For real estate professionals, there is a drive to find that perfect “life balance” as they juggle the various aspects of their personal and professional lives. As it turns out, they may be searching for something that doesn’t exist.
According to Darren Hardy, a noted author, keynote speaker, advisor and former publisher of SUCCESS magazine, “life balance” simply doesn’t exist.
Hardy notes that by nature, life is out of balance. Seeking something that doesn’t exist is only going to lead to frustration.
Moreover, Hardy notes that life is fluid and is in a constant state of flux.
“There are times when you need all hands on deck for tacking the boat to avoid collision and there are other times when you can go hang out in the galley and play cards with the boat on autopilot,” he says. “Through it all you are always going to be changing the priority of your time and attention. You will always be off kilter and shifting your balance.”
A key myth is that balance even exists in the first place.
“I’ve come to learn that it’s not actually about achieving balance because your life doesn’t exist in silos,” Darrah Brustein of Network Under 40 told Small Business Trends. “Rather, it’s about achieving optimal integration of the different elements of your life.”
Brian Smith, of Brian Smith Group, told Small Business Trends that there is no magic finish line that brings success and fulfillment.
“Build a habit of living each day successful and fulfilled,” he said. “If you stress and overwork yourself every day, you’re just cementing a bad habit of overwork and stress. No exit or amount of money or will end that bad habit. Build the life you want to live today and don’t put it off.”
As Hardy explains, we cannot sacrifice key aspects of our life as we search for something that doesn’t exist.
“We have to constantly keep up our health, relationships, finances, spirituality and nurture of self during and through it all,” he noted.
But chasing the Great White Whale of “life balance” can have the effect of creating feelings of guilt about everything all of the time. Hardy said that is because we can’t grasp that it doesn’t exist.
“It’s not the way it works, thus all it does is take us off course and make us feel like failures,” he said. “We keep chasing rainbows frustrated that we never seem to get to the pot of gold.”
It is important for everyone – including real estate professionals – to redefine just what balance is, including doing things you love, even if it is work.
And once you come to terms with the fact that life balance may actually be akin to a unicorn, there may be a chance for peace.
Diego Orjuela of Cables & Sensors LLC, noted that professionals must realize that it is a myth that you can start a business and work only four hours a week.
“Yet time and time again, young entrepreneurs believe it can be possible,” he said. “Nothing is further from the truth.”
Debbie Lyn Toomey, author of “3 Myths of Work/Life Balance, said it is unrealistic for us to strive for this work/life balance when life delivers so many unexpected situations that can ripple into all areas of our lives such as lay-offs, health crisis, and divorce to name a few.
“Work/life balance should not be a way we measure our success but rather the tool we use to check in with ourselves so that we can make the best choices,” she said.
Ultimately, if you don’t love your work, Hardy contends you are never going to achieve a feeling of balance.
“Try finding work you love,” he concluded.
