Two People are in a Canoe
A word from Zach.
It’s hard to believe we launched our website over 6 weeks ago. Time flies almost as fast as our incredible creative ideas!
Since then, we have continued building the business, expanding our client work, and telling some really interesting stories. It’s been a blast. And in that time, like any aspiring company, we’ve continued to develop our thoughts about life, work, and the balance between the two.
We've come to realize it shouldn't be about work-life balance or work-life blend (we hate that term). It’s more natural, like the tides. Ebb and flow, running currents. It starts like this…
Two People are in a Canoe
Where do you end up going?
The person in the front is paddling forwards. The person in the back is paddling backwards.
Where does the canoe go?
You go wherever the current dictates - which may or may not be where either of you actually want to be headed.
The same thing happens every single day in our workforce. But it doesn't have to.
The law of diminishing returns is used to refer to a point at which the level of benefit is less than the amount of energy or effort invested.
There's a point in every workday - The Slump - where you flatline. You've exerted yourself to the fullest. On a good day, you've accomplished everything on your to-do list. Bad days? You completed maybe half. In either case, you still find yourself here, totally spent.
So why is it that we're usually frustrated and stressed, on top of being exhausted?
Because society has tricked us into believing that following the rigid work structure is the best way to live and to perform professionally. We're expected to show up and "bring it" for 8+ hours (let's be honest, 9-5 ha bled into 8-6 or, in many cases, wake-up to bedtime).
We carry our work with us even when we aren't working. And it isn't healthy.
The Work-Life Tide
“Put your head down and get back to work.” Or nah.
The Work-Life Tide
"Put your head down and get back to work."
As a former college athlete, I was always encouraged to push through pain. To block out any mental and physical exhaustion at all costs. Just to get it done. As I began my professional career this mindset came with it - along with the demands of a small, entrepreneurial company.
After a couple of years, I was sitting in the office one night completely exhausted. The clock said 8:00 p.m., but it might as well have been 1:00 a.m. I'd still be working at that time anyways. I felt broken. It was then that I asked myself "Why am I doing this? Does working 12+ hours a day have any long-term value to me or my company?"
No, it doesn't.
Before, I justified it as the hustle of getting ahead. Some colleagues (and my boss) often said they didn't mind getting only 3-5 hours of sleep each night or going to bed exhausted, because we were doing "good work for good causes." It was a justification, a lie we tell ourselves to feel better about feeling so bad.
That kind of phrase, "good work for good causes," can become a dangerous mantra. And impressionable employees can repeat it robotically without stopping periodically to evaluate what they're actually doing.
Individually, you're at risk of burnout. That includes lack of work satisfaction, as well as sacrificing time spent with people you love and doing things you love. As an employee, your fatigue and potential bitterness can become toxic. Cancerous. It can devastate the company by fueling a negative work environment and, ultimately, high turnover.
Follow the Current
Listen to your body and your mind
Follow Your Body's Current
So I stopped. I stopped believing in the myth that working harder than everyone else gets you to where you want to be, and that life is all about finding the perfect "work-life blend." Because neither are true.
I started believing in working smarter towards my goals and the truth that work-life balance is a thing, but it's not rigid. Some days you may need more life and others you may need or want to do more work. There is not a magic formula to this at all.
But, how do you know what to do and when to do it?
Simple. Listen to your body and your mind. If you're in a work groove, keep chugging along. If you start feeling fatigued or sense your output is suffering, it's time to step aside for a little.
Of course deadlines will always plague us; sometimes we still have to push through. But let the balance come after - find ways to restore your internal peace.
Go for a run in the middle of the day. Pick up the book you've been reading. Make a nice lunch and listen to some music. Leave the office an hour early. The time when your paycheck was justified by your butt being in a seat is long past.
That's why at IdeaFlights, Tim and I believe wholeheartedly in following our own currents. We enjoy our work. We enjoy our lives. And we enjoy our relationships with each of you.
So, next time you reach that wall, instead of trying to "break through that barrier" we say, chill out, refresh your batteries and come back to it when your mind and body are ready.
Let the current lead when you know where you want it to take you. But when it's time to row, let's row in the right direction.
-Zach