It may be easier to discover the holy grail than to get that work-life balance we all seek. Especially if you’ve recently ended a marriage and returned to work. You’re not alone. It seems as if everyone talks about schedules, demands, and too much responsibility. Which is why the elusive work-life balance discussion continues. I for one am immersed in it. The relationships I build with clients are 24/7, not 9-5. These days I’m helping out a sister and her small business. I’m a project manager for another small business, I am working on my own business, and trying to have a life! I stay immersed in these questions all day long.
Create a better day by adjusting your expectations not the balance in your life.
Work-life has become non-stop these days. Everyone is plugged in expected to jump as the first ping sounds. But when work feels more like the thing we love to do, it stops feeling like a burden. You see, there’s no stopping the flow. If you want success, you must step into the pace at which work occurs these days.
If you’ve been out of the workforce raising a family, you’ll definitely feel the effects of the change. It’ll take time to build your stamina and handle the responsibility. No one enjoys being told what to do or when to show up.
I see this over and over again with my coaching clients. It’s tough to overcome the innate resistance we have to authority of any sort. One of the things I suggest is giving yourself time to adjust. Life in the fast lane, when you have to earn an income or grow a business, is intense. You’re not alone in thinking ‘what’s this all about?’
Work-life balance is fast, furious, competitive, and demanding.
But what’s the alternative? You can’t return to a broken marriage or bring your kids back to the crib. If you’ve got bills to pay and debts to clear up, you have to commit to a focused effort for a period of time.
Part of creating a better day is adjusting your expectations.
No one likes to feel they’re swimming upstream. So when we complain or vent to others, we continue to create more stress. We’re told the secret is finding work you love (easy to say), finding a place you love to live in (again, easy to say). Or finding people you want to be with day in and day out. (Tough to do if you’re healing from any sort of trauma.)
Which is why I look for moments to breathe, enjoy my surroundings or witness nature. I stop and admire the trees nearby, listen for birds, watch children play. I no longer expect to have weekends off or even be able to take a long vacation. Not now. Instead, I seek to create a better day moment by moment. That work-life balance has to be enough at the moment and it is.
Laura Bonarrigo is a Certified Life Coach and Certified Divorce Coach. Laura’s a writer, public speaker, and advisor to those ready to move their lives forward. For empowering and practical ways to begin anew whether personally or professionally, set up a call here.
