3 Tips for Focusing on Work-Life Integration
In his study of the "entrepreneur's mindset," author Tony Robbins uncovers an interesting contradiction in the balance between work and personal life.
The results showed that 53% of the participants do not believe that they need to sacrifice part of their personal life in order to achieve progress at work, and only 17% considered the balance between work and personal life as a great thing.
Why does the balance between work and personal life decrease while the ambition for it increases so much? The truth is, as much as we want to deny it, the culture of prioritizing work over personal life is still very relevant in the business field.
Supporters of this culture include entrepreneur Elon Musk, who says, “Work like crazy. I mean, you have to work 80 to 100 hours a week every week.” There’s also entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, who says, “Work til 3 in the morning!” No wonder we are convinced that the balance between personal life and work is a difficult equation to solve.
This may be the reason why one of Tony's best tips on work-life balance may shock you: "There is no such thing as work-life balance; there is only work-life integration."
So, what's the difference?
When you integrate work and personal life, you'll feel like you love your job, your work will lift you up rather than put you down, and you'll come home with plenty of energy for your family, friends, and hobbies.
Three tips to focus on work-life integration
1. Accept the fact that work-life balance does not exist
The term "work-life balance" conveys the idea that work and life are two separate units. You may believe that you can adopt different character's at any time, such as the mother's character, the CEO's character, or the character with your life partner, but this is inaccurate. When you focus on merging work with personal life instead of treating life as a game of winning or losing, you will find serenity and peace.
Entrepreneur Jeff Bezos endorses this idea. When asked about work-life balance, he said, "I find that when I am happy at work, I come home more energized and I'm a better husband and a better dad; when I'm happy at home, I come in and I’m a better boss and a better colleague.” Life is a continuous and connected circle, not a scale that measures the balance between your life and work.
On an episode of Tony Robbins radio show, entrepreneur and influencer Mother Jenna Kutcher said, "Balance will never be achieved. Circumstances force you to choose what's most urgent. Things don't go smoothly, and that's where the fun lies." Her best work-life balance tip is to stop thinking of life as a set of metrics and start thinking of every moment as a blessing that you must make the most of.
2. Find your mission in life
The same study found that 93% of participants wish they could be employers despite their lack of work-life balance. It's not about how many hours you work in a day or even how much money you make; it's about your mission.
Jeff Bezos says, “It is not primarily related to the number of working hours per week; rather, it is usually related to the type of work. Does your work consume your energy or does it provide you with it?” When your work is part of your mission in life, it will excite you, wake you up excited to go to work, and make you come home excited to share your work diaries with your family, even if you can't hire your family to work for you.
If you want to return the favor, you can think of your family as part of your message. Explain these values to your family in your spare time. If your mission is to achieve financial freedom, share your learning experiences with them and also ask your children to stack money in a small piggy bank. It will teach them something about managing finances. Tony says, "When you share your message with your family, it brings you closer to them."
3. Adopt a positive mindset
As a person with a clear vision for your life, do not allow anything to distract you. Take a small step every day in order to achieve your dream, and set small goals that live up to your general vision, which includes your family, volunteer work, or social life. No matter how important work is to you, when you have a plan to integrate work and life, you will find that everything is going in the right direction.
Having a positive mindset helps you achieve inner peace, which is one of the most important work-life balance tips. You won't achieve it if you let that annoying coworker or that person who passed you at a traffic light affect your mood. When you can't control your emotions, you won't perform at your best at work or at home.
In conclusion
Practices like writing a gratitude note can help you stay focused on the positive and work toward your goals every day.