Is work-life balance just a myth?

01.27.2019

Former lawyer and now COO of an LA-based clothing company Hosea Chang recently penned an article for Forbes saying work-life balance is nothing more than a myth. He writes that constantly pursuing what doesn’t really exist is not only exhausting, but unhealthy.

“When you’re at work, be present at work. When you’re with family and friends, be present,” he says. “When you’re on vacation, be on vacation. Don’t let a lack of work-life balance convince you that you’re not living life to the fullest.”

This got us, at Ambrion, thinking. Is work-life balance a myth? How do other employees approach this? We asked a few professionals to weigh in.

Blend work and life

Stephanie Stahl, writer, editor, and general manager of Content Marketing Institute, echoes Chang’s sentiments. “A work-life balance is a bit of a fairytale. It’s impossible to give equal weight to both all of the time,” she writes on Twitter. “I’ve found it’s better to try to blend work and life. Sometimes that means a mid-day trip to volunteer at school, or taking my laptop to a dance competition, or occasionally working on weekends.”

Limit how often you check your email

When she threw her hat in Wabasha’s mayoral race last year, Emily Durand joined a wave of female candidates who were hoping to break barriers in the mid-term elections. When she was elected in November, she became the Southeastern Minnesota town’s first female mayor. And continues to work full-time as a research project manager for HealthPartners Institute, which means with two young children, she and her husband Scott have full schedules. But, she makes an effort to not be controlled by her email inbox.

“I am trying to stop grabbing my phone and checking my email,” she says, something Chang referenced too. “I don’t want to allow my email to navigate my day. Rather, I want to have a plan to follow and then decide when I have time to check my inbox.”

Chang echoes this. “Unless you have a $100 million deal closing tomorrow, there’s no reason you need to constantly check your email.”

Do what you love

Daniel O’Hara worked as a neonatal intensive care nurse for 20 years. But his real passion was writing. Married with three children, O’Hara felt like he had no choice but to continue his career, which supported his family financially.

“I was teaching my kids to work for money and stomach misery,” he says. “Now I’m teaching them to be happy and value creativity.” With the support of his wife, also a neonatal intensive care nurse, O’Hara left his nursing career and began writing everyday. He is in the process of publishing his first novel. 

“I still feel guilt about pursuing my passion, but I have to check that at the door and get over it,” he says. “I’m a writer. I’m following my passion. And I’m teaching my kids to do the same.”

Make time for what you love

MarketingProfs’ 2019 Marketer Happiness Report surveyed 1,533 marketers from around the world. They researched what makes marketers tick and how the most successful are staying sharp.

“Marketers feel they are spending too little time with friends, exercising, volunteering and engaging in hobbies — but too much time on social media,” the report states. Researchers also noted that 43% of those surveyed based their daily priorities on what was in their email inboxes. The remedy? They encouraged folks to turn off their phones and find a hobby.

“Let’s turn off our devices every day, and spend more time on those things we say we don’t have enough time for,” the report says. “For instance, spend time on a hobby. Though hobbies may seem an extraneous use of time, we have long believed that making something — anything — will make us more interesting people. And marketers.”

You can’t do it all
Troy Passe waits in the carpool lane to pick up his four kids from school. Even though it’s already 3:00 in the afternoon, the busiest part of his day has yet to begin. He shuttles one to gymnastics, one to piano and two to basketball. Then, it’s home to make dinner and help with homework. His wife, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic, has to work late. Even though their schedule is full, it’s a change from just a few years ago.

“I left a career as an airline pilot to give my kids and wife the time and energy they deserve,” he says. He’s now a stay-at-home-dad and runs his own cabinet-making business. But, he admits, it’s not perfect.

“I try to be as involved as I can with my kids. I get a lot of fulfillment from being a dad,” he says, noting that he coaches several of their sports teams. “But, a professional sense of accomplishment is sacrificed. Ultimately, you can do anything you want, but you can’t do it all.”