Can You Be Highly Productive and Still Have a Balanced Life?
In theory, a balanced life seems like an ideal goal. We’ll get into that more below. At the same, the concept of “highly productive” is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, perhaps the best first thing to do when pondering the question posed in the title is to identify your current wants and needs. List the parts of your life that matter to you and then prioritize them.
At the same time, think about why you want to be highly productive (however you define that goal). Is it societal expectations or personal drive — or a little of both? Self-exploration is the path toward deciding where to aim your focus.
How Are You Doing in Different Aspects of Your Life?
For the sake of this discussion, five fundamental aspects of life have been listed below. Go through them and carefully rank yourself in terms of how fulfilled, happy, and successful you are. The goal is to access your current state so please be as honest as you can.
1. Health
This pertains to both mental and physical health. Beyond standard checkups or evaluations, how do you really feel? There are two many possible criteria to list but here are some to get you thinking:
Energy
Sleep Quality
Mental sharpness
Overall resilience
Keep in mind that none of the other elements below can be fully satisfied if you are caring for your well-being.
2. Family Life
From spouses to kids to parents and beyond — where do you stand with your family? Do you feel good about the quantity and quality of time you enjoy together? Do you get the sense that your family members are happy with your presence in their life? Are their relationships that require more attention and repair?
3. Career/Finances
Everyone’s goals will be different. Some rate salary or prestige higher than personal fulfillment. Others are in a tight financial spot and crave any increase in income. These are all valuable assessments but go deeper. When you were a child, people would ask you want you want to do when you grow up? Is your current career related in any way to those dreams or do you dread the daily grind?
This brings us more specifically to finances. Is money a source of personal stress and/or marital strife? Are you having fun now or mostly saving for retirement? Do you earn plenty but work too much to enjoy it?
4. Social and Community Life
It’s one thing to be friendly with someone at the gym or the guy who works at the coffee place you frequent. But we’re talking about deeper connections with friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Do you have this in your life or are you too busy? And what about civic time. Do you volunteer and get involved in community activities? If not, this aspect of your life is definitely not in balance.
5. Spiritual
Everyone needs to be restored and renewed. How they do it and what they call it will vary. But concepts like balance and productivity are not attainable without this foundation.
Ranking the above categories can go a long way in assessing where you are in terms of living the life you desire to live.
But, Is a Balanced Life Automatically a Happy Life?
Life is more than a scorecard. You have the freedom to emphasize one part of your life over the others. But never forget that all such choices bring with them some predictable outcomes. Having goals and dreams guarantees that some trade-offs must be made. Only you and the people closest to you can decide what compromises are acceptable. Decide for yourself what "highly productive" and "balanced life" mean and take things from there.
If you are struggling to balance your career with your personal life, don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more about work-stress therapy.