Work-Life-Community – It’s All a Balancing Act!

The flexibility of working from home a few days a week not only invigorates me, it prepares me for the weekend and the forthcoming week in the office.  With a clear definition of where work ends and home begins, modern technology has made it that you are somewhat still connected to your clients 24/7 even though you are not in an office setting. 

As a high-performing individual there is always the need to be constantly going…doing something that is rewarding and beneficial.  That leads to accepting additional work projects, offering to help in other departments, even streamlining or implementing processes to make work-life easier.  Try as you may, it takes discipline to maintain a level balance that works.

As the old saying goes, "Something has got to give." More work equals less time for family and friends, right?  Contrary to popular believe this is not the case in my work-life-community balance.  It took me years of discipline, to balance my day-to-day work obligations and my personal life, especially after the arrival of my daughter. 

Gone are the 12 hour days of constant work without interruption, I now welcome 16-hour days!  A typical day starts at 5 a.m. and could end at 11 p.m. (this blog post was originally completed at 10:05 p.m.).  My clients/customers are satisfied, my daughter gets her share of me and my community obligations round out the day.

Finding that work-life-community balance is rewarding – it is healthy to give back.  Find something in your community that you are passionate about: It could be an elementary teacher needs help with an outdoor classroom, an after school program may need a one-time activity.  The things that we take for granted in our everyday lives can actually help someone else in the community.  Volunteering can bring you that work-life-community balance.

Let me leave you with some positives to a rewarding work-life balance: 

• More time with loved ones – volunteering together as a family means you get to spend more time together and it encourages the young ones in the family to give back to the community, not to mention the rewarding experience that comes at the end of the day knowing that you did something as a family.
• More productivity in the office – knowing that the skills that you use in the work place can be transferred to community projects can give you that extra recharge. (Get in...get it done...next project please!)
•  New friends – engaging with like-minded individuals for a few extra hours a week, or for one-time events invigorates the soul.  The success of a completed project is rewarding and fulfilling.

Time to nurture your family and friendships - get into the balancing act!