I always struggled with the concept of trying to find the right work/life balance. It became almost a mystical pursuit of some type of life Zen or equilibrium, where I would be able to devote just the right amount of time to my personal and professional sides of life. It never seemed to work. I’d find myself drifting more towards work and then feeling guilty because I was not allocating enough time to personal activities.
It wasn’t until I attended a conference that I began to think differently about work/life balance. One of the keynote speakers was the CEO of Tyson and he used the analogy of a roller coaster. The ride is filled with a bunch of ups and downs. He likened that to our lives. The ride is not flat, not at the same speed.
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He said that was the attitude we needed to adopt. There will be times when the ride should be focused on work, then other times where our focus should be on the personal. The image we needed to paint for ourselves that life was not linear and constant, it moved unevenly and at a different pace. I hung onto that, but I thought there needed to be more.
I have a habit, if there is a rubber band in front of me, I will play with it, particularly if I am on the phone. One day, when talking with a client about work/life balance, I began to use the roller coaster analogy, and then stopped. The phrase “work/life flexibility” popped into my head because of the rubberband. We unpacked that together and I have sense made this a centerpiece of my approach. Let’s explore the difference between flexibility and balance.
Applying the Focus
Work/life balance emphasizes maintaining a clear separation between work and personal life, often with the goal of equal time distribution.
Work/life flexibility focuses on integrating work and personal life in a fluid manner, allowing for adaptability based on changing needs and priorities.
Work/life balance implies a more rigid approach, where individuals strive to allocate specific amounts of time to work and personal life. In contrast, work/life flexibility recognizes that the boundaries between work and personal life can be blurred and allows for more dynamic allocation of time and energy.
The goal of the Work/Life Balance report is to assist you to identify or affirm your position on your professional and personal approach to life. Please answer all 10 questions. After submitting, you will receive a report back within 48 hours.
Control and Autonomy
Work/life balance often relies on external structures, such as fixed working hours or company policies.
Work/life flexibility empowers individuals to have more control over when, where, and how they work.
In a work/life balance scenario, employees might have set hours (e.g., 9-to-5) and be expected to maintain clear boundaries. Work/life flexibility allows employees to adjust their schedules, potentially working early mornings or late evenings if it suits their personal needs better, as long as they meet their work obligations.
Outcomes
Work/life balance typically measures success by the amount of time spent on work versus personal activities.
Work/life flexibility focuses more on overall productivity, well-being, and satisfaction rather than time allocation.
A work/life balance approach might consider a 40-hour work week with evenings and weekends off as “balanced.” Work/life flexibility, however, considers an arrangement successful if an employee can meet work deadlines, attend to personal needs, and feel satisfied with their overall quality of life, regardless of when or where the work is done.
Relationship Capital
A key element in work/life flexibility is being mindful of relationship capital. As you recognize the periods in your life where the must be greater emphasis on either work or personal needs, time must be invested in preparing both sides of life for a shift in focus and attention.
This means being proactive in your communication to the best of your ability. It’s a solid investment of time in professional and personal, to live both well. That way, when emphasis needs to be placed more on one area of life, the relationships you have established in both are ready to be there to support and be empathetic.
As you seek to optimize your time, stop trying to level everything, don’t expend so much effort on trying to gain and maintain a balance. Embrace flexibility through greater focus, gaining control, anticipating outcomes, and enhancing relationship capital. Life won’t be flat and smooth, but it’s also not going to be a wild ride on a time roller coaster.
David Buck is the author of the book The Time-Optimized Life, coauthor of The Retirement Collective, and owner of Kairos (Time) Management Solutions, LLC. Learn how to apply the concepts of proactively planning and using your time. Take the Time Management Analysis (TMA), the Retirement Time Analysis (RTA), or all the other free resources offered to help bring more quality time into your life.
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