The True Meaning Of The Work-Life Balance – Are You Up To It?

I know you know what a work-life balance is (it’s not me who made up this phrase just now).

We all hear it (almost) everywhere around us.

And it’s considered THE thing to achieve and strive for in life.

But have you ever questioned yourself what a work-life balance actually means?

Right now I’m proposing a different view on it (and a different term! 😉 ).

Are you with me to find that out?

(I’ll assume you’ve said “yes” 😉 )

I took the “work-life balance” for granted until I gave it a deeper thought.

When I contemplated it better, I came to the conclusion that I don’t like the phrase at all.

(but, of course, I am still using it because it’s a widely accepted one)

The thing is this.

When I think about the work-life balance, I get a mental picture of a person standing in the center of a balance scale, being torn between the two opposite sides.

You guessed it – work and life are those sides.

(maybe that was the image and the feeling they were going for anyway, I don’t know?… and by “they” I mean the creators of this urban legend called work-life balance)

Translated into real life this is pictured as next:

When you’re at work you don’t have a life (it’s somehow being magically paused, I guess?!).

On the other hand, when the bell rings, the moment you close the office door (or whatever action depicts the end of your working hours), you turn into a “free” person which then lives his/her life.

Does it look like the work=the evil villain and life=jolly-jolly-fun to you?

And what about women who “don’t have a job”?

Is their life a magical fairyland?

Sure not!

In reality, those women have a ton of work, but because it is house- (and/or kids-) related it appears unexisting.

(you know the question “…and what have you been doing?” when the husband gets home)

What to say from such a perspective?

So it looks like SAHMs don’t have a life at all, since home equals workspace, and they’re at home almost all the time?

(I don’t even want to comment on that)

Overall, does this work-life balance thing resembles Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde to you?

(Anyone?… Or just me?!…)

Well, if that’s what this is about, count me out! 😀

Why do we force and insist on the polarity between work and life?

Everything we do, think, and feel is a part of our lives – and work comes as a part of it.

The work you do should be something that enriches you, which enables your growth, something that has a meaning (other than filling your pockets alone).

Now, life might not be great in every aspect of it, but that’s exactly the thing we should strive for.

Never forget, you create your life path.

If there’s something that’s not working for you, remember the quote:

At every given moment, you have the power to say: This is not how the story is going to end.

All you have to do is to make up your mind, set your goal, and continue to take action until you succeed in it.

So the thing is not about the work-life balance at all, it’s about living a complete life.

A life where you love the work you do and have enough time for all the other things you deeply care about.

(see some great ideas of what can you do by yourself, with your loved one, or family and friends at those moments of no-work time)

I assume that was the underlying concept of a work-life balance in the beginning.

But it doesn’t speak to me that way…

Therefore, I’m suggesting a new term for this concept – work-life fulfillment.

There!

(and since it’s placed publicly, maybe it’ll spread out over time…?)

I hope I’ve inspired you to create a work-life fulfillment for yourself.

Follow me on Pinterest for more personal development tips and ideas, and stay true to yourself! 😉