This is From The Balance Beam

[TheBalanceBeam] - Work/Life Balance

======================================================================
THE BALANCE BEAM
Ideas and Inspiration for Creating a Life that Works
Vol. 1, No. 1 August 21, 1999
Published by Success Builders, Inc.
http://www.successbuildersinc.com
======================================================================
"He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened."
Lao-tzu

In this issue: What is Work-Life Balance Really All About?
====================================================================== Dear Friends,

Welcome to the premiere issue of The Balance Beam. This publication was created to serve as a source of inspiration and ideas for achieving greater balance and fulfillment in a world spinning at an increasingly frenetic pace. As a personal and professional coach, I work with people on the challenge of juggling the myriad aspects of their lives. I also serve organizations striving to achieve a balance in their economic strategies, business cycles and operational practices. The best lessons that I can share with people in all of these situations come from observing the exquisite symmetry that surrounds us in the balance of nature. The Balance Beam will focus on our lives as individuals, as family and community members, and as associates, leaders and owners of businesses. Thank you for your interest, and I hope this publication brings a note of harmony to your day!
Warm wishes,
Barbara Poole, M.S., MCC
=============================================================
WHAT IS WORK-LIFE BALANCE REALLY ALL ABOUT?
We hear a lot these days about something called work-life balance. Picture this: a dual career family with two beautiful young children. Dad is a successful executive with low blood pressure, well-toned abs, and a relaxed manner that makes his staff think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. He runs a thriving business and still has time to make Billy's soccer games, Tracy's piano recitals, and serve on the board at his church. Mom owns a rapidly growing interior design firm, volunteers on the PTA, grows orchids and fresh herbs in her garden, and never has a bad hair day. Their house is immaculate, with a well-groomed landscape and a Welcome sign out front that suggests they always have time to stop and have a cup of coffee with visitors who might drop by.

Who are these people? And how do they manage to juggle so many balls without ever having one hit them on the head? For most of us, the reality is that we have fleeting and all-too-few moments of this idyllic balanced life. Even if we love what we do, we're often hard-pressed to figure out how to squeeze it all into a standard 24-hour day without something falling through the cracks. As our lives get busier, and our world seems to be funneling more and more information our way every day, this elusive notion of balance seems to be a fantasy at best. Or, as a friend of mine used to say, "You can have it all, but you can't have it all at the same time."

So what is it that allows some people to project that sense of inner peace, of "having it all together", while others seem to constantly be struggling with the clock, the calendar and unfinished business? If you think of life as a pie, each of us determines how many slices to cut, how big they will be, and what they will consist of. The slices typically look something like this: work, family, friends, health and fitness, personal development, financial matters, and spiritual growth. Inevitably, the slices of the pie are different sizes, and get larger or smaller depending upon our stage in life and what we're involved with. For many professionals, particularly those building their careers or running their own businesses, the work slice takes up a disproportionate piece of the pie, perhaps almost all of it. Is this a bad thing? That all depends. For some people, the challenge and excitement of what they do for a living is so exhilarating that they can put in 70-hour workweeks and still feel sharp. At least for a while. Sooner or later, even those go-getters have to make time to recharge their batteries and tend to the other areas of life, lest they wind up with health, family or relationship problems. For others, the grind of a marathon workweek is just that - stressful and unfulfilling. They are typically the ones who become prone to health problems associated with overwork.

Perhaps the issue of life balance is less about the sheer amount of time we devote to the various pieces of our life pie, and more about the quality and satisfaction levels we're experiencing with each of those pieces. Ask yourself these questions: How do I define the slices in my life? On a scale of 1 - 10, how satisfied am I with the way things are going in each of those slices? Based on my ratings, which ones need the most work? As simple as this little exercise is, it can be quite revealing in terms of driving home the fact that where we often spend the most time and attention is not where we need it! Once you've identified those areas of your life that need strengthening, ask these questions: What are my needs, values and standards with respect to this particular area of my life? What really matters to me? To what extent am I in a situation that supports these needs, values and standards? What do I need to change? Framed in this context, achieving life balance is less about how we manage our time, and more about the choices and decisions we make regarding how we will run our lives.

My favorite aunt once told me, "Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life." Words of wisdom for all of us!
======================================================================
Words to live by:
"Fortunate indeed, is the man who takes exactly the right measure of himself, and holds a just balance between what he can acquire and what he can use."
- Peter Mere Latham
======================================================================
INTRODUCING.......
Please visit our new website at www.successbuildersinc.com to learn more about Success Builders and our full range of coaching services.
======================================================================