Take the Work+Life Fit Reality Check Quiz and test your own personal work+life fit reality, then scroll down for Holiday Work+Life Fit Tip #3: Checking In and Readjusting.
If you read last week’s blog, you know that we officially released the results from our first annual Work+Life Fit™ Reality Check Survey. Very exciting!
The survey identified why individuals are stuck when it comes to managing the boundaries between their work and personal lives. We can transform corporate cultures and government policies all we want, but until we overhaul the stereotypes that guide our collective thinking and problem-solving around this subject nothing will really change.
According to Merriam-Webster, a stereotype is a “standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion…” The Work+Life Fit™ Reality Check Survey identified seven of these standardized mental pictures and oversimplified beliefs stuck in the past.
Over the next seven weeks, as part of the Breaking Down Work+Life Stereotypes Series, I’m going to use the survey’s findings to figure out how to overhaul each of the following work+life stereotypes for the 21st Century:
1) Work/Life balance is the goal
2) It’s a women’s issue
3) My boss will say “no”
4) I will make less money
5) My company really doesn’t support work+life initiatives, no matter what they say
6) Others will think I’m not working hard
7) I might lose my job or hurt my career
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments! Just as stereotypes are created collectively, they need to be revamped together as well.
Holiday Work+Life “Fit” Tip #3: Checking In and Readjusting!
We all know that saying, “The best laid plans….” Well, the same holds true for managing your holiday work+life fit. Remember, in Tip #1, you answered the question, “how do I want work to fit into my life over the holidays?” And Tip#2 reminded you to manage technology to achieve that vision, and not let technology manage you. Well, there are three weeks left in the holiday season, and it’s time for a progress check. How are you doing? What’s been effective and what’s fallen pray to the inevitable “work creep?” Redouble back. Review your original vision and plan for technology. Make the necessary adjustments and start again. Stick to the plan.
I agree that new terminology can be used among professionals who are constantly on top of new developments in work/life——but I have found that the general public understands the term” work/life balance”
I have balance as part of my counseling practice name and it works well. People get it!
I won’t be discarding the term.