The term work/life balance seems to have been taken into our commonly used language. It pops up everywhere there is a discussion about stress, personal development, post covid back to work, and many others.
To me it is a deeply flawed metaphor.
The term ‘Balance’ immediately brings to mind the mental picture of the old-style balance, as in the header.
Our lives are not binary, there is way, way more than just work and life involved. How does family, ambition, community, workplace equality, financial comfort, and a host of other factors we all face come into view and play a role?
Depending on the context in which we think about these things, the weight we put on all these factors will change. Therefore it is more like a complex jigsaw puzzle where the size, shape, relative weight, and manner in which the pieces fit together is a far better description.
I have a friend going through the process of selling his small, successful business to retire and find greater work/life balance. From the time he told me he was going to sell a year ago, to our most recent conversation a few days ago, the shape and relative weight of the pieces in his ‘jigsaw’ have continued to evolve with his changing state of mind.
Selling a business you have worked your arse off to build can be a deeply emotional decision, subject to uncertainty about the way hindsight might score the decision.
As he has progressed through the various stages necessary to ensure he maximises the sale value to him, while keeping faith with his client base, I have observed a wide range of emotions. These have been completely at odds with the initial reason he gave me of finding more work/life balance in semi-retirement, whatever that might look like.
So, do not believe in binary absolutes, ever. They are just put there to appear to simplify complexity, but which inevitably lead to uncertainty and miscalculation.
completely agree that it is a myth