Whenever we are told to submit a resume for a job role, one of the key skills would be ability to work under pressure. I do not know why this has become an integral part of a resume but it seems to attract employers, however the same employees begin to complain of a lack of work life balance. You said you could work under pressure. Pressure doesn’t entertain work life balance.
What does work life balance mean to you? To some people it may apply as creating time for family and other fun activities while maintaining a healthy work schedule while to others it means the ability to prioritise self before the job. Prioritising self may be creating time for personal development, a spa date, dinner with friends or a do not get out of bed day. While there are many definitions of work life balance on the internet, my own definition is the ability to use my time for whatever I want without feeling like I am missing out on work.
As an Executive, especially in a transitioning organisation, Work life balance hardly applies. It is nearly impossible so I wonder why it is constantly being preached and advised to the point that it is beginning to sound like a broken record. The deliverables of an executive are numerous, one is unable to eat, sleep or even breathe in peace. Everyday, there is a new problem that needs to be solved, a question that needs an answer or expectations that need to be met. The day begins with long meetings which may be held back to back. Is it during one of this long meetings I am to excuse myself and run to my swimming school for classes since that is part of my personal development activities.
Last week, I had a guest in my office and he noticed me juggling two phone calls amidst reading my emails and attending to him all at the same time. He said to me, calm down and just breathe. The job will still get done but it can get done under less strenuous circumstances. Then he gave me tips on how to manage my stress levels which lead to me redefining work life balance.
I realised that for the past seven years, the job had been my life, it was all I could think and dream of and I enjoyed it therefore my inability to make it for swimming classes wasn’t because I didn’t have the time rather because I swimming wasn’t as fun as work. This made perfect sense since I made time for the intensive LBS MBA program but apparently couldn’t find time for swimming. Now it is clear that swimming hasn’t made it to my priority list yet so I do not enjoy it. Lack of work life balance is just and excuse.
Some tips which I would like to share here are:
- You do not have to attend to every email or text immediately.
- Fall in love with other things apart from your job and watch yourself create time for those things
- Prioritise the trivial seeming things and begin to enjoy doing them
- Time management is key. Be selfish with your time
- Put your phone down at dinner or bathroom time: Being unavailable for thirty minutes will not kill anyone
I hope this helps your understanding of work life balance and how to manage the stress of being an executive.
