The Myth of the Perfect Balance
Embracing the Seasons of Our Careers
“Work-life balance.” It’s a phrase that has been weaponised, a holy grail we are all told we must relentlessly pursue. We’re bombarded with articles and social media posts warning us of burnout, of the dangers of ‘the hustle,’ and the promise of a perfect 9-to-5 existence where work never, ever spills over into life. And let’s be honest, a lot of that rhetoric is rooted in truth. We’ve all felt the exhaustion, the mental drain of being ‘always on.’
But what if the very idea of a static, perfect balance is a myth? What if the real secret to a fulfilling career and a rich life isn’t about a constant, equal distribution of time, but about embracing the seasons?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this, especially as our workplaces have become more multi-generational than ever before. Walk into any office today (or log into any Zoom call), and you’ll find Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z all working side-by-side, each with a fundamentally different relationship with work and life.
For many of our parents and grandparents, the equation was simpler. You put in the hours, you showed loyalty, you climbed the ladder, and eventually, you secured a comfortable life. The focus was on a long, steady trajectory. The idea of ‘balance’ was often a luxury that came later in life, after the foundational work was done.
But for younger generations, the calculus has shifted dramatically. There’s a growing body of research from UK institutions like the Resolution Foundation and the Institute for Fiscal Studies showing that the goalposts for building wealth have moved. Reports indicate that younger people face significantly higher costs for essentials like housing, and homeownership is becoming increasingly out of reach. For example, a Resolution Foundation report showed that younger millennials (born in the late 1980s) earned on average 8 per cent less at age 30 than members of Generation X born just ten years prior. When the reward for ‘hard work’ feels less certain, it’s understandable that there’s a collective leaning towards demanding more balance, more time for self, and less unpaid emotional labor. If the destination is harder to reach, why push so hard on the journey?
This is where the conversation gets interesting. Because while the desire for balance is valid, it’s not always a linear path.
Balance is a deeply subjective thing. My balance won’t look like yours, and it certainly won’t look like my mother’s. It’s dictated by our life stage, our responsibilities, and, most importantly, our goals. A single, ambitious 25-year-old with a dream of starting their own company has a completely different definition of balance than a 45-year-old parent navigating school runs and extracurriculars. Neither is right or wrong.
The key, I believe, is to embrace the seasonality of our careers.
There will be seasons, and I mean genuine, concentrated periods of time, when we have to go all-in. These aren’t times of mindless busy-work; they are pivotal moments. They’re the launch of a new product, a high-stakes project, the beginning of a business, or a push for a promotion that will unlock the next stage of our career. During these seasons, you are going to show up more. You will put in the hours beyond the clock. And this isn’t a sign of a broken system; it’s a reflection of the importance of the moment. It’s the pace required to make something truly happen.
But here’s the crucial part, this can’t be our permanent state. The fear we have of going ‘all-in’ stems from the mistaken belief that it’s a one-way street to burnout. The fear is valid if that’s all there is.
The real magic lies in the other seasons. The slow seasons. These are the periods after the sprint, the times we need to consciously pull back and recover. These are the moments for long lunches, for taking that spontaneous Friday off, for focusing on hobbies and relationships. This downtime isn’t a sign of weakness or a lack of ambition; it’s a direct reflection of the busy season that came before it. It’s the required pause that allows for sustainable momentum.
So, how do we find richness in both our careers and the life outside of them?
It starts with an honest conversation with yourself.
What are your goals right now?
Where are you in the season of your life and career?
Instead of chasing a mythical, 50/50 split, ask yourself –
- What is this season for? Am I in a season of building and sprinting, or am I in a season of maintaining and reflecting?
- What does my ‘rich’ life look like? Is it about financial security, creative expression, time with family, travel, or something else entirely? Our definition of richness is the compass that guides our balance.
- Am I honouring the downtime? When the busy season ends, do I intentionally create space to rest and recharge? Or do I immediately look for the next thing to fill my plate?
The truth is, work-life balance isn’t a destination. It’s a dynamic, ever-changing process.
It’s not about achieving a perfect split but about being intentional with our energy and our time, understanding that there are moments to push hard and moments to pull back.
By embracing the seasonality of it all, the sprints and the pauses, the busy and the slow, we can stop chasing a static ideal and start building a career and a life that feels authentic, sustainable, and, most importantly, our own.
RESOURCES AND NEXT STEPS
If you’re looking for more support and guidance to build balance, here are some valuable resources:
- Book a conversation to see how we can help you with your work-life balance HERE.
- Have meaningful conversations. Connect with your people deeper by sharing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Use our Flip The Thinking Tool kit and share it with people around you. See how it helps you enrich the connection and conversation.
- Follow along on LinkedIn HERE
- Find out more about our women’s leadership programme HERE