Chinese Christian Herald Crusades UK

青年園地︰No Such Thing as Work Life Balance

Andy Lee

 

 

I’m fortunate to be entering my 6th year working at the same company. The opportunity presented itself when a friend of mine invited me over to his office for a chat. I learnt about the business he’d grown and he shared his expansion plans with me. It was an exciting venture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went away and gave it some thought. I prayed. I discussed it with Lisa and I asked for trusted opinions. I decided to take the plunge and go for it. I knew I could apply my skills and experience in a more impactful way than my current role and this new environment would be conducive to getting the best out of me. In making the decision, I also made a promise to myself and Lisa, though Lisa mainly. I would have a healthy work-life balance. You see, I’m the type of guy that doesn’t really do things by half-measures. When I decide on something, I’m committed. I throw myself in no holds barred. I go all in, in an obsessive kind of way.

 

 

I once filled out a spiritual gift questionnaire that identified my primary gifting as an ‘empire builder’. This is someone who takes something, looks for ways to expand it, grow it, make it bigger and better. They add structure, streamline systems , optimise processes and are always on the lookout for improving efficiency and achieving better organisation. They do this with ease because it is their strength and gifting, they analyse well and pay great attention to detail. Maybe you resonate with this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So embarking on this new role would’ve meant extra hours both in and out of the office. It would mean constantly thinking, planning, designing and executing. The thought of this excited me. It is in my sweet spot, as I like to call it. I ask members of my team and clients that I coach, where is your sweet spot (The place or type of work that you get the most fulfilment from, where work doesn’t feel like work because you enjoy it so much)? That is the place to be!

 

 

Today I’m into my 6th year for the same company. And it has been one success story after another. We’ve grown in many ways including team size, office locations, revenue streams, and product lines. Along the way I’ve changed and evolved as a manager and as a person, learnt many lessons, ‘failed forward’ many more times, and crucially I’ve changed my mind about work life balance. In fact I don’t believe it exists at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole concept started to not make sense to me. The idea that I would try to balance my work with my personal life so that one area doesn’t dominate the other, so that my life is more balanced, there is a sense of equality and my priorities are spread evenly. At first I thought it meant not spending too much time at work. However, during busy periods when there are important projects and deadlines, I would be spending more time at work. This may last days, weeks or sometimes months. I felt like my life was out of sync and imbalanced during these times – Mainly because of this work life balance target I had in the back of my mind and how I was falling short. So at this point I have two options; 1. Plan my work better so that I have better balance or 2. Redefine what work balance life means.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ended up throwing the phrase out of the window. Here’s why: My work life affects my personal life. My personal life affects my work life. Balance between the two cannot be measured solely in terms of time on either area. Neither can it be measured by the quality or productivity of each area. They are intertwined, because it is me that does both. I am not one person at work, and another person outside of work, be it at home, out with friends, or at Church. I am the common denominator in all of these environments. I have heard people tell me that they feel guilty that they’re not at home with their family when they are at work. And to make matters worse they also feel guilty that they’re not working when they are at home. So it’s not so much about drawing a line between all the different areas of my life, it’s more to do with embracing the person that I am becoming in all of these areas.

 

 

I’ve found it a lot more beneficial to appreciate that my life is dynamic, fluid and made up of seasons. I appreciate that the quality of my work-life and managing it well has a direct impact when I go home. I appreciate how the quality and health of my non-work life affects my performance at work. The same person that gets stressed is the same person that shows up at the end of the day. The person that is struggling with financial pressures or relationship issues is the same person that turns up to work the next morning. Shift the goal from trying to have a healthy work life balance, to being a healthy person overall. Spend time cultivating your gifts, finding the meaning and the purpose laid out for you, and be the best you can be.