We went from work-life balance to work-life integration with a continuous emphasis on creating some level of equality between our work and life.
Today, I'd like for you to shift that perspective towards Work-Life Harmony, which is a more holistic view of how we can reconsider where we want to invest our energy when it comes to other significant pillars of our lives.
Our energy is finite, we only have so much of it in a day, in a year and in a lifetime. Are you putting yours in the right place? In this new framework of work-life harmony, we move away from a two-dimensional view of what makes up our world with a heavy emphasis on 'work', towards a multi-dimensional view of what makes up our lives. As you read each of the descriptions below, consider the percentage of your energy you invest across each of the 7 Dimensions, and where you'd like to dedicate more or less of your time. The challenge today will be to find new approaches to investing in yourself, by rebalancing where and how you invest your energy.
The 7 Dimensions of Work-Life Harmony
Work: Dedicating energy towards your career and work efforts through time on job, work-related activities and development that are geared towards growth in role.
Learn: Regularly investing time into learning and development that may or may not align to your work. These may include topics that develop soft or hard skills, and also extend to learning areas that are of interest to you.
Explore: Actively exploring the world from the perspective of curiosity. You are seeking out new territories, topics, interests, cultures, etc. It is the action of expanding existing, and learning new points of view that can aid in becoming a more empathetic and inclusive individual.
Fun: Consciously creating time to have fun and enjoy life in ways that are important to you. It is the act of engaging in experiences solo or with others, strictly with the motive of having fun - having fun is not the by-product of the activity, it is the activity.
Family & Friends: Being intentional and selective with how you share your energy with others. This includes how it is you define quality time, the quantity of time you would prefer to spend with others, and being aware of which relationships you'd like to invest into or sever because they have evolved over time.
Well-being: Investing in your own well-being to ensure you are able to show up for yourself and others the way you'd like. This includes managing your energy, checking in with yourself, seeking out support from others, and nourishing your body and mind.
Community: Creating space to connect with the communities you belong to with the purpose of giving back in the ways that would allow them to further elevate and create a space for new members to feel welcomed and supported.
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By now, you should have an idea of where it is you're investing your energy. If it helps, write down these 7 Dimensions and next to each write down the percentage of time you dedicate to each today, and also write down a percentage that is a future goal. Finally, it is important to remember that as your life evolves, how and where you dedicate your energy will also evolve. Regularly check in against these 7 Dimensions to ensure you're staying balanced and are investing in the areas of life that are important to you.
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