So many times over the last decade, a friend, co-worker or someone I have just met has looked at me and said, "Ugh! I have NO work life balance." There is also the variation which goes like this, "I need a better work life balance and I need it NOW!"
As a working mother, I have struggled with work life balance myself. I still do.
But I wonder if people are tired of talking about work life balance. Is it just assumed that there is no such thing as work life balance? That it is a myth?
I don't agree with that way of thinking. I never have considered it a myth. I think it's obtainable if you set boundaries, make sacrifices and difficult choices -- and then do your best every day to live a life that leaves you fulfilled.
Sometimes, during the span of your career, you will put family first, or maybe yourself first. Sometimes, you will put work first (maybe not by choice). And that's just the way it is.
What I have noticed, though, is that job ads have begun using "work life balance" in their descriptions to entice people to apply. That's a huge shift from when I first started writing about the topic more than 15 years ago.
So maybe employers are more conscious that work life balance is something employees care about.
The number of companies jockeying to be on the Best Places to Work List has increased.
So maybe employers are more conscious that people have choices about where they work and they want to work for employers that provide a good work environment.
After many years of writing about work life balance, I plan to continue on a new blog called CindyKeepsUp.com. However, I also am adding some new topics to the conversation. I will be writing about how to stay current in a rapidly changing world where are job skills and people skills must keep up with innovation. I hope you will join me in the conversation!
