What’s your Favourite Blend?
How many times have you heard this cliché -‘work-life balance’? It seems that all manner of professionals use this term to describe what you can aspire to achieve in your life. However…
in today’s fast-paced world, do you actually reach your goal, as you attempt to balance your work and lifestyle?
Do you struggle with the vision of what balance actually means?
When you picture a set of scales what do you see – balance or imbalance? As soon as you add the slightest weight to one side of the scales you upset the balance. One side will weigh down the other. In your mind, as you strive to bring about balance in your work and life, do your scales almost immediately appear outweighed on one side?
Does the term ‘balance’ set the highest benchmark as being a state of perfection?
We all know that even with the best will and intention, achieving a perfect work-life balance is unlikely. Life happens. Work happens. Challenges, diversions and situations take place. That’s the real world. Are you expecting too much of yourself as you aim for the perfect balance, in other words, are you setting yourself an unrealistic and unattainable goal?
Wouldn’t you prefer to bring about a better sense of unity in your work and life?
Or rather blend what you do. Consider work-life blend. To blend evokes a new meaning; one where you can mix your work and lifestyle together. In one way, blending softens the idea of having to achieve a perfect balance, don’t you think? Blending negates the need for a defined edge or boundary. Instead it says to merge or combine.
Does work-life blend encourage you to change your perspective about how your work and lifestyle can complement one another?
Together with living in a fast-paced world, the changing world of work is moving at a rapid pace as well. With growing numbers of people embracing portfolio careers and lifestyles, the concept of blending is becoming more and more apparent. A portfolio approach allows you to create a working lifestyle which clearly resonates with the term ‘blending’. A working lifestyle is a blend of work and living, where you can combine what you do with how you choose to live your life. Work-life blend says together, combination, and where two separates become one.
Throw away the scales in your work and life. Change your perspective from work-life balance to work-life blend. Set yourself a new challenge – to discover your favourite blend of work and lifestyle!
Steve Preston is known as The Career Catalyst ®. A leading Career Coach to executives and professionals, the Career Coach’s Coach, MD of specialist Consultancy SMP Solutions (Career & People Development) Ltd, motivational speaker and Internationally acclaimed Author of Career and Personal Development books and products, including Portfolio Careers – How to Work for Passion, Pleasure & Profit, Winning through Career Change and Winning Through Redundancy
