Balance Is a Verb, Not a Noun
“All I want is work-life balance.”
How often have you had this thought?
In theory, it makes sense: We strive to spend our lives well. That means directing the right amounts of time, effort, and attention to life’s many domains, from the necessities to taking care of ourselves to what’s most important to us.
Therefore, if we could allocate our limited resources perfectly, we’d achieve the ultimate equilibrium — and with it calm and happiness, right?
I don’t think so. In fact, I believe work-life balance doesn’t exist — and I can prove it to you with a single question:
What does perfect work-life balance look like, in detail, in your very life?
In your ideally balanced life, how many hours will you work exactly? What will you eat? Which exercise routine will you follow? How often? How will you divvy up your time between friends and family? And when will you recharge?
If you can’t answer any of these questions off the top of your head, don’t worry. Nobody can. They’re a trap — but they highlight the first problem with our desire for work-life balance: We never even define success. For most of us, balance is a nebulous state in the future where, somehow, we manage our lives perfectly, and…
