But it's my job.
I get to work at 8:29am and leave at 4:30pm. I hop in my car and, most days, promptly forget where I work until the next morning.
My personal life is chock full of activities that I want to do, books that I want to read, people that I want to spend time with.
Work life balance I have in spades.
It's the life life balance that I'm struggling with.
Years ago, I decided that I wanted to be a renaissance woman. Someone who knew a lot about a lot of things and who participated in a wide variety of activities. Someone who could just as easily fix your car as whip up a gourmet supper all without breaking a sweat. I am not a renaissance woman quite yet but I'm working on it. I know where the oil goes in the car now, have helped build a deck and make a mean hot and sour soup.
Maintaining a life life balance is proving to be a bit of a challenge because there are so many things that I love to do. These days, I run, cycle and curl with a bit of yoga thrown in. My body is most certainly being challenged. My mind - well not so much. I have not been taking as many pictures, have not read as many books and have not taken a course in a while.
I feel sluggish when I don't exercise. My mind gets to be the same way.
So, I've started blogging as a way of exercising my writing muscles. I have a pile of new books by the bed to kick start my imagination and get me thinking. Next step - dust off the camera.
After I get my run in of course!
What if your work was one of the things you loved dearly - photography, marine biology, writing, diabetes counselling, or running. Would you still go to work at 8:29 and leave at 4:30? Or would your passion for your craft or interest exceed the boundaries of an eight-hour day? Isn't it possible for your work to involve you so much that it becomes a bigger portion of your life and isn't that the ideal?
ReplyDeleteSwitching from an 8:30 - 4:30 "job" to work being passion doesnt mean that you need to work more hours. I bet that most people can do their 8:30 - 4:30 job in 1/3 the time they take but they dont cuz they have to fill hours. Hence- no passion.
ReplyDeleteFor me, now that I work my passion I work less.
Off to have a bath! ;)
Everyone has their own priorities. My job is a priority - I work hard and have a really passion for it. Running is a priority, so is photography etc etc. Whether it's an interest or a paid part of my day, I have no desire for any of my passions to take over and elbow out the others. I believe when that happens it's called an obsession :)
ReplyDeleteI give eight hours a day to my work. That's half of my waking hours and quite enough for me.
If you love the job you do, you'll never work a day in your life.
ReplyDeleteNo argument there. However no matter how much one loves what they do, I wouldn't think they would want to spend all of their time doing it. My only point is that it can be a challenge to find a balance.
ReplyDelete