Let’s not get caught up in achieving a work-life balance, shall we?

by Bhawna Agarwal

I believe one of the biggest myths of recent times is that a woman must strike a perfect work-life balance. A woman’s life is all about balancing the imbalance of the multiple roles she plays in her everyday life. It is about constant adjustment, movement and dynamic role play. To maintain a balance, it’s important to avoid all types of extremes: too much socialising, too much work, too much ‘me time’. Whenever one finds themselves at one extreme, it is important to regress to the mean again. That is where I really see the challenge of work-life balance.

Remember, there are stages to life

At different stages of our lives, we play different roles and according to the circumstances of the time we balance different aspects of our lives. Therefore, there is no static procedure to ensure balance; one must constantly adjust and adapt to the mayhem that comes in the life of a working women.

As a single person at the entry-level, one can be far more aggressive while taking risks, being completely dedicated to the job at hand. As a married person with multiple responsibilities, one must prioritise effectively to manage time as well as the tasks at work,  so she can focus on nurturing her home as well. As a parent—a role which I regard as the trickiest as well as most rewarding—a woman must learn to enjoy the joys of parenthood as well as the fulfilment her work offers her, guilt-free. Due to the paucity of time, it often happens that we stop enjoying any of the roles we play as we are more engrossed in fitting everything into a framework. In such a case, work may seem like a burden and your family life begins to frustrate you. It is imperative not to lose sight of what drew us to both in the first place; work provides us with a sense of fulfilment, productivity and self-worth, while family nurtures our growth, while providing us with the emotional support required to deal with the pressures of life. Having a strong support system that steps in whenever you are running out of time makes all the difference.

Striking this “balance of imbalances” comes easy when, over time, one learns to prioritize tasks, map out their days and schedules, and most importantly, when they learn to say no to things that are not critical. It is important to be selective and pragmatic in the commitments that one makes. Identify things that get in the way of maintaining this balance and reschedule those in your routine to plan your day better. Be realistic while setting expectations as this helps you perform better.

Be smart about your choice of career

It is very important for you to choose what you wish to do in your career. If you don’t love your career, you wouldn’t have the motivation to fully dedicate yourself to your work. In this competitive world and a demanding life, it is wise to put your energies and efforts into what you love doing. Stretch beyond your comfort zone and take on a challenge that advances your career. If you love what you do and if it makes you happy, then nothing can stand in your way to make it work.

The different stages of life call for different adaptations. You would have better chance to succeed when your work and personal life are integrated and you give due importance to both than feeling guilty about it all the time. Don’t get trapped by guilt. Just change. Adapt. Improvise and turn the situation around. The elusive work life balance is not a perfectly harmonious state of being, it’s a see-saw, you should keep improvising, keep learning from your mistakes but keep moving forward.