One of my favorite mental exercises is to think back to what life was like for humans 100 years ago, 500 years ago, and 10,000 years ago. This is especially helpful when I am disgruntled that some modern luxury or privilege is missing from my life. Imagining what my life would have been like keeps me humble and grateful.
I find this very helpful when I feel like I am not getting enough game time. I have loved board games since I was a pre-teen playing Monopoly in the 1960s. And I fell in love with video games when my parents bought a Pong knock-off in 1977. I am a lifetime gamer.
For most of human history humanity spent the vast majority of their lives working. From the time that children could manipulate their surroundings until infirmity and death, people worked. We rested, of course, but the point of resting was to enable us to work. We worked so that we could endure as individuals, families, and as a species.
While humanity's relationship with work has evolved dramatically, the question of how to balance it with life remains as relevant as ever.
Given this context, what in the hell does work life balance mean?
I was raised and live in the dominant cultural paradigm of the USA where we work and earn money for 40 hours a week. The rest of our time is spent in other pursuits, family and friends, personal and spiritual development, and just resting, of course. However, this norm is being called into question.
Our society is convulsing through multiple tectonic shifts: technological, generational, and political to name a few. We look at the world around us and wonder why people in many countries work less, have a higher standard of living, and are happier. Our values have changed. While we appreciate the things that money can provide, we recognize that there is so much more to life.
I am a big fan of self-help books. I am always looking for a better, bigger, brighter way. Two of my favorite books in the last couple of years were 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. Written from different perspectives, I learned three important lessons:
Work-life balance requires building strong but flexible boundaries around the important areas of my life.
I am responsible for my own work life balance. It is not up to my employer, my husband, my spiritual guide, my physician, or anyone else to do it for me.
And, most importantly, only I can define what work life balance means for me.
This is not to say that work life balance is easy. I love my work with nonprofit organizations and can readily overdo it. Fortunately, I have friends, family, and colleagues in my life to nudge me when I get too out of balance.
Today, my work life balance means I am writing this while on vacation with friends, hanging out and playing board games. It means I strive to give my all to what is in front of me. And as a wise friend told me many years ago, we balance our life by letting the scales move back and forth. True balance lies in embracing life's ebb and flow, adjusting as priorities shift, and staying present in the moment.
In the nonprofit sector, where passion often drives overcommitment, maintaining balance is especially important. What does work-life balance mean to you, and how do you adjust your priorities to maintain it?