Work/Life Harmony

Having the WORK/LIFE HARMONY motive indicates you have a core desire for a well-rounded life. The desired balance and equilibrium between work and personal time will manifest uniquely for each individual. It isn’t, however, about striving for a perfect balance between work and life, but the desire for them to harmonize rather than be at odds with one another. You may prefer that “work” and “life” be separate, or you may prefer to integrate and synergize them on your terms. Separation often looks like clear boundaries between “work time” and “personal time.” Integration may look like a flexible start time; bringing your dog to work; running a personal errand during the work day; or answering emails later in the evening, after a workout or a child’s soccer game. The desire for WORK/LIFE HARMONY does not make your dedication to professionalism less. Rather, you acknowledge your work life as part of a larger whole. WORK/LIFE HARMONY is in the Balance Domain, which is next to the Freedom Domain on the Motive Circumplex. You are motivated by freedom to prioritize your time and design your work life in a way that integrates and harmonizes with other areas of your life. When you have the freedom to approach your life as a whole, you perform more efficiently in the professional sphere. You lose motivation when your work consistently inhibits your ability to give necessary attention, time, or energy to other areas that matter to you. It benefits you to have clear boundaries with your job. This can be complex to navigate if you have other top motives that keep you professionally driven (like a motive in the Success, Meaning, or Advancement Domains). Even the most dedicated professionals who have the WORK/LIFE HARMONY motive excel more consistently when they hold a margin of time and space removed from work. You risk becoming resentful if you push these boundaries or if those you work with cross them repeatedly. Even if your ideal harmony isn’t always possible, you value working with others who support the importance of this motive. When you have time and energy to invest in priorities outside of work, you can maintain productivity and invest your full attention at work. When this motive is met your work life and personal life reinforce one another.

You feel this motive being met when…

+ In any average week, you have adequate time and energy to engage with life outside of work.

+ You can meet work-related expectations within reasonable work hours.

+ Your work life is balanced with the rest of your life, and does not consume or compete with it.

This motive is at risk when…

– You are frequently preoccupied with work even when you’re not working or experiencing signs of burnout.

– You have tried to set reasonable boundaries with your peers, manager, or clients, and your boundaries are disrespected or ignored.

– You often feel like your job consumes the majority of your emotional and mental energy, leaving little to none left to invest in yourself, others or things that matter to you.

A Work Wellness Check-In for WORK/LIFE HARMONY

Can I fulfill my work-related goals and tasks within reasonable work hours?
What do I consider “reasonable work hours”? Is my understanding of “reasonable” in alignment with my company’s, manager’s, or colleagues’?
Do I feel I know how to say no to others in an effective manner both in and outside of work? Is saying no difficult for me? What comes to mind with the phrase, “Saying no to others is saying yes to myself?”

Do I frequently experience symptoms of burnout or overwhelm?
What boundaries have I set to protect WORK/LIFE HARMONY? Do the people I work with respect those boundaries?
Do I respect and maintain my own boundaries? Do I allow them to slip for reasons I need to confront?
When have the people I worked with supported my decision to honor my WORK/LIFE HARMONY? Did I thank them? Do I reciprocate and champion this motive for others?
How do my supervisors and colleagues treat my non-work-related priorities? Are outside lives and priorities respected, supported, and celebrated?
Have I ever been shamed or penalized for needing to prioritize life outside of my job? In what ways? By whom?
Do I prefer for my work and personal life to be separate or integrated? How might I experiment to balance my need for separation or healthy integration?

Do I frequently experience symptoms of burnout or overwhelm?
What boundaries have I set to protect WORK/LIFE HARMONY? Do the people I work with respect those boundaries?
Do I respect and maintain my own boundaries? Do I allow them to slip for reasons I need to confront?
When have the people I worked with supported my decision to honor my WORK/LIFE HARMONY? Did I thank them? Do I reciprocate and champion this motive for others?
How do my supervisors and colleagues treat my non-work-related priorities? Are outside lives and priorities respected, supported, and celebrated?
Have I ever been shamed or penalized for needing to prioritize life outside of my job? In what ways? By whom?
When might it be worth it to me to compromise this motive in order to meet other motives or goals? When is compromising destructive?
Do I prefer for my work and personal life to be separate or integrated? How might I experiment to balance my need for separation or healthy integration?
Do I create obstacles to this motive being met? (e.g. Do I have an unrealistic ideal for what balance should look like? Do I take work home with me, or take on more tasks than I need to? Am I a perfectionist? Do I feel guilty when I take time for myself? Do I say yes too often? Do I spread my attention too thin? etc.…)
What do I do to protect my time? Is time treated as a valuable resource that should be protected and optimized among those I work with or my company? Do we need to work on time management and creating efficiences or is this a strength?
How can I optimize my time, inside and outside of work? Do I need to optimize, or is trying to structure everything breaching my boundaries and sense of balance? Are there tasks in or outside of work that I can delegate or decline?

Of all my interests and commitments outside of work, which are my most important 5? Can I list them? (e.g. raising children; continuing education; pursuing a sport, hobby, or art form; volunteering; maintaining a social life and/or key relationships; taking care of an elderly parent; mental health; travel – anything) Do the people I work with know these are important to me? Are those top 5 actually balanced and in sync with how I spend my time? Do I feel confident that I can give each enough attention?
If I feel this motive is threatened, what is in my power to change? (e.g. setting and communicating boundaries, taking on fewer hours or projects, eliminating distractions, maximizing at-work efficiency, etc.)
Which matters do I need to resolve with the help of my team, manager, or HR ? (e.g. flexibility in my schedule, not attending unnecessary meetings, clarity on which tasks are most important, more autonomy, etc.…)