You’re human first.
Last week a friend told me they were having a ‘non-work day‘.
It gave me the ick!
That’s assuming that work is the standard and most important thing and we define ourselves based on whether we are on it or not!
Life came before work! ‘Oh I’m having a life day’ Sounds so much more exciting because it’s moving towards a positive and not a negative.
As a child, I wondered why my grandad went to work so often if he was so tired!
I suggested a 5:2 work-to-play week to my grandad, who laughed and suggested I go into politics!
When I started work myself, I dreamt of all the things I’d do in a 3:4 work-to-play ratio.
Then I read Timothy Ferriss’s book: The 4-Hour Work Week…
Work-life balance is difficult to achieve, but a work-life blend allows you to show up as your full-fat self in every area of your life.
The Global Reset of 2020 offered a sneak peek into some of these options – and an opportunity to reframe work-life balance into work-life BLEND.
Whether you worked diligently in your pyjamas, secretly started your own business (or joined your wife’s) or learned Mandarin, today we have more agency to go for The Blend!
So whether you lead a team at Amazon, some of whom are reluctantly returning to a five-day in-person work week, or are charged with inspiring a TWT (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) crew, here’s how to champion work-life blend and reap the benefits:
- Flexibility fuels creativity: Trust your team to work where they’re most effective.
- Lead by example: Respect off-hours and prioritise your own balance.
- Embrace authenticity: Encourage your team to live true to themselves. (Fun fact: “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself” is the No. 1 regret of the dying, according to Bronnie Ware’s research.)
- Master the art of ‘no’: Set an example of delegating and declining things that someone can do faster and better than you!
We share more work-life blend insights in our online workshops for teams and leaders. Want to find out more?
Visit Be Human First.
My best
Jaz
Be Human First Ltd