A reader asked me to write about work-life balance and how to achieve it. So here goes.
In my opinion, it is hard to define work-life balance. It is always easy to eliminate extreme cases – someone who hardly works and someone who works all the time and misses out on being there for the family.
Yes, there is a balance to be achieved, but it largely depends on the nature of the work done. Professionals (doctors, CAs, lawyers, researchers, etc.) always work for themselves. Everything they do helps them become better and earn more. For them, work is part of life. So it is natural for them to spend long hours at work, often at the cost of neglecting the needs of their family.
It is easy to say they should try to balance both, but each person’s journey is different. Some establish themselves early and can afford to take it easy later. Some take longer and must slog harder at the cost of family time. All these arguments also apply to entrepreneurs.
The situation may seem different for the employed, but it is not. Perhaps it is worse as there is little wiggle room. If you want a well-paying job, it almost always means more work hours. Finding a balance is challenging because we must work hard to have the good life we want. Like investing, Luck also plays its part.
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Preaching work-life balance to someone living paycheck to paycheck does not seem fair. So I will not. I am sure they are doing their best to provide for their family and be with them when needed.
Work-life balance works well if we appreciate the age window from 15 to 35 – this is a time to hone our skills, listen to our calling, discover our passions and work towards them like a mad person if we have the luck, family and financial circumstances in our favour (which is a big ask).
If this is done, it seems a good chance for work-life balance, at least in our 30s. Besides being there for the family, we may also have a shot at leisure, which is the holy grail of good work-life balance. If, for some reason, this is not possible, it would be a tough slog.
You may be disappointed if you have patiently read up to this point. So am I. This is the trouble with being open-minded (at least, I hope I am!). Extreme opinions or suggestions are not possible. Is work-life balance necessary on a day-to-day basis? Certainly, but it would be elusive for most people.
Can you and your family forgo chances of a higher income for more family time? In practice, this is pretty hard to do. Let us do what we can to provide for our family while being there for them and caring for ourselves.
Trivia: Work-life balance is an underlying theme of the song Cat’s in the Cradle written by Harry Chapin in 1974. (Link points to lyrics).
My child arrived just the other dayHe came to the world in the usual wayBut there were planes to catch, and bills to payHe learned to walk while I was awayAnd he was talking ‘fore I knew it, and as he grewHe’d say “I’m gonna be like you, dad”“You know I’m gonna be like you”
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