WORK-LIFE BALANCE?

When one ponders over a question such as this, it is often when one is at the breaking point. There, we begin to get this nagging feeling that work and life do not tally on the spreadsheets of our lives.

And, that could be the wrong route to take to solve the issue.

We often make the mistake of looking at work and life as two different entities, and as if they are at war with each other, and we are the helpless victims.

No matter how much time and space work occupies in our lives, it is still a subset of life. Work and life cannot be put in two separate pans of the balance. Life does not begin when we start working, nor does it end when we lose our jobs or retire. That is why, ignoring the other aspects of our lives would surely cost us dearly, including our performance at work.

In the modern world, work tends to define us, ascribes us our worth, or gives us our identity. It takes the central place in our lives, and make everything else revolves around it. Many would agree that "work" has exerted a stranglehold on our lives, and many of us are struggling to break free.

Our work provides us the means to support many, not all, facets of our lives. But, the sad part is, instead of playing a supporting role, it tends to suffocate everything else in our lives. For example, we buy food with the cash our work rewards us with to stay alive and healthy. However, the nature of our work and the long hours affect our health, which is needed to be productive at work.

It is essential to keep in mind that, every aspect of our lives is interdependant. Other aspects of our life, such as personal care, health, family, friends, other human relationships and interactions, among other factors, do affect our productivity at work. And, work has the potential to affect everything else in our lives.

Realistically speaking, no matter what position we hold in an organization, we have a responsibility that affect the whole organization. Work will take priority over other things at times. But, we have to be mindful about who is calling the shot in our life - Is it YOU or your WORK?

If you are not in the driving seat then your work will occupy that place. But if you are, then it will help you negotiate the twists and turns of life more satisfactorily.