We work hard. We work towards our goals, our dreams, and our futures. We work as a collective with a goal of providing something. We work to take care of ourselves and the ones we love.
We all have our own motivations for working, some work simply because they have to, some because they have an inner fire that calls them to the task. Whichever applies to you, one question remains, how does one balance it all? Experts will argue the topic of work life balance, some saying it doesn’t exist, some saying it’s an active achievement, and some set strict rules to feel they’ve accomplished a perfect separation. I say – To each their own.
As a mother of 3, wife, daughter, sibling, aunt, friend, business owner X2, and management level employee, I have found a completely different way to balance work and life. I do them together. I balance my work and life by letting them overlap where appropriate.
I unknowingly learned this concept as a child. I always had responsibilities as I grew up which taught me a lot, but the thing that has really stuck with me is all the times I went with my mom to work. How the people there were like any normal dysfunctional family. How if she needed help with something there was always someone there, whether they were family, a friend, or a coworker.
I’ve worked for large, medium and small corporations and small local businesses too, and the biggest favor I ever did for myself was working hard, and making it known that I plan on being successful in my work and as a mother and everything else I listed before. Normally people get it, they have families too, and they also want to do it all. Sometimes ideas clash and people don’t understand my need to go to my children in unexpected circumstances, or why I am still answering emails at midnight or later.
Work/Life balance is based in perception. My balance is different from yours which is different from the next person.
I hope overlapping my work and my life teaches my children that you can be consumed in everything and balanced. I hope to actively impact the people and world around me. I work to help others, to utilize my knowledge, to provide, to learn, and to teach. And in case you were wondering, being a part of the team at Cyberbility has offered me the best balance. I’ve brought the kids with me to the office on multiple occasions. My husband, kids and friends have attended work events with me. My team understands I am a parent and they support me in my other business ventures. I have been given the opportunity to develop the company with this team of amazing people, and I couldn’t be happier to share that in other parts of my life.
I want to know – how you balance your work and life? Are they fluid or separate or somewhere in between? What works best for YOU?
Until next time friends!
- Alex