How to Escape the Work/Life Balance Trap
Hi there!
How’s your work/life balance? If you are anything like me, the answer changes constantly and it can be triggering to even be asked the question!
One day you feel like you have it altogether – your to do list isn’t a mile long, you managed to get some exercise in this morning, the kids went to school on time and haven’t forgotten anything, your work schedule isn’t eye wateringly packed....and then BANG! The next day it all falls apart! The spinning plates come crashing down!
My theory is that work/life balance doesn’t exist – it’s a myth, a eutopia that we are all constantly striving for but never achieve.
Last year, I quit my corporate career because I wanted better “work/life balance” and whilst I definitely have more freedom over my time, I wouldn’t say that I have it all in balance – and certainly not all the time!
So what if we thought about it in a different way? What if it wasn’t about trying to have it all right all the time? What if we gave ourselves permission to lean out of some parts of our life so that we can fully lean in on the parts that need prioritising at that moment.
It could look something like this:
👉🏼 Letting the family know that tonight you are on a work call so you won’t be doing the bedtime routine and cannot be disturbed (Leaning out from family and into work)
👉🏼 Telling your boss that you have an important personal appointment so you need to leave work 2 hours earlier. (Leaning out of work and into personal life)
👉🏼 Blocking Saturday morning for that exercise class/walk/hike and being ultra protective of that time (Leaning out of distractions and into self care)
The chunks of time can be longer as well. Maybe you have a big project coming up so instead of trying to juggle everything, you ask for help with home/personal responsibilities and fully lean into the project without distractions or GUILT!
This Lean In/Lean Out method is a practice that is about prioritising not just your time, but also your energy. Creating firm boundaries and communicating them will empower you to do what you need to do without the guilt that often comes with it when you are trying to be everything to everyone!
Try it out and let me know how it goes! Also feel free to forward this to anyone in your life who may benefit from this permission slip!
I’m leaning out now for a little staycation with the family. Have a great weekend! 😊
