I Do Not Believe in Work-Life Balance; Here's Why.
Gideon Tomoloju
TED Speaker | I ideate and implement tailored brand strategies that help busy founders optimize their business growth.
I Do Not Believe in Work-Life Balance; Here’s Why.
This might be controversial.
Last year, one theme that came up repeatedly in my chats with friends, colleagues, and team stand-ups was “how to balance work and life,” in some cases, school joined the crew.
Let’s start from the top.
What is work-life balance??
If everything in life were measured on a scale of 1 to 100, the work-life-school balance would mean that “100” is equally divided into all aspects of our lives.
In a nutshell, a balance would imply “perfection.” That already undermines the concept because no human being can be perfect. So, why chase “perfection” and believe that your fulfilment lies on the other side of figuring out how to reach this fantasy?
Here’s another angle.
Achieving a work-life balance could also mean putting 50% of your energy into different aspects of your life at a time, and that’s average.
Who has ever become great with AVERAGE?
This is one of the key reasons I never became obsessed with having a well-rounded existence. As someone who seeks mastery and aspires to be supernaturally amazing at what I do, I’ve embraced that something must give for another to grow.
Am I saying you overextend yourself to hit KPIs, chase that promotion, or get that A to the point you’re on the brink of death? NO. But the truth is, you reap what you sow.
“Gideon, if you don’t believe in this, what do you believe in?”
Glad you asked.
The gospel I believe in is the principle of “Work-Life Harmony.”
Imagine if Mother Nature wanted to have a balanced season. Winter, Summer, Autumn, & Spring would happen simultaneously. That’d be chaotic or seem like another end-of-the-world movie.
Exactly.
Think of your life in terms of seasons. Sometimes you have to be chill and warm like spring or be cold and rain and snow like winter. This is where planning comes into play.
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For example, if you want to make more sales calls, you can’t rely on sending just one email per day, especially if you’re starting. At first, quantity is important, and you’d need to focus on sending at least ten emails every week (and that’s establishing realistic expectations).
In that timeframe, you’d have to research and filter your prospects. Quantity doesn’t mean giving up on quality, which means you can’t get the recommended 8 hours of sleep daily.
I’m not saying survive on 2 hours of sleep, but a good 4-5 hours should be the sacrifice you’re willing to pay to make your next six figures. That timeframe is me being nice. :)
Another example is if you’re attempting to achieve an A and didn’t start reading early. This is not the time to work on your sleep routine, go to the gym, or cook daily. You’d need to burn the midnight candle.
This doesn’t cover work only. Work-life harmony also means knowing when to rest and prioritising it. You can’t pour from an empty well.
“Gideon, how do I get started?”
First, accept that work is part of life. Our professions don’t live in some odd liminal realm stuck in the ether. Whether we like it or not, how we spend our time daily is our lives.
Next, get out your journal and write down to answer to these three questions;
Don’t be scared to sit down with yourself and dig deep.
It’s not about doing it right; it’s about living well.
I’m Gideon, founder of Pixxis Agency , and I am open to connecting. Subscribe to this newsletter as I share more intricate details of my weekly journey of building my agency. See you next week!
You can also write to me here: [email protected]
What’s your perspective? Do you agree with me or believe a balance is possible? How do you achieve it in your life?
Tell me in the comments. You’d be helping someone.
Leadership || Mental Health Advocate || Exploring the world of Creativity.
10 个月I have never believed in work-life- school balance. In as much that I can be a control freak at times but I tend to know when to give my all in a particular thing at a particular time. As a course representative in school, I'm always busy with organizing alot of things with lecturers and students while in school and I barely have time for myself or my work but then I made a rule that has been working for me. Once I'm in school, I focus on school activities no matter how long it eats up my time, I make sure I get most of the things I need to do done for that day. Once I'm at home, I no longer receive calls relating to school activities. I may not be doing anything with my time for the moment but I keep my distance. Most of the times, I give in 70% to school and 30% to myself. It doesn't matter if I give equal time to the both of them but as long as I am at peace with what I'm doing at the moment, I believe I'm safe. I think everything resonates around your top priority at the moment. Thank you for sharing this. It's insightful.
Product Designer || Bridging User Needs with Business Goals || UX Strategy & Human-Centered Design
10 个月I like the point that says "Recognize the season you are in and give it all it takes".. Work is a part of our lives and it really just needs to harmonize not necessarily create a 50-50% balance..Nice Write up!
Article Writer. I help course creators, coaches and blog owners craft SEO-curated custom articles, and content strategies that drive traffic and generate leads and sales for their businesses.?
10 个月Thanks for putting up this great article. As someone who used to think it's possible to maintain a work-life balance, this perspective on work-life harmony is a mental shift. So while seeking excellence in a field, understanding that one must go for the other is essential, and so is discernment (an understanding of times and seasons). I checked a couple of your other newsletters and I think I've fallen in love with your style of writing and you earned a subscriber too.