Work-Life Balance

Have you ever walked in the dark with a flashlight or headlamp on? Where do you tend to navigate towards? Most people will walk where the light is illuminating the way, focusing on one step at a time because we can’t see the end of the path. Have you heard of the self-fulfilling prophecy? This concept in its basic form states that we become what we focus on, positive or negative.  Looking at work life balance in a different light can move us from thinking balance is a myth to knowing it can occur.  Give yourself permission to look at this in a new and different light!

The magic begins when we start to shift our perspective from that of balance to satisfaction. Balance as a noun can mean breaking elements of our life into equal or correct parts. If I ask you whether you wish to live a life in balance or a life you were deeply satisfied with, which would you choose? This is a leading question because yes, life can be compartmentalized into equal and balanced parts, but I would challenge you to look at what really creates value, happiness and joy in your life. Think about work life satisfaction as a way of life where you feel rewarded, deeply fulfilled and energized.  This type of robust and intense satisfaction can happen once you have focused your headlamp in this direction and defined what that looks and feels like to you. By defining what creates deep satisfaction in your life, you can start to notice those activities, people, and tasks that renew your energy and those that deplete it.

A few steps to illuminate the way:

1.       Shift your perspective with the words you use to that of work life satisfaction.

2.       Identify what brings you joy, sparks the fire of motivation for you, and makes you feel valued.

3.       Define what a deeply satisfying life looks and feels like to you.

4.       Seek help if you need someone to provide ideas or different ways to see things.

5.       When faced with something that leads you to feel a bit out of whack, ask yourself the question – where can I find the magic in this situation?

6.       Identify activities, people or tasks throughout the day that brought you joy, energy or satisfaction at the soul level.

By shifting thought patterns to seeking satisfaction versus balance, this new focus will help you breathe easier, find more passion in your day to day, and feel deeply satisfied with your life!  Turn on those headlamps and let them shine!