Balancing Work and Life

Before establishing my coaching practice, I was blessed with a long and successful career in the broadcasting business. Today I work with professionals from many walks of life and with few exceptions, they want to achieve a better balance between their personal and professional lives. Balance became such a hot topic; it drove me to learn more about how I might support my clients more effectively.

What I've come to believe is that most of us are either driven by our goals for the future or pulled down by the troubles of our past rather than being inspired by the opportunities we have in the present. For example, when focused on the future, a specific goal or desired outcome, we are like a laser beam. We are so dialed into achieving the end result that we overlook the opportunities that are right under our noses. We work ourselves into a frenzy and expect our families and friends understand because we are driven and hard-wired to succeed. But at what cost to us and our personal lives?

When people would ask what I did for a living, my standard answer was that I was a high wire act in a competitive arena. Sort of a kooky answer, but it was true! Like many industries, the television business was viciously competitive and the analogy of a high-wire act seemed appropriate.

The formal name for a high-wire artist is a funambulist. Isn't that a hoot? Funambulists maintain their balance by carrying a balancing pole that may be as long as 39 feet and weigh up to 31 pounds. These high-wire artists use flexible, drooping poles, rather than rigid ones. They stay balanced by holding onto the middle of the pole. If their focus is anywhere but in the middle of the pole, they would surely lose their balance and fall to their death.

Humor me for a moment and visualize us as funambulists walking a tight rope called life. On one end of the 39 foot pole is our future, the other end our past. Our pole is flexible and forgiving and allows us to make appropriate adjustments in order to maintain our balance. If we focus on the middle of the pole, which is our present, we stay balanced and will ultimately achieve our goal of getting to our desired destination. If we focus too much on either our past or our future, we will suffer the consequences. It may result in an unhappy spouse or our kids getting into trouble because we weren't there when they needed our help or guidance. It may be that friends stop calling because we're always working and never available, so why should they bother?

I'm not suggesting giving up your life's goals. They are critically important to set and achieve. What I suggest is softening our grip on our past as well as our future and allowing ourselves to over respond to the present by drinking in the day and all that comes with it. If we do that, we will achieve a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Let's ask ourselves what we can do today to achieve more balance in our work and our life. How about leaving the office on time? Maybe we could stop to pick up a card or flowers for someone special on the way home. How about helping the kids with their homework or making good on the promise to attend that soccer game? Whatever it is, today is the day to start.

Let's both grab the pole in the middle and start walking!