Everyone talks about the importance of work/life balance but balance, by nature, is very precarious. Tension is inherent in this idea of spending 50% of your time on work and 50% of your time enjoying your life. Picture a see-saw. Lean back or lean in on either side of the see-saw of work and life and you’ve tipped - there goes your perfectly balanced life.
Not to mention, if you are a solopreneur, is this really even possible?
Instead of trying to separate, and then balance, your personal and professional lives, we at Live in the Grey have a different approach. We advocate tossing out the idea of a black-and-white existence and blending these two important aspects together. No more black-and-white. Living in the grey means loving what you do and living what you love.
Did you realize that you are already living in the grey?
Entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint of heart. Since you’ve signed up for this awesome roller coaster ride, it’s safe to say you’re in it because you are passionate about what you’re doing. You’ve already taken the first step to #LiveGrey: you know what makes you happy, and you’ve found a way to fold it into your daily life.
Our challenge to you is to look for other ways in which you can actively blend your personal and professional. Are you making work playful? Can you find meaning when you play? Have you made your friends your colleagues? Are your colleagues your friends?
We believe that actions trump intentions so we’d like to leave you go-getters with a small challenge (a fun to-do to add to your list!):
We’d like you to do at least one of the following three things in the next seven days to make your life a little more grey.
1. Create opportunity. Think of two people in your life - from either your personal and/or professional network - that should meet each other. Look for people with common interests or similar goals. Shoot a quick note to each explaining why they should meet the other. Introduce them and see what happens! When you add value to the lives of people in your world, it comes back around!
2. Share your aspirations. Tell one of your friends or family members about a business article you’ve read or why you love a certain brand. Seek out their insight on the topic and engage them in conversation that you might not have otherwise had. This is a great way to nurture your (healthy) obsessions, name your aspirations and share them with the ones you love.
3. Make your colleagues your friends. Make a lunch date with the freelancers, contractors, peers, and mentors that are helping you build your business. Celebrate your collaborations by getting to know each other in a non-work way. Talk about hobbies, travel, pets, etc. Anything that will help everyone get to know each other on a deeper level. Just make sure there’s no work-talk!
Challenge extended! Share your results with us in the comments below. And if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at [email protected] or find us on Twitter, @livegrey.
Nidhi Thapar
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- Blend- Don’t Balance- Your Work and Your Life - January 30, 2014
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