While the whole “Work-Life Balance” movement is still alive and kicking, in the past couple of years there has been a subtle but growing movement away from balance toward Work-Life Harmony.
Definitions vary, in fact, some say balance is a prerequisite to harmony, but in reality, the two are actually quite different.
If you’ve ever attempted to create balance in your own life then you know from firsthand experience that it can actually increase tension by pitting one part of your life against another in an attempt to give each fair and equal time and attention.
For women, in particular, this often manifests in the form of guilt as we attempt to “balance” growing a career, maintaining a relationship, and caring for a family.
Of course, it doesn’t help that the world at large is ready and eager to judge every choice you make.
What this means is that even if you somehow manage to get everything in its proper place and in “perfect” balance, you can find yourself miserable trying to keep it that way.
When you find peace and harmony within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.
The Path to Work-Life Harmony
Harmony differs in that it is about finding ways to create a satisfying flow between the things you love to do and the things you’re paid to do (ideally, they are the same).
Now, if you’re working a job you barely tolerate and suffer from commitment overload, and demanding relationships, you may be thinking to yourself, “Fat chance!”
You’ve got bills to pay, people who may or may not cooperate, commitments you’re locked into, blah, blah, blah.
I get it; in fact, I’ve been there.
The reality is that work-life balance is a mythical ideal we drive ourselves crazy trying to achieve. But it is possible to create harmony between the two, and you can take the first step by investing the next 8 minutes watching this TEDx Presentation.
Disconnect to Connect: The Path to Work-Life Harmony by Amy Vetter.
At 32 Amy woke to the sudden realization she had worked hard (really, really hard) most of her life pursuing someone else’s dream. She shares how she changed her life for the better by creating a path to work-life harmony.
It might be tempting to assume this is about “going with the flow” but that involves letting life take its course. While there’s something to be said for that at times, achieving genuine harmony is more about adaptability and purposeful intention.
For example, instead of beating herself up or remaining stuck, Amy took a proactive approach to gradually create a shift in her priorities that resulted in a healthy relationship between her personal and professional life.
Closing Thoughts
Like most things that really matter, meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight, but you can begin today to put yourself on a path to create a more satisfying life, whatever that may look like for you.
What is certain is that harmony isn’t something you find, it is something you create, and you’ll never find it on the outside, until you feel it on the inside.
Related reading:
Will you be the passenger or the driver in your life journey?
About Marquita A. Herald
Marquita is an author, resilience coach and the chief evangelist at Emotionally Resilient Living. She’s also an unapologetic workaholic who loves red wine, rock n’ roll, road trips (and car dancing!), peanut butter cookies and (especially) a dog named Lucy.
She’s saddened and frustrated by excuses and cruelty and believes authentic compassion is the most powerful force in the world.
To learn more about Marquita and the mission of Emotionally Resilient Living click “here“.
