The Myth of Work/Family Balance
Is it a realistic to think that work/family balance is possible? Can you be a great parent and a great employee (or entrepreneur) at the same time? Can a family where both parents work achieve this balance?
I say no. I say that you have to choose to be one or the other and that you can’t do both well at the same time – especially since time is a limited commodity. Yes, I know that might be a bitter pill to swallow because we might want it all – the great career, the fabulous husband/wife, the adorable 3.2 children, and an organized home with a white picket fence. Sure, you can have moments of greatness on the family side and on the work side, but is it really balance? It seems to me that the balance shifts when our focus shifts. When we try to focus on several things at once, otherwise known as multitasking, we can often end up doing much but not much well.
So, no you can’t have work/family balance BUT you can have “good enough” (and fun, even) with a few bright, shiny moments sprinkled in along the way. What’s wrong with “good enough?” It’s not perfection and it’s a whole lot easier to achieve. Perhaps it’s that word “balance” that I have a problem with. Balance implies even distribution of, well, stuff - ALL the stuff you’re responsible for. When was the last time you evenly distributed your time or attention to family and work responsibilities?
Is it a reasonable use of your time to keep trying to attain something that is extremely difficult and stressful to achieve? Or should we keep striving for perfection?
- Launching a Start Up and Having a Family Life: It’s Possible! (venturebeat.com)
- Healthy People Build Healthy Businesses (startupprofessionals.com)
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Comments
You’re right, Janet – we do need a new word…and I found it yesterday when I read an article by Ivan Misner (founder of BNI) called “The Secret to Balance.” He suggests that we should instead strive for “harmony.” Check out the rest of the article. I think you’ll find it interesting. As always, I love hearing from you. =)
I hadn’t really thought about it, but “balance” does imply an equal 50-50 split, although when we speak of life balance, that’s rarely the goal. It’s more about not spending so much time and energy on work that your family suffers, or vice versa. Maybe we need a new word to use so people won’t keep trying to achieve “perfect balance” in their lives…