Work life balance is a big fat myth! The idea that work and life are like a set of scales and equally balanced, is crazy talk.
Work life integration gets results. For a complimentary copy of our eBook Work Life Integration click here
In our busy lives with our constant connectedness, technology has changed the pace at which we work.
- 3 out of 4 people surveyed admit to texting while driving.
- 39% say they wait for a red light.
- 47% of women surveyed keep their smart phones on their nightstand so they can check them each morning.
- 5% even admitted to sleeping with their iPhone… hmm.
- 76% of women surveyed said they check their smart phones at least once an hour and of those, 50% admitted to sneaking a peak every 15 minutes!
Insanity!
We believe work life integration is focusing on three areas: your environment, emotions and expectations.
Work life balance is the wrong conversation. We need to stop judging each other and the choices people make and what we think they ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t do. Stop ‘shoulding’ on each other!
Only you decide how long you want to work today, only you decide how much recovery time you want to budget, only you affect the choices you make on a daily basis. I understand we all have obligations, commitments to other people, goals, dreams and a vision for our life. Ultimately, you are in control. You and I have the same 24 hours in every day, we all choose how we invest each of those hours.
We don’t have time to do everything; we only have time to do what matters’ click to tweet
Environment: create the environment you want regardless if you commute, work from home or work in an office, surround yourself with positive images, fresh flowers or candles if it helps you feel more fabulous.
Emotions: Give up the guilt! Guilt is such a negative emotion and doesn’t help anyone! Stop the crazy. Stop feeling guilty for not ‘getting it all done’ and celebrate the wins you had today.
Expectations: Be realistic about what you can achieve in a day, communicate what you need with those you share your work and home life with and plan recovery time in your calendar.
Work life integration is like a triangle, not a set of scales.
These are just a few ways you can create more work life integration. If you would like to download a complimentary copy of our eBook on Work Life Integration – click here.
To watch our video on this – click here
One of our favorite TED talks on this topic is from Dan Thurmon – Off balance on purpose – definitely worth watching.
How do you achieve work life integration with your team and in your organization? Share your ideas with us here on our blog.
Folding Time Tip: Today invest 15 minutes in an activity that will help you feel more in control of your environment, emotions and expectations.
PS. If you want more ideas on how to increase your productivity – check out other blogs here and several eBooks you can share with your team.
Neen you are always so great at helping me rethink how I am spending my time but I especially love that you use language that is missing in my own, “How much recovery time will I budget”. This is my biggest challenge right now is not budgeting enough recovery time. Im always way over scheduled and then I end up working late and getting 5 hours of sleep a night. I am going to budget more recovery time this week!
Thanks Neen~
love that! Recovery time is awesome and can mean different things to different people i.e. working out, going for a hike, meditating, laughing with girlfriends – whatever it is – enjoy it and do it often! Thanks for sharing