As we adapted to the frenetic
pace of work, matching steps with our seniors who had decades of experience and
wisdom tucked under their belts and a viciously ambitious younger generation proficient in technology combined with a ‘I
Know it All’ killer attitude, it was a battle for survival at the workplace.
More so, if you were a woman! Trapped between traditional expectations of
family and society, and yet desirous of soaring high and establishing her
credentials in her choice of career, the imperceptible battle lines were
already being formed for what was to become the ‘Equal Rights & Gender
Sensitivity’ movement of the 21st century. As women, we struggled to
maintain the status quo between family and the workplace, even as reams of
material got published on the ‘Work Life Balance’ equation, with each
instructor providing alternative theories and solutions on how to maintain the
perfect equilibrium.
After over two decades of
juggling roles, responsibilities, prejudices and expectations, I arrived at a
simple conclusion... ‘Work Life Balance is Bogus’! It’s an illusion, it doesn’t
exist, a futile quest, and an elusive dream. Let’s admit it...the serene pre-90’s Wonder Years is never coming
back, and it’s time we made radical changes in our thinking process to adjust
to this new era.
First let’s
look at the term ‘Work Life Balance’. The word balance implies that two disparate
forces are involved, each pushing and pulling you in dissimilar directions. In
other words, we have already compartmentalized our life and set them up for
conflict. So in effect, when at home any intrusion from office feels like an
invasion of your personal space. Similarly when at work, handling home matters
such as care for your children or aged parents, house chores and paying off bills
leads to the same feeling of conflict. Time and again we take measures to merge
the two, but at their core they remain two disconnected entities.
But what if
we redefined both concepts, thereby removing them from their perpetually contrary
states, and further integrated both these areas in such a manner that the two
complemented and enhanced each other?
Thereby,
bringing me to the conclusion that ‘Work-Life Convergence’ is the only theory
that makes practical sense and wins hands down at the end of the day. Let’s
admit it...Home and Career are the two prime pillars of our life. They inspire,
motivate, reward and drive us in equal measure every single day of our lives.
In my view they must be treated as a ‘Gift’, and not something one must
grudgingly trudge through to get to the fun part. And yet most of us seem to do
the converse and have an ‘either / or’ approach. Instead of segregating Work
and Personal life as two disparate entities, the goal must be to have one very
fulfilling life and one must consciously work towards integrating all the
different elements that make your life unique and meaningful.
From an
aerial perspective, our existence cannot be reduced to a mere
compartmentalization wherein family, friends, career, health or socializing
become pieces of a disparate puzzle that we struggle to marry together. Au
contraire, our life is designed as an intricate tapestry of assorted colours, weaves
and designs, each representing a distinctive area of our existence, ultimately converging
into an integrated whole. But how you choose to converge your career, home, community,
creativity, hobbies and calling is entirely up to you! Fact of the matter, as preachy
and arduous as it sounds, “Forget
Balance, Embrace Convergence”.
I’m sure a
lot of people are going to guffaw at the above and say, “Heck yeah...nice
dream”. At a time when the economy is in dire straits, job losses and wage cuts
the norm of the day, and employees being ask to work harder and log in longer
hours, this does seem like a pipe dream. But despite the economic frailties, an
emergent trend has been observed over the past decade among the modern
workforce. People are opting for jobs they are passionate about, irrespective
of the money, stature or security. People are seeking a higher purpose in their
careers, and are designing their entire lives around that goal. Examples abound
of high profile bankers who quit to become authors, successful lawyers who
quite the legal juggernaut to set up CSR initiatives for the underprivileged,
and famous models who quit the ramp at the peak of their career to become travel
bloggers. People are gradually finding avenues
to focus their energies on what they want their life’s work to be truly about,
and what they want to leave behind when it’s all over.
Similarly,
family dynamics are changing more rapidly than ever before. Men are becoming
stay-at-home dads, women are prolonging child birth, ageing grandparents have
decided to drop it all and finally take that world cruise. ‘Work Life
Convergence’ takes an even more meaningful position in such a fast changing
scenario. ‘Home’ has always had a sacred place in our hearts, and we would give
up our careers in a heartbeat if a situation at home so demanded. But given the
chance to work for a higher cause, it is possible to strive towards seamlessly
converging the two and passionately executing our work as well.
