The Perfect Burger; My Recipe for Work-Life Balance

‘Everything is figureoutable’, I heard these words a few days ago and they stuck with me. I like to believe that the feeling of anxiety we feel when it comes to balancing all the many things, we need to do is due to not believe there can be a perfect blend, no matter how difficult and overwhelming we think they are. One thing I have learned over the past few weeks is that life never slows down for anybody and the faster you are able to figure things out, the more optimized life you live.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have begun to feel some anxiety as I have taken more responsibility with work and added the GMBA program at Imperial College Business School. I am reminded of what truly holds all the pieces together, and for me, that is family (This includes friends, work colleagues, and now-found schoolmates). And as you guessed right having some family time is divinely important.

My perfect burger is composed of my work at Alles Charis as the lower bun, steadily holding everything together. It gives me a sense of purpose as we seek to integrate the LPG business in Nigeria. The upper Bun of my burger is my school, getting an MBA degree at Imperial. The upper Bun used to be the many entrepreneurial ventures I used to be involved in but this year it has changed. The sweet spot for me is the patty, the juicy meat which can make or mar the burger is my family.?

Not to get sucked into a work-life balance debate but we often think of balance as equal parts. Balance to me is less about dividing the hours in your day evenly between work and family time but instead more about having the flexibility to get things done in your professional life while still having time and energy to enjoy your personal life. Without each component of the burger, you probably just have bread and mincemeat. Therefore, success in one affects the other. What is needed is to create a situation where work, school, and family fit together, and it presents a pretty burger.?

Wait!! How do I get rid of the anxiety?

1.????Set communication expectations; I will discuss this further, but it is important to let people know how best and when to communicate with you. For work, I advocate that all comms come through my email rather than WhatsApp for example. There may be times when things slip through but try to keep your boundaries strong here to relieve pressure when you are away from work.

2.????Plan tomorrow yesterday; I have added a spin to the popular “plan tomorrow, today” mantra. Why not plan it yesterday? I continue to use calendars and planners to help me understand which meetings, classes, and readings I need to do per time. If the feeling of not completing certain tasks weighs on you, planning a day before soothes anxiety.

3.????Make time for non-work-related- hobbies; You will find me on the football field every week. Watching Arsenal or simply having a nice burger in a cool spot.

4.????Take a vacation; This is so hard for people who aren’t working within a structured system where they can take some time off. But if you can, please do. And a vacation can really be anything to you.

Understanding these three tenets have really helped me to achieve my dreams and vision. Knowing that life is like that burger, all the parts are important. Once you understand this coupled with the fact that “Everything is figureoutable”, you are on the right part to ensuring your physical and mental resources are not depleted.

What does your burger look like?