Join Host Megan Spicer in a very hot topic that is forever ongoing: Creating Business, Balance and Bliss. She is joined by the knowledgeable Amy Vetter, who is the host of the podcast Breaking Beliefs, an Inc. and Entrepreneur.com contributor, author of the book Business Balance and Bliss, one of the most powerful women in accounting, board member and corporate advisor. The expertise and relatability on this topic about work life balance integration, gets you thinking about how the balance and bliss may not actually be out of reach.
What we cover in this episode:
- 02:32 – Work/Life integration, balance & harmony
- 07:22 – How to find the comfort in the integration
- 12:25 – Be a kid again
- 21:32 – Do what scares you
Work/Life integration, balance & harmony
There are many terms interchangeable with work/life balance and there may be a difference between work life balance vs work life integration. Amy has transitioned from balance to integration and harmony and we can see why as she states, “our life is ebb and flow, and it’s very hard to make it equal every single day. And there might be more personal time than business time and more business time than personal time.”
Sometimes when you are trying to create this balance of work and personal lives, especially in your business setting, it can feel like you are on a teeter totter trying to evenly distribute your time and energy to both work and personal life. This shouldn’t have to be the case, which is where the work life integration comes in.
Putting boundaries in place and prioritizing communication and transparency, you can help reduce or eliminate burnout. Work/life integration isn’t about trying to find a perfect balance between the two, but creating a harmonious flow that you can adjust as needed so you’re able to enjoy both work and life.
How to find comfort in integration
Amy says the way to find and create the balance in the workplace is “it has to start at the top, absolutely from the leadership perspective. Because that visual in the rest of the organization is really important.”
Leading by example and creating and establishing the work environment to be a place where employees understand the parameters of how the balance works is essential to making the balance consistent and long-term. If there is a lack of transparency from the leadership, this can cause bias and confusion for everyone else.
A great example of how transparency can work or hinder the environment is given by Amy. With many generations usually working in one place, there are different perspectives on time off or time taken away from work.
If a leader decides to take a Friday afternoon off to go golfing, doesn’t disclose this, and then starts working on a Saturday. To the team this could appear the leader is working 6 or 7 days a week. Which could lead to others feeling obligated to work as well or feeling bad when they are taking time off during the week. This is why it is important to set expectations and to be more transparent about work hours and flexibility, to avoid situations such as this.
Be a kid again
“So many of us get told things that become beliefs and we start pushing down things that as children were our strengths… Whatever it is, when you think about a moment when you were a child and time just disappeared, those are the moments that we wanna recapture as adults… That is work-life harmony.”
The goal is to become aware of what those moments are that make you feel balanced, harmonious, blissful and create them daily. With this comes being aware of what makes you feel the opposite, recognizing when it happens and then pausing and stepping back to make the little changes needed to get back on track.
The ability to create more of those days where we feel more centered can make a huge impact on your daily life and well being. Also, remembering not to judge yourself when you do have those off days, weeks, or even months. Off periods happen for everyone, but it is most important to focus on getting back on track.
Do what scares you
“When we go into college and go into our careers, we pick the ones that are easy for us, like that come more naturally to us. But life changes, the work changes, and if we don’t in our personal life, try new things to remember how to learn again, it’s hard to bring that innovation and that executive level thinking into your business as well.”
Life is ever changing and so is our business, and it has to be in order for growth to happen. Without risk, there is no reward, and it can and will be scary to take those needed steps to grow and expand out. Being perfect at it though, or succeeding at whatever you are doing, takes time.
“It’s something that we have to remember in business because we don’t always have to be the perfect one or the one that does it the best. We can find the people that offset us … because we need to find those gaps of things that we’re not as good at and make sure that someone that is good at that fills it and trust them, empower them, delegate to them, which is an important part of creating your own work life harmony.”
Conclusion
Creating a work/life integration, balance, harmony, or bliss, doesn’t come easy and quick. The most difficult part may be to start the journey and then keep it going. Finding your own integration though, can make all the difference in your personal life, with relationships and in your business. Try your best to find ways to be a kid again, occasionally do something that scares you, and remember that communication and transparency can go a long way.
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