In the business world, only a handful of topics have been dissected and analyzed as extensively as the topic of work-life balance. It refers to finding a sweet spot between our professional and personal lives. 

Achieve this fine balance, and your work and private life will work perfectly with each other…. or so it is believed.  

But even after consuming endless amounts of online content, how many of us can agree to have achieved this balance? And even when you do find it, how long are you able to keep the equilibrium? A week? Maybe a month? 

But why is this balancing act so challenging? 

I feel it’s because this work-life balance is an overused cliché….as impossible to achieve as trying to go faster than light.

Why is Work-Life Balance Unattainable?

You can complete your journey from point A to point B when you know where you are now and where you want to be. But what if point B is a moving target? 

Our lives are unpredictable, and this is probably the biggest reason dooming each of our attempts to find that perfect balance. We have hundreds of professional and personal tasks to accomplish every day, and not all of them are foreseeable. 

So, the idea of dedicating a fixed number of hours to work and personal life every single day is simply inexecutable. There will be days when you’ll have to spend more time at work, and then there sure will be days when family needs to be a priority. 

Don’t BALANCE But JUGGLE

Have you ever seen someone balancing rocks? It requires the artist to perfectly place the rocks one above the other in equilibrium while maintaining minimal contact between them. And that’s the perfection every act of balancing requires, including the work-life balance. You must be calm, composed, and in control of every moment to achieve this golden goal. 

Many mystics spend years living a life of seclusion in their bid to reach this state of perfection. With our demanding professional and personal lives, how long do you think it’ll take us to achieve this perfection? 

And that’s why we all are imperfect balancers at best. 

So, let me present to you a more practical and achievable goal- JUGGLE. 

Juggle Your Way to Professional and Personal Success

While balancing necessitates perfection, juggling is a lot more forgiving. It allows for chaos, imperfections, mistakes, missed appointments, silliness, laughter…..and above all, the pure JOY of simply being. 

The central idea behind juggling is not dividing your days into fixed hours for work, family, and hobbies but fluidly combining all of them to create a blend that works best for you. Everything is mixed with everything else and sometimes even allowed to overlap and create disarray. 

Even if you take the ‘perfection’ route, there will be chaos and confusion along the way. And more often than not, it will break that perfect balance you’ve achieved. At least when you’re juggling, you’re prepared for the chaos and might handle it more efficiently, as no perfect balance needs to be maintained. 

So, better yet, be a perfect juggler than an imperfect balancer

How to Be a Better Work-Life Juggler?

Here are some tips I believe can help you juggle your work and personal life-

  • Be Flexible

Rigid routines are most likely to fail. A better approach would be to focus on the bigger picture and be flexible with your daily routine. Your work will be your priority on some days, and your family or hobbies will take precedence on some days. Be okay with this. 

  • Be Relaxed and Positive

Prolonged stress significantly impacts your mental and physical health. So, rather than stressing about how to get everything done, prioritize the tasks and focus your energies on the task at hand. 

  • Put Yourself First

You have your family and people at work depending on you. That’s why it is imperative to prioritize yourself to give your best in everything you do. Exercising regularly, meditating, and eating healthy are some things you can do to improve the quality of your life. But the key here is to put yourself first. When you do that, you’ll automatically take better care of your mind, body, and soul. 

Work-Life Balance is a Wild-Goose Chase

It is not work-life balance that I believe is crucial to living a successful and rewarding professional and personal life. I feel this balance or perfection is unattainable, and our attempts to find it only puts more pressure on our overburdened mental and physical health. 

Juggling or having a few balls up in the air and a few in your hands seems more practicable as it better aligns with our unpredictable life. Do share your thoughts in the comments section.