The Myth of Work/Life Balance - Thrive - a human development company

The Myth of Work/Life Balance

It really is a myth. I’m sure you’ve all seen the life balance wheels. It’s like a pie with different slices representing an aspect of life such as career, relationships, etc. The premise is to balance the pieces as closely as possible. I’ve seen everyone from Tony Robbins to Dale Carnegie using them. We at THRIVE use them too as they’re quite useful for illustrating various points.

However, if someone tells you you can have all the pieces of the pie in balance, run like the wind. The fact of the matter is we’re always robbing from Peter to pay Paul. If I have an important deadline, all my time goes into that deadline. So I pull from one aspect of my life to fulfill an obligation in another. If I have a networking dinner with clients, I’m missing dinner with my family. If I volunteer at my church, I’m taking time away from other things. Or, if I’m taking care of an aging parent, everything but the essentials are put on hold.

So, what’s the big push behind work/life balance and why have we bought into it as though it were the latest pet rock? Well, it’s a catchy phrase if nothing else. It’s also a phrase that has sent the vast majority of us on a hamster wheel trying to achieve this unobtainable state and beating ourselves up for not being there.

It all boils down to getting sh_t done! ‘Cause the fact of the matter is… sometimes we need to get sh_t done, whether we want to or not. So we’ve sent ourselves out on this aimless quest to find more enjoyment because our entire being is crying out for something more than the spark in the hayfield to-do list.

And exactly what is it that we’re searching for on this quest…

FUN! . . . FUN! . . . FUN!

And more of it. We’re starving for it. We want excitement, zest, and joy. And the closest we’ve been able to come to it is this “work/life” balance thing. So, why don’t we just tell our bosses, “Dude, I’ve been working my butt off and frankly I need more fun! So, screw this work/life balance thing, I’m having fun!”

Well, we all know that will get us a very large cup of jack-squat.

So now what?

Well, the long and short of it is to infuse more fun into your life. Infuse it whenever you can and into whatever you’re doing. The more rewarding you can make every experience, the more balance you’ll naturally feel in life.

But remember if all else fails, at least try to change your perspectives.