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Work-life balance is the struggle to balance personal and professional obligations. It’s not always a 50/50 split, but avoiding a 90/10 work-life balance is recommended. It’s about finding ways to incorporate personal time into the equation and taking a personal inventory to determine if your work-life balance is acceptable.
When it comes to balancing the responsibilities of both work and family life, many of us find ourselves in a gray area. Hard work and dedication to our work usually translates into tangible rewards like higher pay or a corner office. The same dedication to our personal lives often leads to rewards such as stronger relationships or a deeper understanding of our purpose on Earth. The struggle to keep our personal and professional obligations in perspective is known as work-life balance.
The term work-life balance can be a little misleading at first, as many of us assume that a good balance is always 50/50. Unfortunately, many people find that their work-life ratio can be closer to 70/30 or even 80/20. What many business experts suggest avoiding is a work-life balance of 90/10 or higher. The mantra among many who study the problem of work-life balance is “Work to live, don’t live to work.” This philosophy doesn’t mean that a work-oriented lifestyle is completely wrong or unhealthy, but it does suggest a shift in priorities.
It’s true that there are only so many hours in a day, so for many people most of those hours will be spent at work, either out of financial necessity or for the sheer enjoyment of the work environment. Finding an ideal work-life balance isn’t necessarily about reducing the total number of hours you spend at work, but rather about finding better ways to incorporate personal time into the equation. A driven executive may be perfectly comfortable working 80 or more hours a week, but still need to set aside time for family obligations, vacations, and the occasional sanity break.
However, the pendulum of work-life balance can swing in the opposite direction. Some people find themselves telecommuting on a regular basis or looking for self-employment opportunities. Without the direct supervision that a traditional office or industrial setting provides, many home workers find themselves with an entirely different work-life balance issue. Finding the discipline to spend at least 50 percent of their time on work commitments can be a challenge. While a 90/10 work-life ratio can be detrimental to mental and physical health, a similar work-life ratio can be detrimental to financial health.
The best way to determine whether your work-life balance is acceptable may be to take a personal inventory of your life as it is now. Are you working enough hours to meet your professional obligations, but not enough to feel too drained at home? Do you spend much of your free time recovering from the demands of your job? Are you able to meet most of your family obligations without feeling guilty about missing work? There is no single work-life balance plan that works for everyone, but if you feel that your work obligations take absolute priority over your personal life, you may want to find ways to improve your work-life balance .
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