As we embark on this quest for Dad Balance, one of the first things to discuss is what exactly work-life balance means to you.
The definition of work-life balance is going to be different from person to person. Looking at your own situation, don’t be surprised if you find that your own definition of work-life balance is different from month to month, or maybe even day to day, depending on the influences in your life.
Something Work-Life Balance is NOT
One thing to keep in mind is that the idea of work-life balance is not a perfect science. There really isn’t a perfect solution that you can apply to your life one time and expect everything to stay balanced and happy every day.
As much as we would all like to have a “one-size-fits-all” remedy for balancing the needs of our career and our family, that just isn’t feasible. Obtaining work-life balance requires you to have a diverse set of information, tools and resources that you can leverage according to your needs at the time.
The “magic pill” for achieving work-life balance is being able to recognize when your life is out of balance and being able to make adjustments as necessary.
When you find that you’re spending too much time on work, you will know that you need to devote a little more time to your family. The opposite will also be true as it is possible to focus too much on your family to the point where your career may suffer. You will not have balance between work and life every day but you will know when one area needs more attention.
To reference one of my favorite cartoons as a child, knowing is half the battle!
What Does Work-Life Balance Mean To You?
Because I want this site to be a resource for you to find information and resources that will help you achieve work-life balance, I’d like you to ask for your assistance.
Take a moment and consider the following:
- What does work-life balance mean to you?
- What questions do you have about work-life balance?
- What have you done to achieve your own work-life balance?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below. I’m very interested to gain an insight into your experience with regard to work-life balance and what questions you may be looking to have answered.
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Being 18 my work life balance is probably a little different. I do find the time to enjoy my ‘off-line life’, but the main problem is that I find my self talking to my ‘real’ friends about blogging when they haven’t the slightest clue about it! lol!
I find that being self-employed, finding a work-life balance is particularly challenging because the lines are so blurred. My home office is right in the middle of my house, so the whole thing about “life” is completely intermingled with “work”.
To me, finding work-life balance (I prefer to call it life-work balance myself, because life should always come first) means being able to leave work behind when you need to. And that’s the greatest challenge. Leave work at work (and within reasonable hours). Don’t take it home with you.
@Matt :: It is funny how sometimes our online lives and offline lives do not really mix. Thanks for sharing.
@Michael :: You’re right, it is often much harder to separate when your office is only a few steps from the rest of your life. Great feedback.