take a backseat, and vice versa. And that’s OK. We can learn from our individual “how to” stories.
How do you fit work into the other parts of your life?
Who helps you with the process?
Cali concludes her article with this statement:
Let’s learn from each other by asking, “How does your work as a busy entrepreneur fit into the other parts of your life?” There’s no right answer or “balance,” only countless possibilities for growth and success, personally and professionally.
