3 Life Balance Myths: Don't let these three myths kill your chances of creating a life that works
For many women, achieving a "life balance" is all they think they need to achieve success in their personal lives and professional careers. They'll work all day, go home to the kids, and squeeze in training with friends on the side. But is this lifestyle really sustainable?
No! There's no way you can have your cake and eat it too — you'll consciously or subconsciously sabotage your chances at accomplishing anything of substance if you try following these myths. These three myths cause people to put their happiness before their careers, which has repercussions for both their productivity levels in the office and peace of mind at home.
Myth #1: I'm happier spending more time with my family.
Unfortunately, the guilt of not being at home when your kids get home from school three hours after you leave will eat away at you. You'll come to resent the fact that you aren't able to see them or accomplish everything on your To Do list every day. Your workload will only get larger and larger as your responsibilities increase within the company, and your stress levels will hit an all-time high. You don't have to be a martyr to prove that you are a dedicated employee; it's okay to separate work and home life. Just because you've left work doesn't mean the work has stopped for the day.
Myth #2: I'll take a step back from my career for the good of my family.
Your spouse and kids will come first, but you'll rarely find any time to focus on your own goals. You'll feel like you're constantly putting out fires at home — real or imagined — and working at a job that's completely unrelated to your personal passion because you need the money. You may think that it's okay for things to fall by the wayside as long as everything's running smoothly, but what happens when things don't go according to plan? Your family needs someone who is emotionally present, not busy thinking about work.
Myth #3: I don't have time to do anything else.
This is one of the biggest myths around. Women will say they don't have time for their hobbies or exercise, but in reality they're just not willing to make the time. They're in denial and refuse to acknowledge that there's something better than spending hours a day on a treadmill, stroller, or baby-gym. But how does this negatively impact both your productivity and your ability to achieve a life balance? Let's look at some numbers...
60% of people who work say they feel stress and pressure at work.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/19/business/19stress.html)
On average, women will burn through at least three days' worth of vacation time per year trying to fit it all in. It's not only a loss of money, but time that could be spent doing something for yourself or for your family that you'll have after the kids have gone to bed.
The stress of juggling family life, work, and hobbies is more than enough to get anyone down. If you're trying to achieve a life balance, then you need to clear your schedule of everything that doesn't serve you. Take the time out for yourself so that you can fall in love with the person who you really are and be proud of who you are as a whole.
Creating the right environment for your kids will help them develop into well-socialized adults who can make their own decisions without taking their parents' advice. But it will also help them to learn how to manage their emotions and develop the resilience needed to see past all of the ups-and-downs in life. You can't do that if you're busy trying do everything for everyone: work, spouse, and children.
That's how you kill your chances at creating a life that works. Stay focused on the person you want to be, not the person others want you to be.
1: http://www.thebalance.com/work-life-balance-470768
2: http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2010/05/25/5-ways-to-create-a-balanced-lifestyle/3: http://mamapedia.meredithgroup.com/goals_work_life_balance_happiness4: http://www.thebalance.com/work-life-balance17068
5: http://www2.employees.com/career-advice/work-life-balance-hiatus6: http://www.quintessentialcareer.com/2010/04/17/5-ways-to-have-a-balanced-life7: http://www.careercosmeticsmag.com/worklifebalance8: http://www.financialplanningprofessorblog.com/2011/12/the_best_way_to_have_and_share_a9: http://www3.eurekalert.org/journalsleep1hits2fcsfrk109611df02p
11: http://www3.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/uow-wfa041913.php
12: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/30/139252749/the-cost-of-working-dads13: http://www.theworkfashionjournal.com
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Conclusion
Life isn't all about work. Trying to make it work is just a waste of time. Working hard is never a bad thing, but there's nothing wrong with turning off your phone and taking some time to be away from the office for an hour or two every week in order to keep you sharp and in touch with what you want out of life. Work isn't the only thing that will get you where you want to go, so why do we feel like it has to take up so much of our time? Leave your phone off during lunch, take some time off from work, or get out together with friends on the weekend; make sure that your life is a priority as well.
Tags:
Self improvement