It’s the
lucky few who are aware right from the start what their life’s purpose is all
about and set out to achieve it from the very beginning of their career. Some
of us may be aware of our goals but genuinely cannot pursue them initially due
to the many limiting factors, the primary reasons being financial constraints
and family commitments. Most of us are clueless and may take years to figure
out our raison détre. It’s an ongoing evolutionary process...one of trial and
error, efforts, blunders, retraction of many steps, time and again.....but it’s
a worthwhile journey of discovery. The sooner we realize our true calling, the
sooner we escape the mental agony of the ‘Work Life’ balancing act. Your work
now become a bigger life goal, an extension of your true identity, something
that you take on with love and passion, in the process inspiring your family in
their own lives and above all, leaving behind a happier and better world.
All this
doesn’t mean that all of us need to throw in our towels and quit our day jobs.
Rather it means, whatever career you pursue, make sure that it’s something you
are truly passionate about. For example, if you are an excellent orator, are interested
about the intricacies of the legal system, have great persuasion skills and are
zealous about justice, it makes sense for you to become a lawyer. Take my
example...I have always been passionate about the field of communications, and
my two decades spanning portfolios encompassing advertising, public relations, marketing,
brand and corporate communications were a pure extension of my true being. And
that’s why I still haven’t reached that point where I’ve ever had to shuffle my
feet to the workplace. I am living my dream, and it will surely evolve over the
coming years into further variants, genres and platforms, but the positive is
that I’m still on the right course in my dream domain of ‘Communications’.
As long as
we are on the topic of convergence, logistical issues will abound. Whether you
commute to your dream job, or operate from home, it still boils down to
integrating family with career. Working from home is great for some people,
less stimulating for others, and not so cool with most employers. But it fails
to get to the source of the issue, which is that you are still viewing work as
an obligation that takes your time away from the things you’d rather do. When
true ‘Work Life Convergence’ has been attained issues pertaining to commute,
work hours and balance become pointless as the cherished goal is clear and one
manages to negotiate a balance in both parts of one’s life. This could mean
flexi-hours, better delegation or working from home, but in effect you would
still be responsible for getting the job done within the stipulated timeline.
If you really love what you do, trust me, irrespective of the chaos around you,
you’ll still find an innovative way to get it done. And the best part is none
of this will be viewed as a chore by you or your family. When you’re happy,
trust me, your family is also super supportive and happy for you.
So does this
mean that you need to quit your current job with the excuse that you need more
‘Work Life Convergence’? Not really. But it’s a start. Take a journey of self
discovery. Talk to your family and friends, retrace your steps back to your
school and college days. What did you enjoy doing, your hobbies and passions,
areas you excelled in? What inspired you? And therefore, what is the kind of
work that is worthy of spending the rest of your days on? Remember, it’s just
one life, and this unique life is no dress rehearsal. Every minute counts. What
is your true calling, what would you want to do for the rest of your life, what
kind of work makes you happy and simultaneously gives your family the peace by
simply observing how content you genuinely are even when pulled away from home by
this work at odd hours.
In summary,
we may never attain the perfect balance between Work & Life, and by the
sheer definition of that word, even if we do achieve Balance for a while, it
won’t last. But we can at least begin a soul searching journey as to what it
would mean to not have two distinct parts of our lives at eternal strife with
each other. Given the limited span of our productive lives, and how much is at
stake for our own emotional goodwill and that of our loved ones, it’s critical
to see what we are fighting against. Instead of chasing the holy grail of
Work-Life Balance, it’s useful to know that there is another option centred on
work-life integration called ‘Work Life Convergence’. Considering all aspects that formulate your mental make-up
and your physical life, really looking at where you're directing your energy,
and focusing on what's most important to you both at work and at home, will surely
make you a more holistic, successful and fulfilled person, both in business and
in life.
No comments:
Post a Comment