Work life balance. Surely you've heard of it. For a while the idea of work life balance was big. Companies were even advertising that they were serious about helping employees determine a healthy work life balance. The idea that we need to balance our work and life may seem ideal. However good the intentions of the advocates of a healthy work life balance may be, it's actually not grounded in reality. Work and life are not on opposite sides of a mathematical equation. We don't mysteriously balance this invisible equation by removing some work on one side in order to increase life on the other. While mathematical equations do in fact work like that, life and work do not. Here are some risks associated with believing this common myth:
- If we treat work as a separate entity than life, then it quickly becomes our enemy. If work is what we do for money and life is what we do while spending the money, then we've created a reality that is unrealistic and unfulfilling. Why should our children work hard to study math if success means working more? Work is not the opposite of life. It is a part of life and doing well academically opens up opportunities for your child. Thus education means freedom.
- Work is not fun. This follows from a simple syllogism. If work is not life, and life is fun, then work is not fun. Au contraire, work is a God-given calling to steward the earth that He gave us. God doesn't give us boring, mundane, no-fun work. We are the ones who take our God-ordained work and make it horrendous. Work should be fulfilling, including your math homework. Find the infinite God in your studies of His language, learn something hard, and be excited that you did something hard.
- Live more, work less. Let's be honest, when someone says "you need more work life balance". What they mean is, "you work too much." If it's called 'work life balance', then why do we always seek to work less? Work is a necessary part of life and life would be shorted by a lack of work. God is infinite and He has called us to work hard, pray hard, and trust Him. Our work can be fun. Our life can have purpose. Our trust is grounded in the infinite. Is it easy? Nope. But it's totally worth it!
While trying to help our children develop a good work ethic, setup a schedule, build good habits, and love God, let's take a moment to check ourselves. Are we believing the myths of this world? Are we building a life worth living?