Forget about work-life balance in its traditional sense! Work-life balance in its traditional 9 to 5 sense is gone and a relic of the past. Does anyone really work from 9 am to 5 pm Monday’s to Friday’s anymore? I doubt it, and definitely not in hospitality!
Work-life balance has changed, and it’s important to understand how and why it changed, and how you need to adjust your understanding of it to stay happy and content with your everyday life.
Work-life balance should be measured by how happy you are, and how much energy you have for what matters most to you. If you love what you do, and if you are passionate about what you do, you never have to work a single day in your life. You probably heard this before, and while this statement is a bit of a stretch, there definitely is truth to it.
If you love what you do, you will feel energized and happy, if you don’t love what you do, every task is a burden and work can be very draining… and if work is draining, then work-life balance in it’s traditionial 9 to 5 sense is very necessary to stay happy and healthy.
So rather than measuring work-life balance by looking at how many hours you work every day, look at your energy level, and if you can set enough time aside to focus on what matters most to you – your family, your health, your friends and hobbies etc.
So it really shouldn’t be called work-life balance, it’s simply life balance!
You can work 16 to 18 hours every day, and still feel that you haven’t done enough, and you can work 12 hours every day, and get a lot done with a feeling of accomplishment by the end of the day.
I suggest to try out keeping track of what you do, and how you spend your time, and you will see for yourself how effective you are. Yes, I am suggesting to jot down how much time you spend on what you do in a day – try it out for a week, and you’ll be surprised how you really spend your time. If you plan ahead for your day, your week, and if you’re fully present and focused in every moment, you may not need to work as many hours while still accomplishing the same or probably even more.
Did you ever track how much time you spend daily on social media? Your smart phone allows you to keep track of your screen time and how much time you spend on each application, like Facebook or Instagram. Your smart phone also allows you to set limits for each day, so you can stay in control. Now imagine if you can reduce your screen time spend on social media by just 30% daily, you’ve just gained more time to focus on what you love. It’s that easy!
Don’t think of time only in hours, think of it in quality as well. How often are you doing something, but your mind is actually somewhere else or you’re on your phone again? Try being fully present in each moment, and limit your screen time – enjoy missing out on some of the social media posts.
How often do you go to a restaurant and see couples or families around the table not talking to each other, but all looking down on their phones. Ask yourself, did they really spent time with each other, and was it meaningful and energizing or not? Be present in the moment, and your outlook on life balance will change. Put your phone away and take control back over your life.
Work-life balance changed, and it’s much harder now to achieve than just limiting your working hours every day. To achieve life balance you now need to be a lot more disciplined, stay in control and make a conscious decisions what to focus your energy on.
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