Just type the words “work/life balance” into Google and you’re sure to find thousands of articles on how to achieve this elusive accomplishment. Add the word “women” to the Google search, and even more surfaces. And there you’ll find that, while men do crave work/life balance in some ways, it’s mostly in the “weekend warrior” sense of the concept. Men want balance in their lives so they can pursue other interests on the weekends. Women, however, crave work/life balance so they can actually do everything else on their lists.
So imagine my surprise when perusing Real Simple recently and stumbled upon this article: “Have Women Found Work/Life Balance?” The title struck me immediately. Is this really possible? But maybe it is. Real Simple found that ” 68 percent said that their jobs rarely or never interfere with their personal lives.” I wondered, is that the standard? Is our balance in work and in life dependent on how much our jobs interfere with our lives? The author of this thought-provoking Real Simple article asks us to ponder whether “perhaps it’s just that women have developed more practical expectations: We know that total work-life balance is an unattainable ideal, so we’ve stopped insisting on it.”
Have we really become so disenchanted with the idea of work/life balance that we’ve lost hope in its existence? If we see this concept as an unattainable ideal, we will never pursue having time to ourselves and taking care of our mental health. We have to believe there is a place where our work and our lives may not balance, but can integrate seamlessly and allow us the time we need to dedicate to our work and ample time to live a life that includes all of our favorite pastimes as well.
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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