Do you consider your job to be important? I’m assuming you said yes to that question. You most likely wouldn’t be working if it wasn’t. Here’s a more challenging question. Have you made your work a priority over meaningful relationships and self-care? 

I realize jobs are important, and I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t work hard and do your best in whatever job function you have. But your personal well-being and relationships with family and friends deserve your time and attention, too. 

How Are We To Find Work-Life Balance?

Achieving work-life balance is a daily challenge. It can be tough to make time for family, friends, community participation, self-care, and other personal activities around the workplace’s demands.

On the other hand, it can also be challenging to find time for your job if you’re raising kids, caring for sick loved ones, or just love a great social life. 

Add in a worldwide pandemic that has changed the way we do our work; WOW! How are we supposed to find balance?

We should begin by putting our jobs into the proper perspective. 

What Are You Chasing?

Society pushes more stuff—bigger houses, nicer cars, expensive clothing. It tells us we need to be successful, to get to the top at whatever the cost. Our world seems to focus more on possessions and power than on people. Letting go of the desire for wealth and fame will contribute to a healthier work-life balance.

Our stuff won’t keep us happy. It won’t comfort us when we face challenges, and we all face them. Nice cars won’t give counsel when we’re struggling. Big houses can’t hug us to let us know we’re loved. 

Our material possessions are just stuff.  

Of course, nice things are enjoyable. I don’t mean to imply we shouldn’t have material goods. What I’m saying is we need to keep them in their place. 

Suppose you’ve fallen into the trap of working grueling hours and prioritizing work over your family, fun, and health to consume material possessions or fame. In that case, it may be time to consider how and toward who you might redirect your efforts. 

Who is Waiting for You?

Truth be told, few of us will become famous for the work we do. Even if we are the best of the best within our occupations, most likely only those who work in the same company or field will know or hear of us. 

We may even earn rewards and accolades for what we do at our jobs. But at the end of our careers, someone else will step into our positions. Our companies will move on. Our bosses and co-workers will pat us on the back and say their good-byes as we exit with boxes filled with our personal belongings.

The people waiting for us as we arrive home from our last day of work are the ones who will be with us until the very end. They’re the ones who love us unconditionally and have been waiting for the day that we no longer have to spend so many hours away from them. 

Those friends you haven’t been able to meet for dinner are the ones who care about you. They’ve watched you pour hours into your work and distance yourself from having fun. They miss you!

Who is waiting for you?

Is Success Wrong?

No. There’s nothing wrong with being successful. 

However, if we aren’t mindful of our situation, we may find ourselves pouring so much into our careers that we forget to prioritize ourselves and our loved ones. 

Battling high blood pressure, diabetes, or other preventable diseases because we haven’t taken time to walk or eat nutritious meals is not a desirable outcome. When work stress becomes too much to handle, we could end up medicating ourselves with antacids and sleep aids and ultimately disliking our jobs—even the good ones. 

Now, let’s say we are among the few who become famous. That’s a fantastic feat and one we should carry proudly. Nonetheless, we should be sure we’re not leaving carnage along our climb to success. We must stop to consider if our relationships are flourishing and we’re in good health. If those two things are missing, are our lives really what we desire?

Are You Satisfied?

Living life to the fullest looks different to each of us. You’re the only one who knows what makes your life whole. Find some quiet time to evaluate how you’d like your life to look. 

Here are a few questions to ponder during your evaluation time:

• Does your current lifestyle reflect your priorities?
• Are you completely satisfied with your life, or have you allowed work to knock you out of balance?
• If you have fallen victim to “all work all the time” and can’t find time for your family or yourself, what will you do about it?
• Can you find the courage to make whatever changes necessary to accomplish a healthy work-life balance?

Coming Up Next

Join us next week as we jump into Part 4 of this series and discuss lifestyle balance.