Work-Life Balance: A Modern Reality or a Convenient Myth?
I have recently found myself in several conversations with colleagues, business partners, and friends regarding “work-life balance” and whether or not it is truly achievable. In the reality of today’s world, a perfect balance seems far beyond our reach. Between juggling work, family time, exercise, and maintaining some resemblance of a social life - not to mention the “little things” like quiet time, gardening, relaxing with a good book or Netflix docuseries, and sleep - you can easily feel like a circus clown keeping too many plates in the air.
Having a family, my top priority is always ensuring that I spend enough quality time with my wife and daughter. But what is "enough"? If we look at the traditional image of a 50/50 split, carving out a conservative 40 to 50 hours a week for work and 56 hours for sleep (because 8 hours a night is important) leaves just over 64 hours of "free time" for everything else. That is not a lot of time when you break it down. It is easy to feel as though your family gets the short end of the stick, with guilt following you around like a shadow.
However, what if we swap the quantity of hours for quality of hours?
Being fully present - with mind, body, and soul - is what is truly required of us. Wherever we are - whether at work, at home, or on the golf course - if we direct our full focus and energy into the task at hand, our sense of fulfilment and satisfaction grows exponentially.
Having a philosophy of "intentional focus" sounds great in theory, but how do we achieve it in a world designed to constantly distract us? The answer, drumroll please… is boundaries. My brother-in-law used to say, "Boundaries aren't meant to keep people out; they're meant to show them where the door is." The same principle applies to daily distractions. Work, social calls, and even family matters can become distractions when they overlap inappropriately. Establishing clear boundaries makes these interruptions far less disruptive.
One personal boundary I maintain is choosing not to sync my work emails to my phone. Now, I know what you might be thinking: "What if something is urgent?" Hear me out: anyone who needs to reach me urgently already has my phone number (it's even in my email signature). If something requires immediate attention, a quick phone call or WhatsApp will reach me. But when my laptop is closed, the constant stream of email notifications stops - allowing me to give my full, undivided attention to my family when I am at home.
Like any good practice, going the distance requires a support network. I recently watched a clip of Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, discussing this exact topic. She shared a story about her daughter informing her at the last minute - literally an hour before school - that she needed homemade chocolate chip cookies for her class. As CEO, her schedule was packed, and baking wasn't exactly her primary skill set. With 60 minutes on the clock, she called the company cafeteria and asked the chefs to prepare a batch of homemade cookies. Needless to say, the cookies were a hit!
Did she bake them herself? No. But she utilized her support system to help her show up for her child, rather than stressing over the potential culinary disaster of baking them herself. Having the right support team - and being willing to lean on them—is essential.
The Verdict
Work-life balance as a 50/50 split is largely a myth. In the modern world, dividing your time equally across all areas of life is nearly impossible. Trying to juggle every priority simultaneously usually ends with everything crashing to the floor.
Instead, when you pick up a task, focus on it intentionally. When that task is finished, set it down neatly and move on to the next. Life isn't about balancing everything in equal measure - it's about being present, setting boundaries, and focusing intently on the moment you are in.
Tjaart Eygelaar | Conveyancer
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