This week, we welcome Janine Zappini to the Watersedge blog! Janine is an entrepreneur, mother, award winning global speaker and author of "Empowered Parents Unlocked - Foundation."
When it comes to navigating family, career, personal health and priorities, she knows there is no one size fits all. For her, it's all about alignment.
As a passionate entrepreneur and mother, I’ve often found myself drowning in the advice to achieve “work-life balance.” It sounds wonderful in theory – dividing your time equally between work and personal life to create harmony. But in practice, I’ve realised it doesn't work.
Here’s why alignment is what we should strive for and why the idea of balance is outdated and unrealistic.
The Myth of Balance
1. The Impossibility of Perfect Balance
Let's be real – life is messy and unpredictable. The notion that we can evenly split our time between work and personal life is a fantasy. There are days when my business needs every ounce of my energy and attention and days when my family does. Trying to maintain a perfect balance feels like a constant tug-of-war and more often than not, it leaves me feeling guilty and frustrated.
2. One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work
We all have different roles, responsibilities and priorities. As a mother and entrepreneur, my life is drastically different from someone without kids or someone in a different career stage.
The idea of balance suggests there’s a universal formula for how we should allocate our time, but that’s simply not true. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.
3. The Stress of Balancing Acts
Trying to balance everything can be downright stressful. It’s like walking a
tightrope, always on edge, fearing that one misstep will make everything come crashing down. This constant pressure to balance work and life perfectly can lead to burnout and exhaustion. We’re not jugglers and life
shouldn’t feel like a circus act.
The Power of Alignment
1. Focus on Integration, Not Segregation
Alignment, on the other hand, is about integrating work and personal life
in a way that they complement each other. Instead of viewing work and life as opposing forces, alignment helps us see them as parts of a whole. It’s about finding ways to let our professional goals and personal values coexist harmoniously.
For instance, if you value health, finding time to exercise during your lunch break or having walking meetings can integrate well with your workday.
2. Embrace Flexibility and Adaptability
Life is dynamic and so should be our approach to it. Alignment embraces the ebb and flow of our daily demands. Some days, my business takes the front seat and on others, my kids’ needs come first. Alignment allows for flexibility and adaptability, recognising that our priorities can shift from day to day and that’s okay.
3. Align with Your True Priorities
Alignment is about being true to what matters most to you. It means understanding your core values and making decisions that reflect them. As a mother, my children’s well-being is a top priority. As an entrepreneur, my business growth is crucial. Instead of trying to balance these aspects, I align my time and energy in a way that honours both. This might mean involving my kids in my work sometimes or carving out dedicated family time in my schedule.
4. Reduce Stress and Increase Fulfillment
When we stop chasing the impossible goal of balance and start focusing on alignment, we reduce stress and increase our sense of fulfilment. Alignment encourages us to set boundaries that protect our well-being and prioritise activities that nourish us. It’s about quality over quantity – being fully present in whatever we’re doing, whether it’s work or family time.
5. Build a Sustainable Lifestyle
Ultimately, alignment leads to a more sustainable lifestyle. It acknowledges that we can’t do everything perfectly all the time and that’s perfectly fine. By aligning our actions with our values and goals, we create a life that’s not just manageable but truly fulfilling.
Let’s stop beating ourselves up over the myth of work-life balance. Instead, let’s strive for alignment, where our professional ambitions and personal lives can coexist and thrive together. It’s time to embrace the fluidity of life and find a harmony that works uniquely for us.
