Rethinking Work-Life Balance
Embracing Chaos Might Just Be Your Best Move
The Myth of “Balance”
Work-life balance? Sounds great on paper. But let’s be real, for those climbing any professional ladder, it’s more like bigfoot or a mythical creature—often talked about but rarely seen. When I was entrenched in the corporate world, I stumbled upon a less conventional, more chaotic approach that actually served me better. Forget balance; let’s talk about strategic imbalance.
Redefining What Matters
It all started with three letters I scribbled on my whiteboard early in my career: F H W, standing for Friends, Health, and Work. They were supposed to be my North Star, my guiding priorities. When my a colleague noticed them and remarked, “Nice goals—for your next job,” it hit me hard. The corporate world doesn’t always cheer for your well-rounded life plan. It’s a beast that feeds on results, often at the cost of personal time and wellness.
Unapologetic Imbalance
This brutal honesty was a wake-up call. Achieving anything noteworthy, especially starting my own business in my late 20s, was never about maintaining balance. It was about pushing limits, often unhealthily. As others sought balance, I was akin to an algorithmic trader—where decisions are fast, based on complex inputs, and downtime is a glitch in the system.
Have I achieved balance? Nope.
Here’s the kicker: I haven’t (and may never find) that perfect equilibrium. Instead, I’ve found something perhaps more profound—an understanding that life is inherently about flux and change. Embracing this reality, instead of fighting for balance, means I can fully engage with life’s highs and endure its lows with a bit more grace. Life isn’t static, and neither are we. Sometimes, your art sells like toilet paper during lockdown; other times, it’s like trying to peddle a charcuterie plate at a vegan convention.
The Power of Choosing Imbalance
The point isn’t to maintain an even keel but to ride the waves, knowing when to push and when to pull back. In a world obsessed with the balance myth, choosing when and where to let your life tilt towards the extreme can lead to extraordinary achievements. High performance in one area often requires sacrifices in others, but that’s the trade-off. For those of us chasing big, audacious goals, the thrill of the chase and the sweetness of victory are often worth more than the elusive dream of perfect balance.
So, in conclusion - embrace your unbalanced life; it might just be the secret to getting where you want to go. Be well, and let chaos be part of your strategy.
