Being a living balanced advocate and practicing balance as a way of life, I often hear others who believe that the work-life balance idea is unrealistic for dream life goals to pan out.
…That is, if we want the life we want, we have to go all in. And giving up on work-life balance is one way to better achieve this.
But, I don’t think “either/or” is the best option.
And from my perspective, the more you lean into deeper desires from your intuition source, the work-life balance idea becomes more important (not less)… and then you don’t want to live without it so you can explore and discover more about yourself and manifest more in your life.
It can become a spiritual pursuit, and not necessarily the desire you start with.
You can aim for self-discovery, balance, and success goals, and be healthier and happier.
If we delay gratification in those two places (healthy and happy), then we’re most likely seeking instant gratification in other ways like outward material things and experiences that have a short-lived impact.
So I break down below how balance can be part of the life you want if that’s what you choose, to not miss out unintentionally…
Balancing Life Priorities
As an adult and individual, you’re busy and usually juggling your time working, managing your relationships, and putting yourself out there. Plus, spending time and prioritizing what you value most today.
Balancing time can be a challenge as we all only have 24 hours in a day.
But prioritizing living out balanced healthy intentions today (and not some future someday) is still a good goal even though it’s not measurable… and I wholeheartedly believe leads you to the best life.
In the process, you dig deeper into your heart’s desires and purposes in this life.
You get further investing in yourself more than in the things of this ever-changing world.
And by prioritizing and investing in yourself, you have more to give to the people around you… and get more out of this life.
It’s where “it’s better to give than to receive” has a deeper meaning.
On the other side…
Without work-life balance, the regular daily grind of draining tasks, stress, and overwhelm is taxing and a burden on health.
Our bodies keep score and one day can snap. And just like that, the juggling balls can all drop.
So then it’s best to prevent an ongoing or recurring stressful life situation that an unbalanced life can bring.
By replacing a giving-up-to-get perspective with mindfully focusing on today’s priorities that build your tomorrow, you can let go of control over things that aren’t the best for you.
Gradually I made this mental shift away from the first perspective that I now think hinders abundance.
…But in my earlier bright-eyed-bushy-tailed days, I had no work-life balance. I worked in hotel catering sales where events I planned happened every day, including weekends.
Hotels are a 24-7 operation like hospitals, but without the saving life aspects.
In my high-energy 20’s, I was drained by the end of the 60-plus hours including commute time.
Plus, my role included sales weekend hours and rotating hotel manager-on-duty responsibilities (to relieve the general manager) where I would stay in the hotel over a weekend.
Dine for free in the restaurant and stay in a luxury hotel. …sounds fun, huh?
…But it’s not when you’re stuck under one roof with 400 occupied rooms in a full-house hotel where anything can go wrong.
And then exhausted, I would go home for a few hours and put on a new customer service smile and clothes for work Monday.
My manager co-workers were the only others that fully understood this life, as it’s not usually uncovered in the news.
And as an insider… the first hotel I worked at was an airport property and many hotel guests were unhappy because they were distressed passengers that couldn’t get on their flights.
You can imagine how a whole new level of customer service has to show up engaging with a bunch of grumpy guests whose flights were canceled.
I’m happy I never had a guest throw a drink in my face or anywhere on me. I think my naturally friendly and happy aura rubbed off on them. 😊
…And then I moved out of that hotel life for a more balanced corporate 9-5 gig where I could actually get vacation time off… and enjoy a hotel room without any responsibilities.
Ah, but stability in any corporate job is dependent on the world and the economy. Through recessions, I moved on sometimes landing back at rung zero with more experience… but no lasting balance learning the ropes in new and different organizations.
Starting over seemed to be a theme for a while. But striving for work-life balance was not something I EVER gave up on after my first taste. And I learned to value work-life balance even more having seen both sides.
My lesson takeaway over the years, is that balance is not always consistent but you can high-value prioritize it if that’s a desire you choose. And it’s a healthy sustainable design in this changing, sometimes chaotic life for us breathing humans.
Experiencing constant change amplified to me that nothing here lasts.
The systems and routines that I desperately wanted to stick, didn’t… like when I left a job or moved.
All those accumulating pivots (…would be great if they were like travel reward points 😊) had left the impression on me that only this moment matters most.
“Today is all we have.”
The timeless cliche is wisdom when you’re navigating uncertain waters that most of life is in some way, shape, or form.
You get to keep going and growing and let go for a better outcome.
Staying open to possibilities is more achievable with a healthy work-life balance lens. It can help to steer you in times of setbacks or disappointments when you start over and aren’t sure of the next steps.
And balance keeps you from holding onto a part of life or a desire that was never meant to last.
You can decide it all ends up working out and those beliefs work out as reality.
With work-life balance, you can spend more (or as much) of your free time being reflective instead of busy. Reflection time is more strategic.
…I’m sure this has happened to you as it does for me often… where I reached out to someone I know and they say, “funny, I was just thinking about you this morning.”
That ain’t no coincidence.
In texting, I usually would smiley face back with my words, BUT through mindful reflection I know that was the Universe orchestrating connection. I could’ve just as easily dismissed the moment.
With every little situation, we get to decide what we see and act on (free will). And in the balanced order that this planet we live on is, the steps we take are the ones that were specifically meant for us. Like a mysterious puzzle piece that just fits. 🧩
We can grow and become aware of our greater and empowered existence which makes us want and strive for more out of this life.
Especially, when we choose to see the amazement of our world in the small and joyful moments. Without work-life balance, we can miss it like a vanishing rainbow. 🌈
And without balance, I know I would have taken longer routes. And worse, I could’ve stayed in the Murphy’s Law realistic or pessimistic way of thinking that used to be popular in my adult formative years… when I was meant to be (and better off) optimistic and hopeful as I am today.
With a work-life balance, I was more proactive in my life and am able to see out from two helpful lenses instead of just one. These two are:
The achievement lens that’s on the level of our choices and decisions we make, our rational brain, and what we want. Most of us look out from this healthy lens.
Aiming and working at high standards makes for better personal progress and innovation than just waiting to see what happens.
And then there’s the spiritual lens. The one that’s trusting the Universe when we let go, that our mind-body can help us better see when we’re calm, and not stressed or busy.
There can be an internal tug-o-war between the spiritual lens when at odds with the achievement lens.
Because the achieving mind can become unhealthy with our born ego in us, where we can lose sight of what’s good, and then reject mind-body health and happiness.
Keeping the mind-body-spirit alignment is part of the smart checks and balances. And being attuned to your intuitive and balanced mind-body can lead you to your best life… and not just listening to and relying on the mind for answers.
These are just some good things I encourage you to think about this week. 💭
