June 2019 Issue
WORK/LIFE BALANCE
(noun):
1. The idea that one can manage personal responsibilities and also get work done without sacrificing one for the other.
2. A mythical concept that humans are trying to prove exists.
(see also: balancing act)
If work/life balance exists, where can I find it? I’m attempting to solve that mystery, so I don’t spend the rest of the month somewhere between a state of “Junesanity” and a FOMO-induced slump.
What is “Junesanity,” you ask? Well besides a compound word, June + Insanity = Junesanity, it's the working parent month of overwhelm (in the northeast); filled with the end of the year field trips, miscellaneous half days, and a plethora of school performances all requiring a specific colored t-shirt. (i.e., being forced to buy a brand new black t-shirt just to cut holes in said t-shirt so one can resemble a singing orphan 🙄) Junesanity is also the month clients like to wrap up or get started on new projects before the summer truly kicks in.
There has to be a way to fit in client calls, get my son a haircut before graduation, direct multiple creative projects, muster up the courage to record a witty Instagram story and plan a sans kid vacation in August to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary without losing my mind, right…right?
So how does one keep the personal life up to speed and the business in motion without sacrificing their sanity? It's all about being realistic with your workload. I know, we all want to think of ourselves as superheroes, swinging from one task to another; but it's all too easy for those hard-working, good intentions to turn to dust in a (Thanos sized) snap leaving us marveling at our own stupidity. So when I realize I have, once again, overestimated my human abilities, I lean on Heather Vickery’s insightful advice "to take a break, focus and give yourself a little grace."
After all, I may be able to do anything, but not everything!
