The Myth of Balance: What It Really Means to Have Work-Life Harmony
People often talk about work-life balance, but I prefer the term work-life harmony—and here’s why.
Balance assumes that something is off and needs to be fixed. And while that might be true (and often is), I don’t believe we can ever truly stay balanced. Life is dynamic. What we can do is learn to flow in harmony with both our work and personal lives.
So what does that look like?
It starts with defining your capacity—what you genuinely have the time and space for in this season of your life. The truth is, most of us spend a significant part of our day working to earn an income. Those hours might shift from day to day or week to week, or they might be fixed. Either way, we have to account for that time realistically and add in any set obligations, then we get to fill the remaining space with the things that light us up—the things that help us feel like the best versions of ourselves.
I once heard someone ask, “How are you going to reclaim your day?”
I loved that question.
In fact, I love the idea of bookending the day with that same mindset.
Before work begins, how will you claim your day for yourself?
And when work is done, how will you reclaim it with intention?
The beauty of this is that everyone’s answer will be different, based on what matters most to them in the season they’re in. For me, I love a long, slow morning before I begin work to really ground me in the day ahead. I like to move my body, sip my coffee while I fill in my planner, and do a quick tidy of the house—because messy is stressy.
At the end of my workday, I’ll often take a quick walk around the block, meditate, or read a little before starting dinner and easing into the evening with my family.
That’s work-life harmony for me.
It’s not about doing everything perfectly or maintaining a fragile sense of balance. It’s about rhythm.
Alignment.
And making space for what matters most.
What would your day look like if you approached it through the lens of harmony instead of balance?
