A healthy balance is not a 50/50 split

Striking a balance…

This topic is so popular and yet one that continues to mystify the generations. Someone at a bridal shower I attended shared that the secret to a long marriage is not to believe that it is a 50/50 encounter, but one that SHIFTS and CHANGES from season to season, and sometimes from moment to moment.

I recall the sweet older lady saying, “Dear, sometimes it requires 100 percent on your part because he cannot give any at that time, and sometimes you only have to give a bit, because he is carrying the load.”

I’m not sure sure if science would back this up, but I feel that it especially holds true in most relationships… including the one’s we have that compete with one another, work/home, etc.

I use that often as a story when talking to young professionals about their inevitable goal of achieving a healthy work/life balance.

The truth is it’s pretty much the same as the marriage story. At times home requires more for many possible reasons, and sometimes work requires more. It’s just that simple. The greatest disservice we can do to ourselves is to create a narrative in our minds that we are only going to strike a balance that “feels” good all of the time. Defaulting to a 50/50 split is common, and I would say unwise for most of us.

Set yourself up to succeed by creating a healthy mental narrative. Each week try to determine where the “chips may fall” so to speak, and my suggestion is to be transparent with your family, and hopefully in your work place (if at all possible) as to what everyone can expect that week. It’s truly amazing how understanding others are and how much better we all feel when we are honest about where we need to be that week. If you struggle at all with this, please feel free to message me. I absolutely love this topic and would love the opportunity to help if I can!