Are you satisfied with who you are at work and at home?

Today, many people believe that work-life balance is being replaced by integration and alignment. Others believe it’s a choice on how you spend your time and talent in the world.

What do you think? Read through the following three definitions and determine what best describes what you long for when it comes to your life professionally and personally.

• Integration: to combine two things so that they become a whole.
• Alignment: a union formed for a mutual benefit.
• Balance: an even distribution of weight (or of time, energy and talent).

Let’s face it, you are who you are, whether you are working or playing, making positive connections at work or out of work, so does it have to be either work or life?

What if we spent our time as people who live integrated lives, weaving the fabric of who we are into what we do, no matter what task we are engaged in? At times we will show up with more energy for work-related activities and at other times we will show up with more energy for personal activities. The common denominator in all that we do is who we are while we do what we do.

What if we replaced it all with one desired outcome: life satisfaction?

When you are satisfied, aligned with what you value most and know the person you are committed to being, you bring that presence and energy wherever you go.

In training for my second-degree black-belt in Tae Kwon Do, we worked on expanding our inner balance through exercises that required us to hold a variety of positions with our body while working through any resistance of our mind (such as negative thoughts like, I can’t do this). This allowed us to expand our ability to create a solid internal equilibrium between spirit, mind, emotions and body. 

The purpose for expanding this balance was simple: by creating the necessary internal environment we were able to execute and step into the desired outcome. All too often in life, we focus all of our attention and energy on one area (whether that be professionally or personally) to the exclusion of other essential areas. This renders us extremely vulnerable to burn-out and fatigue.  Refreshment and inner contentment, on the other hand, are signs of a more balanced lifestyle.

Clarity of focus leads to accuracy of response, so let us first understand the meaning behind work-life balance. According to Wikipedia, the definition of work-life balance is a concept of including proper prioritizing between “work” (career and ambition) and “lifestyle” (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development).

Too often our lives are pulled out of balance because we follow shiny objects that distract us from our own morale compass and definitive purpose. 

Identify and write down specific areas of your life that occupy your energy and attention during an average week and the estimated amount of time you spend in each area.

Where are you spending your moments each day? Are you weaving into those moments what you value most in this life? Do you put your task above people or people above your tasks?

In this way, a new phrase is replacing work-life balance: blended living.

Today, set aside 10-15 minutes and reflect on your day-to-day satisfaction in your life. What percentage of your time is spent with what you value most? Ask yourself the following three questions and write down your answers:

• Who am I?
• Why am I here?
• What will it matter?

Definitiveness of purpose drives our time management in life and ultimately our overall well-being and happiness.  As you create more clarity around why you are here and why you do what you do, your core values will emerge and fuel your priorities in life.

Commit to performing small actions each day that support a desire for contentment in life, inner peace and satisfaction. This is made easier when your priorities around what you are doing are made clear.