Twisted truths: work/life balance
This is the first in a series of articles about how companies assimilate and twist meaningful, helpful philosophies to their own uses, warping them into something completely counter to their original meaning. Next up: mindfulness.
During an exit interview at a company that had drained almost every bit of life out of me, I (uncharacteristically) chose honesty over diplomacy. I told the HR rep that the workload they expected of their employees was entirely unsustainable. Adrenaline has muffled my memories of that whole day, but I believe I said something along the lines on “expecting your people to enact miracles on a regular basis is not a good business model.”
Over the course of that conversation, the HR rep told me some of her personal philosophy. She told me that she didn’t believe “work/life balance” was a “thing” (complete with air quotes). To paraphrase her argument: if people do what they love, they will be sustained by it, and they won’t mind how much time they put in. The goal, therefore, is to find work you love, and you won’t mind if it takes over your life.
I walked away from that meeting completely baffled. How could something that sounded so true also be so very wrong?
So, fast forward to this morning, when I read Tobias van Schneider’s piece, “Work/Life Balance is Bullshit,” and you can imagine the alarm bells that went off in my head. But I’ve had time to ponder this, and I think I see the matter a bit more clearly these days.
I completely agree with Tobias van Schneider’s argument that work is part of life, not separate from it. If you are lucky enough and privileged enough to be able to choose a profession that you love, then I celebrate that. My life is aligned with that philosophy, and insomuch as I am learning to be a mentor and a coach to people struggling to find their creative purpose in life, then he and I are in perfect agreement.
But that is not how most people live their lives, nor is it attainable to everyone. And so, work/life balance is a beautiful concept to strive for. Even doing work that I love, I can still get burned out. I still need other interests, other hobbies, other connections. I am more than the work I do, even if it is tremendously fulfilling.
I have seen companies use this very line of reasoning, however, to justify pushing people to their limits. Not fulfilled with what you’re doing? Well, that’s on you: take on more tasks, stretch your abilities, find another initiative that you are passionate about. Pour more of yourself into the work until you find the happiness you seek. And *that* is the real bullshit.
No, work is not inherently evil. No, we shouldn’t arbitrarily hate Mondays. If you are living your life like that, then a perspective-shift is definitely in order. But I celebrate work/life balance — and I hope everyone is able to find it in their own way.
