My husband asks me, "But how long will this be?" as I put my reading glasses on early this morning. He is trying to gauge how long he has to do an activity before I will want to do something together or task him with something once I've "finished" on my computer. Today, I am wondering about balance and efficacy. I have listened recently to a few podcasts and read a bit on the ever-elusive work/life balance and am curious, does one ever really reach it? And, is it good if you actually achieve it?
I enjoy learning. I thrive when given new information with which to interact. I feel recharged and invigorated when I am engaged in trying something new. But I know this is not the case for everyone. I know for some, new things or new ways of thinking about old things can be daunting. How do skilled leaders build a community where those in their charge don't feel exhausted and drained by new initiatives, but rather empowered and excited?
"When you're doing something you love, you never work a day in your life," is what they say. It seems this sets people up for unrealistic expectations for their chosen careers. So far, it seems when you do what you love, you work on it every day of your life, whether it is for a paycheck or not. How do we avoid becoming jaded and exhausted with new initiatives? How do we seek to find and help others find the new nugget of information often hidden in "retro" ideas? Being young and early in my career, I know my perspective is highly skewed. When you're in your thirties, everything is new. You haven't been around long enough to experience the pendulum swings of education first hand.
However, how do we continue this momentum towards self efficacy once we have reached a more senior moment in our careers? I think it involves choice. Choosing to sustain your curiosity and passion for what you do and extending your career into your life isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think building a community at home who care deeply about your learning and work seems paramount when balancing work and life. After all, reading something and learning it is one thing but the real joy we get is from sharing and interacting with that information (oh, hi Twitter). So, I'd say to build more balance into my life, I'm going to engage on my learning intentionally and collaboratively not just with those in my field, but with those who love me. No longer seeking to keep the two worlds apart. I'll let you know how it goes. Looking to learn from you, reader.
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