Balancing Work With Purpose

by Jul 9, 2018

In the professional world, most people feel at one point or another that their work-life balance isn’t it’s best, or maybe is even non-existent. Emails, phone calls, crises, projects, and other work-related subjects can feel like too much for anyone, from entry level employees all the way up to the CEO.
So if everyone at all levels experiences this, what’s the real problem? This phenomenon must be explainable since it happens to us all across the board of seniority and experience.
In her article here, Carol Tuttle suggests that there are reasons beyond our duties that play into a work-life imbalance.
“But whatever imbalance you see in your outer world is actually happening on a deeper level. In other words, if the outer events of your life feel overwhelming, that’s a sign that you’re living out of balance on the inside. Fix that and the rest will follow.”
Tuttle even has a process to help fix the inner imbalance all of us can experience. She recommends taking a deep breath and remembering three big reasons why we’re all here, and how we find meaning in life:
  • Lessons to learn
  • Experiences to have
  • Service to give
What she’s suggesting is that it all boils down to these three things in life. Since we spend so much of our lives at work, why shouldn’t these things become involved in our jobs? She recommends that finding ways to integrate these three points into work will make us feel more fulfilled, less overwhelmed, and more balanced with our lives both in and outside of work. 
 
Consider what lessons you have to learn from your job. How can you become both better at your role, and better in who you are through your experiences at work?
 
Think about the experiences you’ve already had, and the ones you want to have. This could mean building up a skill, fostering relationships, or obtaining a certification. You can enrich your life experience through work in these ways, as well as many more.
 
Finally, truly consider what services you bring to this world and how you can integrate those into your life at work. This could be participating in or even organizing a fundraiser within your workplace. It could even be something smaller, like realizing that your knack for empathy can be used to help others in your office. Maybe you’re a great organizer, so you can use that to help the workflow in your office. Your service doesn’t have to be over the top: it can be as simple as using a strength of yours to help someone else at work.
Image retrieved from Pexels under the public domain

Recent Posts

Quote of the Day: Vince Lombardi

Quote of the Day: Vince Lombardi

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” -Vince Lombardi In the workplace as well as your own job search, perseverance will always have the biggest impact. Strength and...

Post-Interview: Thank You Notes

Post-Interview: Thank You Notes

There is so much emphasis on acing one's interviews, responding expertly to commonly asked questions, dressing appropriately, speaking to one's strengths without merely summarizing one's resume. Despite all this attention paid to the interview itself, there is an...

Cultivating Success

Cultivating Success

We all have a rather abstract idea of success and what it means to be successful. Success can be anything from doing your job well, to being promoted to a leadership role, to running a company, and everything in between. Nearly each one of us can visualize success'...

Quote of the Day: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote of the Day: Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson There will always be...

How to be Direct

How to be Direct

We are constantly afraid of overstepping our bounds or offending the wrong person, which sometimes leads us to sidestep and maneuver around what are we really trying to say. Being direct in one's conversations, emails, or memos opens a whole new door to effective...

Quote of the Day: Joyce Brothers

Quote of the Day: Joyce Brothers

 “Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.” -Joyce Brothers The average person has about a thousand thoughts a day. As with so many of our thoughts, we can choose to focus on the ones that cultivate a positive attitude....

Making that Connection

Making that Connection

We hear it all the time: the secret to getting ahead in your career, or simply landing your first job out of college, is networking. This rather broad term describes a process that many of us slink away from for one reason or another, usually while telling ourselves...

Quote of the Day: Melanie Joy

Quote of the Day: Melanie Joy

“Educating yourself does not mean that you were stupid in the first place; it means that you are intelligent enough to know that there is plenty left to learn.” -Melanie Joy One should continuously seek to improve upon their knowledge. Learning new material is not a...

Quote of the Day: Abraham Lincoln

Quote of the Day: Abraham Lincoln

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." -Abraham Lincoln Also known as: looking at the glass as half full rather than half empty. The world is exactly as you perceive it-- if you think the universe is working...

The Unhelpful “Compliment Sandwich”

The Unhelpful “Compliment Sandwich”

Though it has many names, "the compliment sandwich" has been encountered by virtually every person in the professional world, and it refers to the process by which criticism is layered between compliments and positive feedback. The problem in using this model to give...

“Managing” Time

“Managing” Time

Can one really manage time? The short answer is no. The more eloquently phrased answer is: “money can be managed. People can be managed. Schedules can be managed. Time can only be accounted for,”" as Kat Boogaard quotes Charlie Gilkey in her article "Asking This One...

Do Your Research

Do Your Research

Ideally, you've already researched the company to which you've been invited to interview because you wanted to convey knowledge and interest for the company in your application. If you haven't done your research yet, don't worry-- there's still time before your...

Keeping Your Calm

Keeping Your Calm

We all face pressure at various points in our lives. It could be school related, work related, family related-- or simply life related. The trick to keeping your cool is not learning to avoid pressure, but rather learning how to respond to it. In his article "3 Ways...

Networking 101: The Follow-Up

Networking 101: The Follow-Up

You did it-- you went to the networking event, or your college alumni weekend, or the business summit-- and you met a few people you really hit it off with. Now what? For most of us, new networking relationships often fizzle after the first contact. You might exchange...