Comments on: Work-Life Balance is Your Decision

By: internet work from home

internet work from home — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:03:50 +0000

internet work from home…

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By: code reduction

code reduction — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:08:38 +0000

code reduction…

yes ……..

By: Stephen Koenigsberg

Stephen Koenigsberg — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:28:55 +0000

If you're the obsessive or compulsive personality type (and you know who you are), and don't have a handle on what drives you, I don't think “you have control over all of this.” It's as powerful as any addiction on the planet — cunning, baffling and insidious. And it could take some time and maybe even therapy to slow down enough to hear what you're saying to yourself and to be aware of what propels you underneath all the busyness. People will fight this process tooth and nail because it often amounts to taking off a protective mask or two or three….. and that's not comfortable.

By: Annie

Annie — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:27:55 +0000

Thank you for this post! As a soon to be college graduate seeking a PR career, I always hear about reading-up on balancing my life and how I can make it easier. I always think to myself: “How can someone else teach ME how to balance MY life, the way I want?”

Great post!

By: keithtrivitt

keithtrivitt — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:14:27 +0000

Melissa – Thanks for the really great feedback on here, particularly from a parent's perspective, while I'm not yet a parent myself, I can only imagine is a whole different world of craziness in terms of balancing work-life demands.

It's really great to hear that you're doing so well balancing this now that you're on your own. I hear that from a ton of people who have recently gone solo, and it's certainly nice to see that many PR pros are taking their careers in their own control to find the best balance that works for them.

By: Leanne - @LeanneCLC

Leanne - @LeanneCLC — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:08:58 +0000

Enjoyed your post. It is in all in our control…to a point. I'm part of a vibrant community of people who want to work. Are qualified to work. But can't find work. Not because we're unemployed…but because the workplace isn't flexible. Many of us have personal obligations such that we are no longer willing to work M-F 9-5+
About 30 hours a week works for us. Which sounds easy, right? Sure if you want to be a secretary, or a freelance accountant, or work at Starbucks…but not if you want to be a “professional.”

So many of us have instead chosen no work, or to work for ourselves. But it's not really what we want. So we're blending it all very well…and we are meeting our personal obligations and we “work”…but we miss our professions.

And that is part of the “balance.” But it's not easy.

By: MelissaHourigan

MelissaHourigan — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:17:43 +0000

I agree with the main point of this post and to be honest, the work/life balance thing has been a problem in PR for years. Our profession just isn't 9-5 especially now with stories breaking at all hours and on weekends. In the beginning of my career, I was often criticized for the amount of time I was at work – but it was my choice, I was hungry to know everything I could, to be the first to send the articles of interest around, to catch something before the client. Then when I had a family, I had to start learning the difference between my version of “balance” and what my family needed from me. Many firms don't understand the needs of mothers and I have experienced the downside of picking my career over my children in situations. Now on my own, I find that I can have both but on my terms. I never log off, I always check email but I also am there when my kids are sick or I need to be a mother or wife. Most of us are in this profession because we like the pace, like to chase a challenge and do what it takes to be the best, if we didn't we wouldn't be here. Thanks for this post, it was refreshing. Those work/life balance gurus make me nuts.

By: keithtrivitt

keithtrivitt — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:18:52 +0000

Shane – Thanks for the insightful comment. The “be accountable” part is really the crux of the whole argument. Yeah, we all complain from time to time about being busy, but really, we put ourselves into these circumstances in some way, shape or form, and yes, we do have control to change that.

And to address Mitchell's point below, while I absolutely agree that you need a management team that is flexible and supports a balanced work life, at the same time, you have the decision whether you want to stay in an environment that maybe doesn't support that balance.

Of course, saying that is far easier than actually walking away, so there is certainly no easy answer. Like I said, I still struggle with this every week.

By: Mitchell Derman

Mitchell Derman — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:09:11 +0000

You raise some interesting points. I agree that much of how one balances their work and life is up to them. However, you also need to have a manager who is flexible and supports your choices in how you intend to balance everything and complete all of your work.

By: Shane Kinkennon

Shane Kinkennon — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:39:19 +0000

hey Keith I like this. This is a pet topic of mine, as it of so many people. I'm fascinated by it. But I love the “be accountable” message. Few things irk as quickly as hearing someone whine about being SOOOOOOOOOO busy, when the circumstances are entirely of their own creation. Own it, or be able to laugh about it, or something. But don't whine about it