The Struggle With Compromise!

Is there such a thing as Work-Life Balance? Some people may see this phrase as an oxymoron. Some do not believe in it, and others think that it's simply unobtainable.

When someone thinks of the word balance one may think of equal proportions, 50-50, or situations where each party get their fair share. Time is hardly ever kind to a working individual let alone those who are married and/or those with kids. Time is more precious to these individuals. The wants of a successful career do not normally match up with family responsibilities. Most of the people I have come in contact with who want a successful career, take time-consuming training's and classes to make that happen. Rarely, have I heard of anyone being successful and only working from 9 to 5. If you apply the “get to work early and stay late” type of work ethic that unfortunately means less time with others and not much of a social life. And if you are fortunate enough to work at home, those around you probably do not have your undivided attention. Your body is present but the phones are ringing, emails constantly need to be checked and responded to, and deadlines still take precedence.

Work and home life do not need to balance, rather they need to compromise. Each party needs to know when you are available at a specific time and off-limits to the other (with few exceptions of course). At times both cannot win, one will take priority and one will take a back seat. Know exactly what you are asking for when you take on a new job, project, or relationship. The grandeur's of love, wealth and happiness easily show their prizes, but seldom show their consequences (upfront at least). Buy a calendar, write things down, and stick to it! If a task is slotted for an hour when the hour is up, put it down, and move on. Don’t over schedule yourself and include buffer times in case of the unknown.

Discuss your thoughts in detail with the ones you love and find out how they feel about additional priorities being added to your plate. Everyone might not like the idea of less time with a loved one, but we all like having the option of agreeing to that decision upfront. If you have a smart phone, use it as a true advantage. Make it your personal assistant like it was manufactured to be. Keep your promises at all times. Make sure that when the family and friends win they win BIG! They get undivided attention. That means mind, body and cell phone (or for others like myself that means turn of the iPhone, iPad, and laptop!). In all things you get exactly what you ask for.