3 Compelling Reasons to Create Work/Life Balance in a Challenging Economy
Why NOW is the best time for woman lawyers to create more balance between their personal and professional lives!
Nine years ago – I achieved what I consider to be my greatest professional accomplishment. I convinced my employer to allow a colleague and myself to “job-share” a position, a move that allowed me to work three days a week (and made me and my family a whole lot happier). When I tell other woman lawyers my story, their eyes get wide with wonder. When I share that, as part of the deal, I received a promotion and took only a minimal pay cut, they stare in disbelief.
Yes – I’m incredibly fortunate to have received this unique opportunity AND the bottom line is, it’s an opportunity I created. What if you had the opportunity to shift your own career in a more fulfilling and balanced direction? Is that really possible – especially with the state of our current economy? You may be surprised to know you have a lot more options and choices for work/life balance than you first recognized, and that these opportunities exist not in spite of – but BECAUSE of the state of our current economy.
There are actually 3 compelling reasons this could be the best time for you to create a positive change, and experience a lot more balance, fulfillment and satisfaction in your career.
#1 Challenging Times Force Us To Re-Evaluate Our Priorities And Take Action
Finding time to have a personal life or raise a family while practicing law can be challenging in the best of times - but add a global economic meltdown to the mix, and creating a more balanced work schedule can feel completely out of reach.
There is no question that the economic downturn is impacting lawyers and the legal profession. Lawyers are facing layoffs and fewer employment prospects. Venerable law firms have disappeared, while those which survive struggle to maintain revenue flow. In-house jobs seem scarce. In this context, it can feel downright inappropriate to seek more balance. After all, who are we to complain that work is too demanding – at times like this, most of us are just grateful to have jobs!
The truth is, we can always find reasons NOT to address the issue of work/life balance. When the economy was booming, we are “too busy” and now that things are tight, we are “afraid” to rock the boat. We tell ourselves “I’ll wait until I have kids,” “I’ll wait until my kids are in school”, “I’ll wait until I’ve saved enough money” or “when I finally make partner”… THEN I’ll take action and have more of a life beyond my work! If we look for them, we can always find reasons to justify not making balance and fulfillment a bigger priority in our lives.
On the other hand, we can also use the downturn in the economy as a major “wake up” call, a reminder that time is precious and life is uncertain. When the status quo gets shaken up, we are given the opportunity to see and appreciate what’s REALLY important.
Just like a serious illness or the death of a loved one brings our priorities sharply into focus, so can the challenges of our current economy serve us in recognizing our true values and priorities. Instead of continuing to chase money, security, and success, we can use what’s happening to remind us it’s time to take bold actions to live more fully NOW, and not continue to put off our happiness or fulfillment until “someday” down the road.
If nothing else, our current economy is showing us that life, as we know, it can change on a dime, unexpectedly, and that nothing is really predictable. Living as fully and happily as we can, in this moment, is the one way to ensure we have some element of control and security in our lives.
#2 Superstars Know That Balance is Key to Success
If job security is important to you right now, then creating more balance between your personal and professional life could be your smartest strategy. Why? Because we simply do our best work when we have more balance in our lives. When we give more attention to our personal life and priorities, we bring a more focused, engaged energy to our work, and everyone can tell the difference:
“We live in a world that celebrates work and activity, ignores renewal and recovery, and fails to recognize that both are necessary for sustained high performance.”
Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz, “The Power of Full Engagement”
Peak performers have learned the magic combination between work and play, between exertion and rejuvenation, between engagement and release.
A client recently shared that she believed professional excellence required that she put her clients needs first – even if it meant sacrificing balance in her life. Any time she attempted to carve out time for her personal life, she felt guilty – as if she were giving her clients less than her best effort.
In our work together, we examined these assumptions. She looked closely at those times when she worked day after day with little sleep and no balance. She saw how depleted, exhausted and resentful she became, and how this affected the quality of her work performance and results. She then remembered a time when she had made her personal life more of a priority. She recalled spending three hours with a client, and the rest of her day with family members who were visiting from out of town. In the three hours with her client, she was more focused and productive, got everything handled that was needed – all while experiencing the emotional payoff of carving out time with her family.
When she examined the situation more closely, she could see that her client benefitted as much (if not more) from the quality of energy and attention she brought to her work as the number of hours she spent with him. As this sunk in, it became easier to carve out time for her personal life. She understood by making balance a priority; she was serving her own needs and the needs of her clients at a much higher level.
In my own experience, I’ve received more acknowledgement and professional accolades since making the shift to working three days a week than ever before. I have the energy, attention and productivity to play a higher-level game, consistently. The same payoffs are available to you. By choosing to carve out even a little more time for rest, rejuvenation and a satisfying personal life, you will no doubt experience an increase in your effectiveness at work. Once you experience these benefits – you’ll find it easier to make balance a permanent part of your professional strategy.
#3 – The Upheaval Of This Economy Can Be Your Greatest Ally
Looking back at the changes I made in my career, there is no way my company would have tested out my proposed “job-share” arrangement if they weren’t completely desperate to fill the position. They had searched for a candidate for over a year, made several offers to other candidates, all of which fell through. By the time I proposed a new approach, they were so relieved to fill the job that the unconventional work arrangement was a minor factor.
The changes in our economy are likely presenting similar opportunities in your world. Open your eyes wide and pay extra attention to what’s going on around you. What are the particular challenges now surfacing in your own work environment? Where are the economic stressors (health care costs, salaries or support staff?) How can you solve your employer’s current problem while possibly creating a new (more balanced and fulfilling) opportunity for yourself? Look for those glorious win/wins.
When the economy is robust and employers are doing well, there is little motivation to try anything new. When times are challenging, however, most employers will at least be open to an innovative or unconventional idea, especially if it also addresses a current issue in the company or firm. If no opportunity exists within your current work environment, pay attention to opportunities and trends in the general market. Your “dream job” opportunity may be out there – waiting for someone like you with the foresight to recognize it, and the courage to pursue it.
If you are feeling worn out in your current circumstances and could use some support to carve out more balance between your work and personal life, come join the growing community of female attorneys at www.LifeDesignForLawyers.com . You’ll find free resources, monthly strategy calls and tons of support to help you succeed in your career without sacrificing your life.
© 2009 Life Design for Lawyers, Michelle Abend Bauman & Sonia Stringer
