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Work life balance?  Sway?  

Back to Business

I know this week was a big return to school schedules and work picked up post Labor Day for many of you, and similarly, we are very much in the swing of things at Legacy Care Wealth.  The past few months have been full of adventures both positive and negative, and it is really rewarding to look back and think about how they have changed me, Rob and the future of the business for the better.  

One conference I attended this summer has really stayed with me.  Back in June, I attended a Women in Finance conference in NYC and one of the speakers was Jeanne Thompson who has become acclaimed for her writing on what she called "sway" (google it to find more information!).  Sway is her solution to the constant attempt she experienced in her life and career to find some kind of work/life balance - if it really exists.  Her takeaway is that there is no true balance.  Instead there will be times in her life where her family take priority and she took a back seat in her career, and other times when her career was a primary focus and the family had to accommodate around her professional demands.  This ebb and flow of priorities has resulted in a sway in her life, and a different kind of balance that she can accept.  

While I don't think there is one true answer to balance and sway that is universal for all, I truly think work/life balance is what you make it to be, and there will inevitably be some sway in your life - meaning that some times the scale will be tipped more in favor of one side versus the other.  Instead, as we get back to our schedules, I say let's try to figure out what a "normal week" would look like - a normal that falls into the SMART goals guideline of being Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.  While this SMART schedule may not be your ideal week, it is manageable and all of your basic goals for yourself, your career and your family, will be met.  Then live it!  See how you do each week.  By having a baseline, when the inevitable work demand pops up or you get a call that your child is sick, you will have a better understanding of just how "off-track" you may be and what you need to do to get back on track.  Usually by putting this kind of system in place for yourself, you will find great relief when there is a variation that pulls you more to one end of the scale versus the other.  

We use a similar practice when it comes to financial planning.  While we know our goals will inevitably change over time and the assumptions we make in your future will likely be modified, it is so important to have a baseline to work from in planning your future.  Then as you have surprises, either positive or negative, you will have an understanding of the impact it can have on your future and be able to adjust accordingly.  

Without charting a course, trying to course correct is all that more difficult.