Work-Life Balance. Lol.
Work-life balance. It just made me laugh when I wrote it down. I never actually know how to write 'lol' properly. It looks better when it's all in lower case but punctuation makes we want to add that capital. I could go with the artistic license but then again it would still 'grate' me.
It's actually ironic, as I'm sat here typing and my tea is just to my left, untouched. Still, I need to get something down before it leaves me. The thoughts, not my tea.
Is it elusive ? Trying to find that balance. I'm not sure. Many years ago my life was turned upside down and inside out. A result, I (and my family) have a much better work-life balance. In fact, I would not be here were it not for that change round, forced thought it may have been.
For many, trying to strike that balance is hard. There's always a trade-off. After all, there are only a set amount of hours in a day (still pushing for the extra hour every day)
If you want to do more of one thing, then something else has to suffer. Make a list of the things you'd like to do in the course of a week and don't forget 'family' and 'spouse/partner' time. Then add work and sleep. Now try to formulate a schedule that allows you to do all of those things. Then prioritise the ones that you'd really like to do. Something is going to have to give.
The reason this has been on my mind today is because I've spent a good portion of it 'working'. Turning an 1100 word post, that has been sat for two months (possibly more), into an 1800 word article that was ready to be published.
Anything else played 'second fiddle' today. Luckily, most of the family were out for most of the day. That meant I didn't have to battle with guilt. That's not something I relish. It can be insidious and once it's made you aware that it's there, it takes an immense amount of self-discipline to over power it.
The other reason it was on my mind was because of after reading an article last night. It was by Netta, who some of you will know. For the life of me, I cannot remember her username, sorry Netta. Her profile picture is of a blackcurrant with sunglasses, least I think it's a blackcurrant. Anyway, if anyone would care to furnish her username, I would be grateful.
Needless to say, the post touched upon the 'work-life balance'. Excellent read and duly left a comment, even though I had to do it through her website, rather than 'Site Comments'. I think I closed down the tab and when I opened another one, the comments had moved on. We should leave more comments directly. 'Organic' is good.
Boy oh boy, am I struggling to get to the point, or what. In the article there was a TedTalk video. I do love a good TedTalk video. It called The Fallacy of the Work/Life Balance by Michael Walters.
It was about not trying to 'balance' but rather to look upon everything as being part of the 'whole'. It resonated and made sense, to me at least. Just wanted to share that. It may help alleviate some of the stress that many of us have, when it comes to juggling work and life.
That's me done then. Look at that, another shorty.
Enjoy whatever is left of your Sunday.
Twack Romero.
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I too love Ted talks...🤗
I have to admit my work life and leisure life is not exactly what I would call symbiotic..... trying hard, currently work is the winning Wolf....
Good post TwAck I hope your week bring balance and is guilt free... 👍🙏
Thank you Cordelia.
Whether we can find balance or not, matters not, along as we cut oursleves some slack. We can't prepare for the unexpected, just deal with it as best we can when it inevitably knocks on our door.
Here's hoping that your week allows you to make some ground up .
Have a most excellent one.
Love Ted Talk.
As for balance, I have given up to try to achieve a defendable (?) balance. Instead, I do what I feel like doing (except emergencies). For example on this rainy/snowy Sunday I am watching movies. Yes, I feel a little bit guilty, because I wanted to write a long article about retiring in Arizona with pictures, as requested per Kyle's training for now; but I got over the guilt. I work on those things when I feel a wave of creativity coming. Then I shut myself away and don't let anything or anyone interrupt me. Unfortunately, these waves are rare lately, but I trust they will roar again when the time is ripe.
I try to set aside half an hours, at the end of every day, to kick back and watch something. Though I don't mind if that 'something' is work related.
It is normally the unexpected that we can't cater for.
Thank you Petra.
Right there with ya! Balance is an illusion in my world. I start the day with a plan and then reality raises it's ugly head... The little guy has the flu. The puppies got out and made huge messes that require immediate cleaning up. "Mom, what's for dinner?' 'Honey, did you ...?' You know the day! well, maybe not the mom part! My days usually operate on plan ... anything but A! Here's to our daily balancing acts! Christine
Well, I certainly did come downstairs to a 'mess' courtesy of one of the canines. I find the 'life interrupts' have to be dealt with 'now'. So no matter how much careful planning we do, nothing can prepare for having to do an unsheduled 'whatever'.
I prefer a 'juggling' act, to a 'balancing' one.
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LOL... yeah Twack. Work life balance... how do you measure that?
Technology is suppose to make our lives easier and we should be working one hour and live 23 in a day. However, because we have electricity and connectivity and mobile computing devices, we end up on stand by 24 hours a day. By being accessible to work anywhere and anytime, this seem to be the expectation from employers these days...
This is very true Stanley. I wonder if the whole thing of working from home has now been reversed. Where as the benefit was always with the employee, now it would seem to lie with the employer.
Best to be our own boss then.
Appreciate you popping in Stanley, thank you.