Redefining Work-Life Balance During Your Next Career Move

We’ve spent decades talking about why it’s important to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Motivational speakers and life coaches dole out advice about shutting off your phone at the dinner table and scheduling time for hobbies. However, when it comes time to find a new career path, many of us are faced with the reality that life is about to become unbalanced.

Idealism and Fluidity

In reality, very few people are actually able to achieve the perfect work-life balance. In fact, each individual has a different idea of what that ideal is. Some people simply don’t feel the need to take a ton of time out for their hobbies, or they prefer to take their vacations all at once, rather than trying to juggle all of their favorite activities into their weekly plan. The most important thing to remember about work-life balance is that it’s an ideal, and it’s something you work towards, but it’s also fluid. A temporary imbalance while you plan your next step is okay, as long as you have a plan to get back to the comfortable balance you had before.

The Plan

Making a major life change like a career switch comes with a bit of unpredictability. Whether you need to take on extra training, or you need to spend some time working overtime to get the new boss’ attention, the truth is that you never know what to expect until you get there. You probably won’t find that things go back to normal right away, and if they do, you probably didn’t make much of a change after all. The positive side is that when you make a change for the better, it will change the way you feel about your work, which gives you the opportunity to re-assess that coveted work-life balance that you’ve been striving towards. If you’re happier at work do you feel more content with the amount of time you’re spending there?

Work-life balance is an idea that’s been floating around for years. Many people read all of the books and listen to all of the speeches thinking that there’s a precise formula, but there isn’t. Balance is up to you and your needs, and a career move may temporarily disrupt your old balance, but it will almost certainly give you an opportunity to achieve an even better one.