Why You Should Forget About Work-Life Balance
What is work life balance? The concept of work-life balance implies that each are dichotomous entities that one must strive to keep in equilibrium, that work is bad and life is good and that not only is it possible to separate the two, it’s something to aim for. Work is not the opposite of life, it’s a part of it. And there are many other components that form the basis of a so-called ‘balanced’ life, the common belief being that there are seven primary areas; professional life, family life, personal life, physical life, emotional life, intellectual life, and spiritual life. Attempting to keep all of these in balance is an exercise in futility.
It’s important to shift your perspective on the work-life equilibrium for your own peace of mind and sense of fulfilment. Making the decision to treat work as an extension of your life rather than an obstacle to it can be a highly rewarding experience. Work is part of life, and with so many other aspects of life to juggle there is little point in trying to balance them all. Instead, we suggest focusing on the balance of love and hate, otherwise known as energy givers and energy takers, in all aspects of life.
What this means in terms of finding fulfilment in work is to consider each of your activities – whether that be meetings, responding to emails, particular projects, or any other tasks you may have – and whether they bring you energy, or drain you of it. The goal here is to spend more of your day doing the energy-giving tasks and less of the energy-taking ones. Of course it’s never quite this simple, but even small changes can affect how you approach your job and how you feel about your day-to-day life.
Another approach to the conundrum that is ‘work life balance’ and the age-old question of how to enjoy work is to begin building your ideal lifestyle at work, rather than separating the two. This may involve creating a community of like minded individuals from your own workplace or those surrounding it, taking part in nearby exercise or hobby clubs before or after work, or immersing yourself in the local culture and cuisine during your lunch breaks. Community is a major motivator for many employees, as well as a key component of employee satisfaction. Building your own community whilst at work can go a long way towards creating a fulfilling work lifestyle.
This can be done at any workplace, but curating and expanding your work community is simple at a shared office space or coworking space, as these tend to attract big thinkers who are interested in forming meaningful connections. An additional benefit of joining a Sydney coworking space is that they tend to incorporate lifestyle features into their offering, whether that be exercise spaces, fine dining elements, or professional events.
Workspaces of the future will need to take these lifestyle elements into consideration in order to attract workers; developing spaces that foster community, connection, and experiences. Work Club Locomotive was designed to encourage all of the above and more, allowing our clients to curate their own work lifestyle and do more of those energy-giving activities. Work Club Locomotive’s premium lifestyle offerings include dining options such as Kylie Kwong’s ‘Lucky Kwong’, The Grounds, Romeo’s Food Hall IGA, and Re – Australia’s first fully sustainable bar. Inside the Locomotive workspace members can mingle and relax in our signature Club Lounge, or enjoy a stimulating evening at one of our many curated Florence Guild events. The space is also home to a number of club and activity options, including Australia’s first Indigenous Rooftop Community Garden, and several wellness facilities including pilates, yoga and barre studios.
Create your perfect work lifestyle at Work Club Locomotive. Book a tour to discover our shared office space Sydney today.
