Feature Article: Law Practice Management Series
by Mary G. Anderson, Life Management Consulting Group
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air.
You name them — work, family, health, friends, and spirit —
and you’re keeping all these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.
But the other four balls — family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass.
If you drop one of these,
they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered.
They will never be the same.
You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.
~Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises from 1959-1994
When you work hard, study hard, and ideally land a career that is both challenging and fulfilling– most likely you will end up with the conundrum of trying to balance your work with your life outside-of-work. When I started to write this article I thought I could tackle the topic in one issue but I am sure I will need more space to do this subject justice. Our lives are full and exciting but at the same time complicated and stressful. The expectations for professionals and parents have changed dramatically.
I believe that we have our internal beliefs (e.g. the 50’s stay-at-home Mom fantasy, “Super Mom/Dad”, etc.) and the external factors created by the demands of our home/family, work, school, community and our extended family (e.g. aging parents, health crisis, etc.). The media and our age in life greatly affect the challenges of trying to live a balanced life.
The internal challenges often include your attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and expectations of yourself and the validity of your support system (e.g. spouse/partner, family, staff at work, babysitter, etc.). I think we are all in a bind as there is the constant challenge to maintain the balance between our internal and external pressure.
Here is an idea to help you sort through some of the challenges of finding a level of balance that works for both you, your family and the demands of your work life. Consider writing a list of what you consider to be your internal sources of stress. Here are some of the items that you might consider:
The need to do it all and have it all (=exhaustion)
- Ineffective behaviors/habits (e.g. inadequate planning, being poorly organized, procrastinating, etc.)
- Unrealistically high expectations for perfectionism (e.g. trying to be a perfect worker, parent, caregiver, etc.)
- Negative attitude and feelings (e.g. choosing to look at our work/life balance issues as “problems” and “crises” vs. “challenges, opportunities and learning experiences”)
- Lack of self care (e.g. diet, exercise, regular medical check-ups, relaxation and time with friends/time alone, etc.)
How could you do it differently? What habits might you begin to change? What is working and what isn’t? Next time we’ll talk about the external challenges that make work/life balance challenging.
Quote To Ponder
“There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.”
~Henry Kissinger
About the Author:
Mary G. Anderson, is the Program Director at Advanced Legal Training Institute. She also provides client service programs through her company, Life Management Consulting Group. Many estate-planning attorneys have clients that are in need of guidance and support as they manage their elder years. Mary offers 1-on-1 coaching support for families that are facing some of the challenging aspects of end-of-life/eldercare such as choosing/evaluating a nursing home/assisted living center, professional organizing of important papers and documents, estate settlement and support with funeral planning, grief and loss. These consulting services assist clients who are either in 1) the midst of handling a death of a loved one and executing their estate and/or 2) a client who has decided to get organized and plan ahead by completing their will, organizing their important papers, completing a checklist of final wishes and creating a legacy will. Mary is the author of “My Estate Management Guide“, “Pet Protection Legal Care Plan: Financial and Legal Planning to Protect Your Companion Pet” and a Certified Mediator & Estate Settlement Agent.
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